Station taxis: Don't use the rank, keep your money in the bank

MSE_Martin

What's it about?

If you've ever arrived at a train station you're not familiar with, tired and perhaps late at night, it's likely you've hopped into a cab on the rank outside just for ease. But you pay for the privilege, possibly double the cost of a standard dial-up taxi. Yet there's a little-known service you can use in advance to find local taxi firms.

What to do?

Simply input the station you're heading to into National Rail's Traintaxi service and, as well as other information and help about the station's facilities, click on "Interchange" then "Cab firms serving this station" and it'll list some, though not all, local firms that serve that station.

Pop those numbers in your mobile phone's address book then just give one a call from the train before you arrive.

For example, grab a black cab from the rank at Milton Keynes Station and a journey to Bletchley will cost £9 or more. Yet use local cab firm Skyline and you could pay as little as £6.50.

Click reply to report your successes/failures

mclaren_2

taxis cost alot anyway lol - bus is cheaper tho sadly not always convienant

amcluesent

>taxis cost alot anyway<

Too right. Cheap advance ticket on GNER from London-Peterborough is £9.50. Tax from station to home in town is £7!! Outrageous, I take the bus fro £1.50.

rdwarr

Be careful in London though. Minicabs can often cost more than licensed ("black") taxis.
And never take a ride offered by a tout at a station. The fare can be £48.50 for a two-mile journey!

mclaren_2

rdwarr wrote:

Be careful in London though. Minicabs can often cost more than licensed ("black") taxis.
And never take a ride offered by a tout at a station. The fare can be £48.50 for a two-mile journey!

and they have no insurance for to carry passangers

iluvmylexus

i am surprised at martin putting this up here, many of the firms , certainly in London are not Taxis but private hire companies that do not have any topographical knowledge. their vehicles are not maintained to the same standards and their drivers are vetted in the same way. there have been documented instances of unscrupulous individuals preying on unsuspecting visitors to a new town. i would not hesitate in any way to use a licensed taxi at a station rank. i would much rather be safe than potentially a few pounds better off but sorry.

coral

Yes I have to agree with you there actually - in towns that I know or can get a recommendation for a reputable firm then I do usually try to call a taxi from a company, but in an unknown town I do tend to just use a cab from the rank, especially when I am on my own.