Farnborough to London. Two roads, and the right one depends on the hour.
About 35 miles from the UK's only dedicated business aviation airport into the middle of London. The motorway part is easy. Choosing between the M3 and the A3, and where to leave whichever you chose, is the job.
The route
At a glance
- DistanceAbout 35 milesFarnborough sits in Hampshire between the M3 and the A31, with the A3 a short run east.
- Quiet roads60 to 80 minutesLate evening, early morning and most of Saturday and Sunday.
- Busy periods80 to 140 minutesWeekday mornings inbound, and from mid afternoon outbound.
- Best departuresBefore 06:30 or after 10:00Inbound on a weekday. Outbound from London, leave before 15:00 or after 19:30.
The choice
M3 for the west, A3 for the south
The M3 is the default. From the airport it is a few minutes to junction 4 or 4a, then a straight run to Sunbury, where the road becomes the A316 through Twickenham and Chiswick and joins the A4. For Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Chelsea that is almost always the answer, and the last four miles along the A4 are where the traffic decides how long the journey took.
The A3 is the alternative, reached across country to Guildford. It runs through Esher and the Kingston bypass, over Putney Heath and down into Wandsworth, which puts you on the south bank with a choice of bridges. For the City, Southwark, Canary Wharf and anywhere east of Westminster it is frequently the quicker road, and on a bad morning on the M3 it is the escape route.
Neither is a rule. The two roads fail in different ways: the M3 suffers around Sunbury and at the Hogarth roundabout, the A3 at Wisley and on the approach to Wandsworth. A chauffeur who drives both several times a week watches which one is moving before setting off, and changes plan at Guildford if the picture has changed. That is a large part of what you are paying for on this journey.
For an arrival at Farnborough the car is timed to the tail number and, where the airport permits it for your movement, waits close to the aircraft. You are on the road within a few minutes of the door opening, which is much of the reason to fly into Farnborough rather than somewhere larger.
Destinations
Farnborough into London
| To | Usual route | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfair and the West End | M3, A316, A4 | 60 to 75 minutes | 80 to 120 minutes |
| Knightsbridge and Belgravia | M3, A316, A4 | 55 to 70 minutes | 75 to 115 minutes |
| Chelsea and Kensington | M3, A316, then the river | 55 to 70 minutes | 75 to 110 minutes |
| City of London | A3, Wandsworth, the bridges | 75 to 90 minutes | 100 to 140 minutes |
| Canary Wharf | A3, then the south bank east | 80 to 100 minutes | 110 to 150 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Central London charges are included in the price we quote you. We plan each journey for the hour it is actually made and tell you beforehand what to expect.
Getting the timing right
What we ask you for
Five minutes of information at the booking stage saves half an hour on the day.
- The tail number, or the operator and handling agent, so we can confirm the arrival with the terminal rather than guessing from a schedule
- The address in London, not just the district. The difference between north and south Mayfair is a route decision, not a detail
- Whether there is a fixed appointment at the other end. If there is, we work back from it and build in a margin rather than leaving at a round hour
- Luggage and passenger numbers, so the car is right: an S-Class for two with cases, a V-Class for four or more
- Whether the same car is needed again later. A day with a return leg is usually better handled as one booking: see hourly and as directed
Compared
Chauffeur, train or taxi
| Door to door | Good for | Less good for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chauffeur | 60 to 140 minutes | Private terminal arrivals, luggage, calls on the move, a fixed price agreed in advance, and a car that waits when the slot slips | Nothing much on this route |
| Train | Roughly 75 to 110 minutes all in | A lone traveller with hand luggage in the weekday morning peak: the fastest trains reach Waterloo from Farnborough Main in a little over half an hour | Private terminal arrivals. The airport is not at the station, and Waterloo still leaves you a journey across London |
| Taxi | 60 to 140 minutes | Availability, if one happens to be there | Metered in traffic, no flight or slot tracking, and private terminals are not places taxis wait |
We would rather tell you when the train is quicker than have you sit in traffic wondering.
Either end
Related pages
Request a quote
Tell us when
The date, the tail number if you have it, and the London address. We reply with a clear price that includes the central London charges. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About this journey
How long should I allow going the other way?
From Mayfair to Farnborough, allow 90 minutes on a weekday and we will adjust on the day. For a private departure we time the arrival to your slot, not to a check-in window.
Is the price fixed?
Yes. Your quote is for the journey, not for the time it takes. Traffic is our problem, not yours.
Can the car come to the aircraft?
Where the airport permits it for your movement. Otherwise the car is at the terminal door. See private jet and FBO transfers.
What if the flight is two hours early?
Tell us, or let the handling agent tell us. The operations desk is staffed around the clock and the car moves with the aircraft.
Is Farnborough or Luton better for the West End?
Luton is usually the shorter drive to the West End and the north of London. Farnborough wins for the west and south west, for Surrey and Berkshire, and for its hours and its runway.