Taxi fares

Taxi fares vary depending on when you travel.

Licensing requirements changed on 1 July 2024 

Find information and guidance in our notice on the new requirements (PDF 196KB).

Typical fares and journey times

This table shows typical fares and journey times based on distance for the different tariffs. Fares and journey times may be higher if there are delays or heavy traffic.

Distance Approx
journey time		 Monday to Friday
05:00 - 20:00
(Tariff 1) 		Monday to Friday
20:00 - 22:00
Saturday and Sunday
05:00 - 22:00
(Tariff 2)		 Every night
22:00 - 05:00
Public holidays
(Tariff 3)
1 mile 6 - 13 mins £7.60 - £11.80 £7.60 - £12.00 £9.00 - £13.00
2 miles 10 - 20 mins £11.60 - £18.40 £12.20 - £18.60 £13.40 - £19.60
4 miles 16 - 30 mins £20.00 - £29.00 £22.00 - £30.00 £23.00 - £34.00
6 miles 28 - 40 mins £31.00 - £39.00 £38.00 - £42.00 £39.00 - £42.00
Between Heathrow and
Central London		 30 - 60 mins £61.00 - £114.00 £61.00 - £114.00 £61.00 - £114.00 

There is a minimum fare of £3.80 at all times.

At the end of a journey the taximeter will show the maximum amount payable. The passenger will be expected to pay the full fare displayed on the meter at the end of the journey unless the driver and passenger agree on the final fare to be charged before the start of the journey.

When Tariffs 1 and 3 apply, the rate at which the taxi fare increases changes once a taxi journey reaches approximately six miles.

Fares for destinations outside of Greater London may be negotiated between the passenger and driver before the journey. If no fare is agreed before the start of the journey then the maximum fare will be that shown on the meter at the end of the journey.

What you can expect from the driver

Unless they have a good reason not to, drivers must accept any hiring up to 12 miles (20 miles if starting at Heathrow Airport) or up to one hour duration, if the destination is in Greater London.

Extra charges

There are no extra charges for luggage, additional passengers or carrying assistance dogs.

Phone, app and online bookings

There is an extra charge of up to £2 if the taxi is booked by phone, app or online. When booking a taxi, terms and conditions may vary so please check when you book.

Heathrow Airport

There is an extra charge of £2 for journeys that start from one of the Heathrow Airport taxi ranks.

There is an extra charge of up to £5.20 for dropping off passengers in one of the terminal drop-off zones at Heathrow Airport. The drop-off extra is to help taxi drivers cover the cost of the Terminal Drop-Off Charge (TDOC) introduced by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL).

Blue Badge holders can apply online to HAL for a discount from the TDOC for the taxi dropping them off.

When applying for a discount from the TDOC Blue Badge holders will need to provide the following information to HAL:

  • Date they are being dropped off
  • Flight number
  • Registration of the taxi dropping them off
  • Their Blue Badge number
  • An email address
  • Photo of the front of their Blue Badge
  • Photo of the back of their Blue Badge

Confirmation that the discount has been granted will be sent to the email address provided.

Blue Badge holders should let the taxi driver know at the start of the journey if they have a Blue Badge or have been granted a discount from the TDOC.

Passengers who do not want to pay the charge can be dropped off in the long stay terminal car parks at the airport for free and then take the free bus to the terminals.

HAL charge the TDOC each time a taxi enters a terminal drop-off zone. This means that if passengers want to be dropped off at different terminals in one taxi journey, the drop-off extra of up to £5.20 can be added to the fare each time the taxi enters a different terminal drop off zone.

If you need to go to different terminals please let your taxi driver know at the start of the journey if you prefer to:

  • Pay the drop off extra for each separate terminal you are dropped off at
  • Be dropped off at one terminal and only pay the drop-off extra once
  • Not pay the extra and instead be dropped off in a terminal long stay car park and take the free bus to the terminal

More information about the TDOC and the form to apply for a discount are available on the Heathrow Airport website.

Airports outside of London

The fares for taxi journeys to airports outside of London, including Luton, Gatwick and Stansted, can be negotiated between the passenger and the driver before the start of the journey.

Some airports may charge drop off fees and passengers should ask their taxi driver to confirm before the journey starts that the negotiated fare includes any drop off fee.

If no fare is agreed before the start of the journey then the maximum fare will be that shown on the meter at the end of the journey.

Christmas and New Year

There is an extra charge of £4 for journeys made between 20:00 on 24 December and 06:00 on 27 December and between 20:00 on 31 December and 06:00 on 2 January.

Card payments

There is no extra charge when paying by credit or debit card. All taxis must have a working card payment device fixed in the passenger compartment and accept payment by contactless card.

Soiling

The driver may charge the passenger up to £60 for soiling if it requires the taxi to be taken out of service for cleaning.

The information on this page is effective from Saturday 20 April 2024.