Green Tomato Car transfer from T5.....BA approved. Anyone heard of them?

[HIDDY]

As there will be two of us I'm guessing the HEX then a short taxi ride won't be worth it for the ride from T5 to central London and back so we might as well arrange taxi transfers.
A link from BA.com takes you to this Green Tomato outfit - strange name that. Seemingly they're one of those trendy eco friendly companies....maybe their cars run on old chip shop oil?
Any recommendations? Not bothered about being driven in a luxurious limousine....the cheaper the better even if the car does have green tomatoes painted on the side and crawls along at 30mph.

[corporate-wage-slave]

Originally Posted by HIDDY

Any recommendations? Not bothered about being driven in a luxurious limousine....the cheaper the better even if the car does have green tomatoes painted on the side and crawls along at 30mph.

I've seen their staff in T5, so they do exist. However if it "crawls" along at 30 mph then I'd be worried, that is more than twice the average speed obtained in central London. HEX would almost certainly be a lot faster and if you are really saving money then the tube would probably be faster too.

[Land-of-Miles]

They run those dreadful Toyota Pious cars.

Reasonably ubiquitous in the City but I would never use them. Because I am sure the cars are fuelled by smugness

[Land-of-Miles]

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

HEX would almost certainly be a lot faster and if you are really saving money then the tube would probably be faster too.

After several recent out of character experiments (I generally don't do public transport) I have concluded that the tube is quicker unless you get really lucky at paddington or are actually going to paddington or somewhere close by.

[HIDDY]

Thanks cws but not the tube please. I shall be accompanied by 3 suitcases and a wife who no doubt will have become rather short tempered after being forced to carry at least one of them due to my ailments.

I would have thought the HEX is only suitable for single people travelling light? Yes LoM those green tomato cars don't look as if they have much luggage space.

[Swiss Tony]

I used to do some consulting for a firm who had an account with them. I wasn't impressed - far too many mistakes made in terms of pick-ups etc, so I kept going back to Addison Lee....

[CXBR]

The company I was working for this summer changed its corporate taxi account from Addison Lee to Green Tomato, and Green Tomato always had very punctual, reliable, and clean comfortable cars. In fact, Green Tomato had several contracts for Olympic organisations earlier this year.

All of the vehicles I have seen are the Toyota Prius model - and they go just as fast as any other car

The "chauffeurs" all wear professional attire and are friendly. Interestingly, I discussed how bizarre the name Green Tomato Cars is for a company with one of the "chauffeurs" and he agreed!! It reminds me of that film starring Kathy Bates...

[Land-of-Miles]

Try LHRExpress/QDell and ask them not to give you a driver who has a pious.

Much cheaper and better than Addison Lee.

[corporate-wage-slave]

Originally Posted by HIDDY

I would have thought the HEX is only suitable for single people travelling light? Yes LoM those green tomato cars don't look as if they have much luggage space.

Well the average HEX traveller, if there is such a thing, does not travel light! There are big rack areas by each door, and they are often full upon departure from T1+T3. T5 has an advantage there.

Bear in mind that it's a very easy lift descent from the T5 arrival area down to the HEX platform, whereas the car pick-up involves more trekking about. Once at Paddington there is a small degree of complexity getting up to the new taxi area but there are both escalators and lifts.

[HIDDY]

I would use the HEX but at £34 return each then another £20 to get to/from Paddington just doesn't add up financially.
Plus IIRC when we used it last we had three suitcases and two carry on bags which without a trolley made shifting it very hard going.

[corporate-wage-slave]

Originally Posted by HIDDY

I would use the HEX but at £34 return each then another £20 to get to/from Paddington just doesn't add up financially.
Plus IIRC when we used it last we had three suitcases and two carry on bags which without a trolley made shifting it very hard going.

If you are doing other rail travel over the next 12 months you may want to get a railcard (senior citizen? Network South East?) to bring it down to £22 return. Conditions apply! I know people who have a Network SouthEast card purely to use HEX twice a year.

There are trolleys available for all but the last 4 metres.

[christianharris]

They are the only cab firm I use now (I live in central London). Very cheap, never been late to date, always courteous drivers, free wifi - what more can you ask for!

[Howard Long]

Originally Posted by Land-of-Miles

They run those dreadful Toyota Pious cars.

Reasonably ubiquitous in the City but I would never use them. Because I am sure the cars are fuelled by smugness

Ahem, I drive a Prius (in fact I'm on my second after a Maserati totalled my first one parked on Exhibition Road while I made an omelette in my kitchen at home nearby but that's another story).

I pay no congestion charge, zero road tax, and yes I am very very smug thank you. Very smug indeed. Smugness pervades. However I make up for that by burning up 20-30 times more miles in the air than I drive each year in the forward-most cabin I can, by the longest route.

Wouldn't want to try putting three large suitcases in there though with two pax and a driver. Might be a bit cosy. With a couple of reasonably sized bags it should be OK. It's surprisingly comfortable once you've got over yourself. Indeed I often tell my driver to feel free to remove his sandles and Peruvian hat at his leisure when at cruise along the M4 towards the Royal Borough.

Cheers, Howard

[HIDDY]

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

If you are doing other rail travel over the next 12 months you may want to get a railcard (senior citizen? Network South East?) to bring it down to £22 return. Conditions apply! I know people who have a Network SouthEast card purely to use HEX twice a year.

There are trolleys available for all but the last 4 metres.

Senior citizen?

Cheeky monkey.

I think a car transfer would be more comfortable. This outfit are doing a return for £75.

[Land-of-Miles]

Originally Posted by Howard Long

Ahem, I drive a Prius (in fact I'm on my second after a Maserati totalled my first one parked on Exhibition Road while I made an omelette in my kitchen at home nearby but that's another story).

I had better not say what I drive then