24-hour Burnham taxi service: early flights and late trains

Most taxi bookings in Burnham happen in daylight, but the ones people worry about don't. A 6am flight, the last train home or a night shift on the Slough Trading Estate is when you need a Burnham taxi service that is open 24 hours. Here's how those journeys work in practice.

Early-morning Heathrow departures

The earliest Heathrow flights leave around 6am, so passengers on them are usually being picked up in Burnham between 3:30 and 4:30am. At that hour the Burnham to Heathrow run is as quick as it ever gets. The Huntercombe spur onto the M4 at Junction 7 is clear, and the drive to the terminals is usually well under the normal 18 minutes. What slows these journeys down is usually the pickup, not the road. A driver can't find an unlit house, or the passenger is still looking for a passport.

For an early departure, book the evening before at the latest. Give the flight number and terminal, and say whether you'll be at the front door or need a call when the car arrives. The fare is fixed when you book, so it's the same at 4am as at midday.

The last trains into Burnham station

Burnham station is more than a mile south of the High Street, on the far side of the A4. That's a long walk late at night, especially in the rain or with a suitcase. Elizabeth line and GWR stopping services run into the evening, but by the last trains there are few, if any, cars waiting outside. If you know which train you're catching, book a car to meet it. If your train is delayed or cancelled, call: we'll pick you up from Slough or Maidenhead instead and take you home to Burnham.

The station pickup is the same at midnight as it is at 6pm. Say "Burnham station" and the driver knows where to pull in. The Burnham taxi number page lists the other places drivers know by name, including Lord Mayor's Drive at Burnham Beeches.

Night shifts and hospital visits

A lot of Burnham's overnight work is for people going to or from work, not leisure. Shifts at Heathrow, at Wexham Park Hospital and on the Slough Trading Estate often start or end at hours when buses aren't running. Regular shift workers can set up a standing booking, with the same pickup point and time each day, instead of calling every night. Businesses can put staff travel on an account and pay by monthly invoice.

Wexham Park is also the hospital Burnham residents are most often sent to at short notice. If you're calling at 2am to get there, tell the operator it's a hospital run so the car is sent to the right entrance.

What doesn't change at night

• The fare. It's fixed at booking, however late it is.
• The drivers. They're the same licensed drivers who work the day shifts, and they know Burnham, Hitcham, Lent Rise and the lanes up towards Farnham Common.
• The vehicles. Saloons, estates, 6-seaters and minibuses are all available overnight. If you need a minibus or a wheelchair-accessible car at an unusual hour, book ahead so the right vehicle is free.

When to book and when to call

Book ahead for anything you know about in advance, such as flights, shift patterns, a late train or the drive home from a party. Call for anything that has just changed, such as a cancelled train, an early finish or a flight that has landed early. Both reach the same 24-hour dispatch. For coverage, road notes and local FAQs, see our main taxi in Burnham page.