Review: using Zipcar Flex to drive to Heathrow for just £19

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• EvilDoctorK says:

  3 Nov3 November 06:25

  Shhhh don’t tell too many people 😉 … It is indeed a good option and use it regularly .. the problem is though availability of cars from Heathrow .. In pre-covid times it used to be very difficult to get cars after 7pm or so at Heathrow most evenings … now my experience is there’s even less availability

  So you can’t rely on it ( at least in the reverse direction ) … Also the Polos ( especially the older ones with a 17/67 reg ) have a tiny boot and won’t take much luggage

  The e-Golfs are great to drive , though beware of getting one with low charge – if you do you can get range anxiety on the way to Heathrow ! If that happens turn off the a/c – makes a huge difference ( I still don’t know how/when Zipcar charge them up !)

  • Dave says:

    3 Nov3 November 07:52

    I once dropped one off there with 7% remaining. I thought it was be interesting to monitor the app to see what happened – I assumed it would be off app and a staffer would take it for charging. But lo and behold it appeared for hire and less than 30mins later it was gone.

    • EvilDoctorK says:

      3 Nov3 November 09:34

      Can’t imagine they’d get very far on 7% !

      I did actually see one plugged in beside the Avis ‘hut’ in the Car Park yesterday .. so clearly they can top them up there .. though how they do it on street regularly I don’t know – must be more labour intensive than asking customers to refuel the petrol ones with the fuel card

  • Mark says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:49

    They have a team of people who collect the electic cars and take them to charging points.

• Lumma says:

  3 Nov3 November 06:37

  Best use for this is the early morning flights, too early for public transport. (I did once get the N9 night bus from Green Park, never again).

  Traffic is too bad to do it during the day and will likely go over the 1st hour

• Neil Murray says:

  3 Nov3 November 07:43

  The best bargain travel to Heathrow, bar none, is the X26 express bus service from Croydon.
  Boarding at Carshalton or Sutton, it takes about 70-90 minutes (depending on traffic) to the T3 bus station. For T5 it’s slightly quicker to get off at Hatton Cross and hop on the Tube.
  It makes about half a dozen stops en route – New Malden, Kingston etc etc.
  Cost? About £1.40. Free if, like me, you’re over 60, Quicker than driving, if you include time taken to park at the long-term car park and then wait for the shuttle bus.

  • Louise Westlake says:

    3 Nov3 November 08:09

    Exactly what I was going to post. Very reliable too. If you’re in South London on a train line that goes to West Croydon or Sutton, definitely the way to go.

    • The real John says:

      3 Nov3 November 08:45

      You lot have different experiences to me then. I only used it because it was direct, but it would often take 3 hours and kick you out at Hatton Cross because of poor timekeeping.

      And any bus that turned back at Hatton Cross obviously wouldn’t be available to start from Heathrow, meaning a 1 hour wait sometimes.

      Still better than standing between commuters on the Piccadilly line and lugging luggage up and down the stairs at Earls Court then round the maze behind the shops at Wimbledon station.

• Sarah says:

  3 Nov3 November 08:04

  I regularly use Zipcar for Heathrow and it’s great, apart from the fact that there aren’t always cars in my area – they seem to be like gold dust. If it’s an early start then it’s a bit nerve-wracking looking to see if there’s a car available but there’s usually one within a 10 minute walk. The only downside at T5 is that you’re at the opposite end of the terminal to the F Wing! I too dropped one off at Heathrow with about 7% remaining and wondered what would happen to it, I can only assume that someone from Avis charges them.

  PS, if changing from Victoria to Piccadilly line or vice versa at Green Park, the easiest way is to go up the escalator to the ticket hall area and then down again – saves that long trek.

• Julian says:

  3 Nov3 November 08:14

  15 minutes strikes me as a ridiculously short amount of time to get to the car after finding it although can I assume that if no one else has managed to get there by the end of the 15 minute hold period (rather likely I would say) the car will still be available to use? But if it had gone then you better have allowed enough time to walk home again and call an old fashioned Uber or other taxi. 30 minutes would be slightly more realistic…………..

