From chic vehicles and a reliable service, to welcoming chauffeurs and free baby seats, here’s my review of 1st Airport Taxis.
I spend a huge chunk of my life travelling, and over the years I’ve reached airports in just about every way imaginable. I’ve sprinted for trains, queued for shuttle buses, driven myself in the early hours of the morning and paid A LOT in parking fees. These days though, especially since becoming a mum, I’ve realised there’s one way that’s infinitely more enjoyable: having someone collect me from my front door and drop me right outside the terminal.
With two kids now (a toddler and a baby) there’s even more to think about. The night before my most recent trip I was wandering around the house asking myself, “Have I packed enough nappies? How many outfits will she need? Did I remember the Calpol?” My brain was already frazzled before we’d even left, so knowing I didn’t have to think about driving was a huge relief.
That’s why, for my latest holiday with my baby, I decided to book 1st Airport Taxis for both our journey to Heathrow Airport and the return trip home. From the moment our smart chauffeur arrived outside the house, it was clear this wasn’t just another airport transfer. This was a premium, family-friendly service that would remove a lot of the stress from travelling.
Travelling To Heathrow With 1st Airport Taxis
Door-to-door convenience
An immaculate looking Mercedes pulled up a few minutes early. As I carried my daughter outside, it was such a relief seeing the driver already loading our luggage so I could concentrate on her.
Knowing that we’d be collected from home and dropped directly outside our Heathrow Terminal 5 made the whole journey feel like a breeze. There wouldn’t be so many moments where I had to juggle pushing a buggy and dragging heavy luggage.
Travelling safely with a baby
One of the reasons I discovered 1st Airport Taxis was because I was specifically looking for a company that provides free baby and child seats. As any parent knows, travelling with little ones often means packing a lot of stuff. One of my biggest annoyances is having to pack my own car seat just to get us safely to the airport. Unless you’re hiring a car at your destination, you often don’t need it at all once you arrive, yet you’re forced to lug one of the bulkiest, heaviest pieces of baby equipment through the airport for no reason!
Not having to wrestle ours into our taxi, haul it through departures or find somewhere to store it during the flight genuinely felt like a luxury. Things like this definitely make a difference to travel days.
A baby seat was already fitted in the car when we were picked up. It was reassuring to know our little one would be travelling safely, while also removing one more thing from my packing list. We simply climbed in and set off, making the whole process feel so much easier from the very beginning.The chauffeur also double checked her harness, which was a nice touch. She looked so content in there – it was very cute!
Plenty of room for the whole family
The car that arrived was an immaculate Mercedes S-Class. Wow, was this a huge step up from my usual Ubers! This upmarket saloon car has some of the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in. The soft leather interior was so plush, and the vehicle felt very spacious inside, even with a bulky baby seat fixed.
There was lots of room for our bags, plus the boot fit our suitcases and buggy easily. It was lovely not to feel cramped as we travelled to the airport. I sat in the back with my daughter, playing with her and singing to her, while the driver transported us in style.
About halfway through the journey my daughter decided she’d had enough of sitting still (as babies often do!) and got a bit wriggly. Before I’d found a toy in my bag, our driver Faisal smiled, clicked a button and suddenly “5 Little Ducks” was playing through the speakers! She stopped wriggling almost instantly and stared around happily. It was a thoughtful little touch that really impressed me.
A relaxing start to the holiday
Usually, by the time I arrive at the airport I’m a little stressed and tired. So much goes into preparing for a trip, especially with little ones in tow, it’s hardly surprising! However, this time felt completely different.
Instead of concentrating on navigating, traffic or parking, I sat back and enjoyed the journey. Watching the pretty streets of Windsor, then the busy M4 motorway, while someone else handled the driving made me feel like the holiday had already begun!
I’ve never travelled in a Mercedes S-Class before. It was very quiet inside, lightly air-conditioned (needed during our summer heatwave). There was even a phone charger in front of my seat, so I topped my battery up for our big travel day.
Professional chauffeur service
Another aspect that made a real difference was our driver chauffeur, Faisal.
From the moment he arrived, he was friendly and professional. He introduced himself, made a few coos at my daughter (which she loved) and immediately helped load all of our luggage into the vehicle. He also checked the fittings on the baby seat, to make sure she was 100% secure. I was impressed by this, as often that’s left to parents, but he clearly took pride in his job and offering a professional service throughout.
Once we reached the drop-off point at Heathrow Terminal 5, he unloaded everything, so I could focus on getting my daughter comfortably into her buggy, rather than worrying about the luggage.
The perfect end to our holiday
I always think the journey home is the real test of an airport transfer. Outbound, I have that nervous excitement, but coming home I’m always exhausted. By the time we’d landed I was running on very little sleep, my daughter was ready for a proper nap, and all I wanted was to click my fingers and be home. Seeing my driver’s name notification pop up before I’d even collected my luggage was reassuring.
After collecting our luggage, I walked through arrivals and immediately spotted a chauffeur holding a board with my name on it. He smiled at me, took our luggage and led me to his car.
This time it was a Mercedes V-Class – a chic people-carrier, with a spacious interior. It’s ideal for larger families. This car also had a child seat pre-fitted. The chauffeur was so friendly, helping with all my bags, the baby buggy and checking the car seat again before we left. To be honest, it felt like I’d brought even more home with me!
He was welcoming, without being intrusive. He left us to rest for the return journey. It was lovely and peaceful transfer, especially as I didn’t have to worry about driving!
1st Airport Taxis – Is It Worth It?
You might think of an airport transfer as just a basic part of travelling, but after using 1st Airport Taxis, I genuinely think that one journey can transform the whole experience.
What surprised me most wasn’t the luxurious cars (although they were lovely), it was how much calmer the whole travel experience felt. As a travel blogger, I spend a lot of time telling people about amazing destinations, but getting there is often part of the adventure too. Starting and ending our holiday without stress made a bigger difference than I’d expected. The only downside? My daughter will probably expect nursery rhymes every time she gets in a car now!
Would I book 1st Airport Taxis again? Absolutely. In fact, now I’ve experienced airport travel without worrying about parking, dragging a car seat through departures or trying to book a taxi after a long-haul flight, I don’t really want to go back. For families especially, it feels like one of those little upgrades that makes a huge difference!
