01 — The station handover
Where the chauffeur meets you at Paddington
Your meeting point is at the agreed main-concourse information point. The relevant route from the train is the Praed Street or Eastbourne Terrace exit written into the booking. The chauffeur names the exact entrance and sends the vehicle details before the train arrives. The chauffeur does not wait in a taxi-only rank or an active loading lane; if the kerb is controlled, the passenger and chauffeur meet first and walk to the car together. Paddington is the London terminus for Great Western routes and connects with the Elizabeth line.
For a departure, the car uses a legal set-down on the signed Eastbourne Terrace approach. The final approach is via Eastbourne Terrace or Praed Street according to the confirmed door. The chauffeur unloads the booked luggage at a permitted place and leaves the stopping area promptly. The main concourse provides level access towards the main-line gatelines. Station signs, road restrictions and staff directions govern the exact point available on the day, so a temporary closure may move the handover to a nearby lawful bay.
02 — Arrival sequence
From platform to road at Paddington
- Step 1PlatformTrain reaches the stationPublished running times inform the chauffeur's arrival plan.
- Step 2ExitPassenger leaves the gatelineFollow signs towards Main concourse information point.
- Step 3MeetingApproach message identifies the carPassenger and chauffeur confirm names and onward address.
- Step 4The roadLuggage moves to the vehicleThe car leaves from the permitted station side.
- 36min
- to Heathrow
- 81min
- to Gatwick
- 72min
- to Reading
Road times are live-traffic estimates for a weekday morning; your quoted price uses your exact addresses.
03 — Delayed trains and onward roads
Keeping a Paddington collection connected
Where the rail operator publishes live running times for the booked service, FCET follows them and adjusts the collection plan for a reported delay. Live rail data does not identify when a particular passenger has reached the concourse, so the passenger still texts after leaving the platform. If no usable running information is published, that message becomes the timing update. The agreed meeting point remains Main concourse information point unless both sides confirm a change.
Road guides from the station are 15.5 miles and about 35 minutes to Heathrow, 42.1 miles and about 1 hour 20 minutes to Gatwick, and 40.1 miles and about 1 hour 10 minutes to Reading. Links below also connect the terminus with Wokingham, Bracknell, Maidenhead and Basingstoke. The precise London exit, traffic and complete destination shape the final schedule.
04 — Meeting your chauffeur
Meeting at London Paddington Station
- The chauffeur checks the booked train where live running times are published.
- Leave the platform and follow signs to the agreed station exit.
- Go to Main concourse information point.
- Read the approach message and identify the confirmed vehicle.
- Meet the chauffeur, confirm the destination and continue to the car.
05 — Passenger and luggage
The station meeting continues at the car
The chauffeur confirms the passenger and onward address, assists with the recorded luggage and uses the permitted vehicle point stated in the approach message.
06 — Continue the journey
Journeys and nearby stations from Paddington
07 — Booking the car
What to send for Paddington
Send the travel date, train service and arrival, passenger mobile, party size, luggage and complete onward address. For departures, add the time needed inside the station. The booking records the concourse point stated in the passenger message as the normal return reference, subject to an access update.
Journey cost is confirmed at booking. FCET is available 24/7 with DBS-checked chauffeurs and has operated since 2004. Include child seats, large cases, mobility aids, extra stops or fixed appointments before confirmation so the correct vehicle and handover can be planned.
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