  • Toppcat says:

    3 Nov3 November 09:03

    You can extend the hold on the app if you haven’t quite got to the car and the time is running out.

• Max says:

  3 Nov3 November 08:17

  It’s worth mentioning that in covid times cabs to Heathrow are incredibly cheap. I took an Ola from Tulse Hill (south of Brixton) to T2 yesterday daytime in 1h5min for £27. Driver was masked and the car was a people carrier so no issues with luggage! If these prices remain (they won’t) I will never take the tube again.

  • Julian says:

    3 Nov3 November 11:19

    I think that’s still about 9 times the price of an Off Peak Contactless tube fare from Brixton to T2………………………

• AJA says:

  3 Nov3 November 08:17

  I’m intrigued by ZipCar Flex unfortunately it’s not in my London borough. Shame!

  As for the tube ride I’m intrigued why Rhys changes at Green Park coming from South London. That suggests he’s using the Jubilee Line. Why not get off at Westminster onto the District Line and change to Piccadilly Line at Barons Court? Both lines use the same platform so no walking involved and often trains (pre-covid at least) used to arrive at the same time avoiding any waiting.

  But he also mentions 3 tube lines which also suggests a trip on the Bakerloo or Northern Lines first in which case disregard the Jubilee Line altogether and change at Embankment to the District line instead and then Barons Court as before.

  • Toppcat says:

    3 Nov3 November 09:04

    Agree with this! Barons Court all the way…

  • Julian says:

    3 Nov3 November 11:21

    No if Rhys has to take the very long tube interchange at Green Park he is talking about the seemingly endless tunnel from the Victoria line to the Piccadilly line.

    The best way to avoid this is to get on the escalator from the Victoria Line to the ticket hall and then get another escalator back down to the Picadilly line. Both somewhat quicker, less tiring and much less annoying that the direct Victoria Line to Picaddily pedestrian tunnel………………..

    • Julian says:

      3 Nov3 November 11:25

      It is of course possible to change from the Victoria Line to the Piccadilly at Victoria and then again from District to Picadlilly at Barons Court or Hammersmith (you have to change by Hammersmith or you end up on a District line stopper from Hammersmith to Acton Town) but the Victoria to Picadilly interchange at Victoria is absolutely horrid and also one way only at peak times (forcing you to go the very long way round) so I would not recommend that and would recommend changing using escalator from Victoria to Picadilly at Green Park.

    • AJA says:

      3 Nov3 November 11:40

      In that case change to District line at Victoria and then Barons Court to Piccadilly line. Especially in summer as the District line trains are air conditioned. I avoid Green Park if I can YMMV.

      • AJA says:

        3 Nov3 November 11:43

        Ah should have refreshed before posting. See you mentioned changing at Victoria. It’s not the best interchange but better than Green Park IMO.

        • Julian says:

          3 Nov3 November 21:16

          Don’t necessarily agree as interchanging from Victoria to Piccadily at Green Park means only one rather than two changes of train needed.

          Going up and down the escalators is really not too bad at all and not too much walking involved at all but using the direct Victoria to Piccadilly subway at Green Park is seriously annoying and hard work. Of course escalators may be awkward with large long haul type suitcases but no doubt the better heeled such as Rob would be using Mr Porter in that circumstance anyway………….

        • Julian says:

          3 Nov3 November 21:19

          Oh it seems Mr Porter is a menswear store and not what I thought it was at all. I could have sworn that HfP did have a link with a luggage to the airport from your home service.

        • Rob says:

          3 Nov3 November 21:38

          Airportr

• Gavin says:

  3 Nov3 November 09:01

  I’ve used it a couple of times to/from Tooting. It’s a great option, as driving takes around 40-50 minutes (and is much easier if I have bulky luggage) but the tube takes around 1 hr 30 and requires 2 changes.

  Regarding the referral credit, I found that the £14 charge comes from the free credit, but the £5 airport charge was taken from my card despite having additional credit still in my account.

  • Rob says:

    3 Nov3 November 09:58

    That’s because the £5 goes to Heathrow.

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