Getting Around Kew
Kew is a riverside district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, facing Brentford across the Thames from the south bank. It is known for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens for short: a 326-acre site with about 40 historic buildings, including Kew Palace, the Palm House and the Temperate House, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. The gardens also keep a herbarium of 8.3 million plant and fungal specimens.
The other large address in Kew is The National Archives, the official archive of the UK government, where researchers come to read original records.
Kew Gardens station is served by the District line and the London Overground. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival. For the gardens, name the entrance you want in the booking, or send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
A day that starts at The National Archives, continues with lunch on Kew Green and ends with an afternoon in the glasshouses can be booked by the hour: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
Airport Transfers in Kew
From Kew, Heathrow is 11 miles west, 35–50 minutes by car; it served 84.5 million passengers in 2025. Gatwick is 39 miles south, 1 hour 25 minutes to 2 hours; its North and South terminals together handled 42.8 million passengers in 2025. Luton Airport is 35 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, Stansted Airport 48 miles, 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes, and London City Airport 17 miles, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. The right one depends on your airline and route.
Book with your flight number. If you land in the morning and want to go straight to the gardens, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pick-up to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. Heathrow does not allow pick-ups on the terminal forecourts; collections take place from the terminal car parks.
For a departure from Kew, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: the route west joins the A4 and the M4, so give yourself more time if you leave in the rush hours. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Day-Trip Travel from Kew
Chiswick, across Kew Bridge, is 2 miles from Kew, 15–20 minutes, for Chiswick House and its gardens. Richmond, with its park and riverside, is 2 miles, 15–20 minutes. Hampton Court Palace, further upriver, is 8 miles, 35–50 minutes.
Windsor and its castle are 17 miles west, 40–55 minutes. For a longer day, Canterbury, the Kent cathedral city with a medieval centre, is 94 miles, 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes.
Two gardens and a palace in one day work well under an hourly booking, with the same chauffeur from the first gate to the last. If you stay overnight in Kent, take a one-way transfer there and book the return when it suits you.
Groups & Event Travel in Kew
Kew Gardens drew 2,250,355 visitors in 2025. For a horticultural society of eighteen landing at Heathrow for a garden tour, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If members fly in on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own, and a research day at The National Archives can be added for those who want it.
Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early in spring and summer, when the gardens are at their best, and on rugby weekends at nearby Twickenham. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
