Peter Greenberg: Traveling From London to Harwich, England

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-07-20

Q: Peter, I will be traveling to London for the first time.  I need to meet a cruise ship at Harwich and want to find a private car service to transport me there from central London.  I have found companies through the Internet that list license numbers, but I do not know how to check their reliability. Can you offer a service or recommend a way to check the dependability of a company?

–Lynn
Lewisville, N.C.

A: There are three options for getting from London to Harwich by private car: The first is the famous black cab, which you can hail from any street corner or book online at http://www.londonblackcabs.co.uk. The cabs charge by the minute, not the mile (as American taxicabs do), so the 70-mile, 90-minute trip will cost you about £185 (roughly $300) each way. This may seem the most expensive option—but if you can find three other travelers with the same transportation dilemma you have, it makes sense.

The second option is to go with a private, chauffeured car service, such as Addison Lee or LadyCabs. These companies' cars have experienced, licensed drivers who will take you in comfort and luxury—for a price. A roundtrip could easily set you back £400–500. LadyCabs are services with all-female drivers, but they are even more expensive.

The third option is to get a minicab, which is like a black cab, but the drivers are not as rigorously trained as those working with Black Cabs. You also have to book minicabs in advance. They are cheaper than either of the other options, though, and the drivers are usually open to negotiation. However, make sure you settle on a price BEFORE you set off. Unfortunately, it's difficult to check these companies' credentials from overseas, so your best bet would be to wait until you arrive in London and to ask your hotel concierge or a friend to recommend a favorite company.

If you did not realize that it would cost so much to get from London to Harwich, may I suggest taking the train? You can get a first-class seat from London's Liverpool Street station to Harwich for only £71, which is about one-quarter the price of a private car.