Private Hire v Self Drive

We asked Chat GPT for a comparison of using a private hire taxi against self drive and airport parking. The results might surprise you. The costs are comparible, but given the stress advantage of being taken up, we think our service is the way to go. What do you think?

Nice — I ran numbers and current rates so you can compare apples-to-apples. I used local private-hire sample fares from an Eastleigh taxi firm, official airport parking pages for Gatwick & Heathrow, driving distances from travel sites, and current UK pump prices (early Aug 2025). Below are the clear totals and a short explanation of assumptions so you can adapt them.

Summary (quick)

  • Private-hire (one-way) from Eastleigh → Heathrow: ≈ £130 (sample local fare Hampshire Airport Link).
  • Private-hire (one-way) from Eastleigh → Gatwick: ≈ £155 (sample local fare).
  • Self-drive (fuel + official long-stay parking) — round trip fuel + parking:
    • Heathrow (1 day): £59.08 (fuel ≈ £18.28 + parking £40.80).
    • Gatwick (1 day): £58.44 (fuel ≈ £20.44 + parking £38.00).
    • Heathrow (7 days): £256.48 (fuel ≈ £18.28 + parking £238.20).
    • Gatwick (7 days): £250.44 (fuel ≈ £20.44 + parking £230.00).

Inputs & assumptions I used

  1. Distances (road, one-way):
    • Eastleigh → Heathrow ≈ 60 miles one-way.
    • Eastleigh → Gatwick ≈ 67.1 miles one-way.
  2. Fuel price: £1.34 per litre (UK average, early August 2025).
  3. Example car fuel economy: 40 mpg (imperial) (typical small/medium petrol car).
    • I calculated round-trip litres and multiplied by the pump price to get fuel cost (calculation shown below). (If your car is more/less efficient, swap in your mpg and I’ll re-run.)
  4. Parking used: Official Long-Stay rates from each airport (1st day + subsequent daily prices). Heathrow and Gatwick public pages used.
  5. Taxi fares: I used published sample fares from a local Eastleigh taxi/minicab company (these are typical prebook prices — actual quotes from different companies or Uber can vary).

How the numbers were calculated (transparent)

  • Round-trip miles = 2 × one-way miles (Heathrow 120 mi; Gatwick 134.2 mi).
  • Imperial gallon = 4.54609 L → litres needed = round-trip miles × (4.54609 ÷ mpg).
  • Fuel cost = litres × £1.34/L.

Example results from those formulas:

  • Heathrow fuel (round trip, 60 mi one-way) ≈ 13.64 L → £18.28.
  • Gatwick fuel (round trip, 67.1 mi one-way) ≈ 15.25 L → £20.44.

Takeaways — which is cheaper?

  • For a single-day trip (park for ~24 hours): self-drive + long-stay parking is much cheaper (≈£58–£59) than prebooked private-hire taxi one-way (≈£130–£155).
  • For longer trips (example 7 days) the parking cost dominates, but self-drive (£250–£256) is still cheaper than a return private-hire taxi if you would otherwise book a taxi both ways (two one-way taxi trips would be ~£260 to Heathrow or ~£310 to Gatwick). If you only need an outbound taxi and someone else brings you back, compare accordingly. (Taxi companies may offer cheaper return/round-trip transfer rates if booked as return — always check.)

Caveats & practical notes

  • Taxi fares vary by company, vehicle size, traffic, and time of day — the samples I used are typical prebook prices but you should request an exact quote.
  • Airport parking prices change over time and premium/meet-and-greet or on-day “drop-in” rates are higher than long-stay prebook rates. Always prebook parking to lock in the best price.
  • I used Long-Stay parking as the “self-drive” option — if you prefer Meet & Greet parking, expect higher rates (but quicker).
  • I didn’t include taxi tips, congestion/ULEZ charges (if applicable), or any tolls (there are generally no tolls on these routes but your exact route may differ). If your car is a diesel/EV or has different mpg, fuel numbers will change.
  • If you’re carrying heavy luggage or travelling very early/late, a taxi might still be worth the convenience despite the price difference.

www.hampshireairportlink.co.uk 

We pick up from these popular locations:

Eastleigh, Fair Oak, Bishops Waltham, Southampton, Totton, Hedge End, Waltham Chase, Fareham, Whiteley, Netley, Bitterne, Thornhill, Romsey, North Baddesely, Chandlers Ford, Colden Common, Winchester, Alresford. 

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