Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: Chauffeur Arrival Guide
Burlington House on Piccadilly, preview evenings, and the traffic realities of one of London's busiest streets.
An eighteenth-century courtyard on a twenty-first-century road
The Royal Academy occupies Burlington House, set back from Piccadilly behind a courtyard, with a second entrance on Burlington Gardens to the rear. Piccadilly itself is a major arterial route with bus lanes, restricted turns and continuous traffic, so the front address is not the easy stopping point it appears to be.
The Burlington Gardens side is often the more practical approach, particularly in the evening. Which one we use depends on the time of day and which entrance your ticket or invitation directs you to.
Preview evenings and private views
The Summer Exhibition opens with preview days and evening events for Friends of the RA and invited guests, and these are considerably busier at the door than an ordinary weekday visit. Arrival times cluster tightly and Mayfair traffic is at its worst around six.
For a private view or a preview evening, arriving a little before or a little after the stated time makes a real difference. We will suggest a departure that avoids the densest arrival window rather than aiming precisely at it.
- Burlington Gardens entrance often easier than the Piccadilly frontage
- Departure timed around, rather than into, the preview arrival crush
- Coats and catalogues left in the vehicle rather than the cloakroom queue
- Collection from a side street away from Piccadilly traffic
Making a day of Mayfair and St James's
The Royal Academy sits within a few minutes of the Piccadilly Arcades, Bond Street, the galleries of St James's and a large number of good restaurants. A visit often becomes an afternoon or a full day rather than a single stop.
That is where a chauffeur earns its place in central London, not by covering distance but by removing the friction between short journeys. Bags from Bond Street go into the boot, coats stay in the car, and there is no repeated hunt for a taxi on Piccadilly.
Buying work and getting it home
Works in the Summer Exhibition are for sale, and buyers sometimes take smaller pieces away at the end of the run rather than arranging separate shipping. Framed work is fragile, awkward and easily damaged in a boot packed for a normal day out.
If you expect to collect a purchase, mention it. Flat, padded transport with the piece secured rather than loose is straightforward to arrange when we know in advance, and impossible to improvise on the pavement outside Burlington House.
Plan your chauffeur journey
London Chauffeurs provides itinerary-led private travel for airport transfers, executive travel, private aviation, events and long-distance UK journeys. Availability and pricing are confirmed for the requested itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
Should we be dropped on Piccadilly or Burlington Gardens?
It depends on the time and on which entrance your ticket directs you to. Piccadilly is a major arterial route with bus lanes and restricted turns, so the Burlington Gardens side is frequently the more practical set-down, particularly in the evening.
How busy are preview evenings for arrival?
Considerably busier than an ordinary visit, because arrivals cluster in a narrow window that coincides with Mayfair's worst evening traffic. Leaving slightly earlier or later than the stated time usually gives a much calmer arrival at the door.
Can you carry a framed artwork home?
Yes, if we know in advance. Framed pieces travel flat, padded and secured rather than loose in a boot, and that needs planning at the booking stage rather than being arranged on the pavement after you have bought something.