Airport Taxi Prices 2026: What a Taxi From the Airport Costs in the UK, Dubai, Spain and France

How much is a taxi from the airport in 2026? All 46 airports compared

The table below compares the taxi fare from 46 airports in the UK, Dubai, Spain and France to the city centre or the main resort, with an approximate price in pounds and the cost per kilometre. Where a city sets an official flat fare, that is the fare shown; elsewhere we show the typical metered fare or the airport's own estimate. The last column shows Global Airport Taxi's fixed price where it is published on our airport page. Use the filter to show one country.

Pounds are approximate, converted at €1 = £0.842 (European Central Bank, 19 October 2026) and £1 = AED 4.887 (19 October 2026), using the middle of each range. Fares exclude tips and, unless stated, airport drop-off or toll charges. "Estimate" means a typical fare from reputable guides or booking sites, not an official tariff.

Which airports have the most expensive taxis to the city?

The most expensive airport taxi rides in our comparison are from Paris Beauvais and London's outer airports, Stansted, Southend and Luton, because they are 50 to 85 km from the centre; Heathrow follows, where a black cab costs £70 to £120. Distance explains most of the difference, so the cost per kilometre is a fairer comparison.

Which airports have the cheapest taxis to the city?

The cheapest airport taxi rides are short hops in Dubai and on the Spanish islands: Dubai International to Deira or Downtown, Lanzarote to Puerto del Carmen and Menorca to Mahon all cost about £8 to £17. Airports close to the centre, such as Malaga, Valencia and Newcastle, are also cheap by taxi.

Which airport taxis cost the most per kilometre?

Per kilometre, the most expensive airport taxis in our comparison are London Heathrow, London City and Palma de Mallorca, while Dubai and the Canary Islands are the best value. Short trips cost more per kilometre because of starting fares and airport supplements. Routes under 8 km, and routes without a current 2026 fare, are left out of this chart.

• London Heathrow£3.96
• London City£3.57
• Palma de Mallorca£3.26
• Nantes Atlantique£3.04
• Bordeaux-Merignac£2.81
• Lyon Saint-Exupery£2.78
• Marseille Provence£2.57
• Valencia£2.57
• Leeds Bradford£2.50
• Malaga£2.42

How much is a taxi from UK airports?

From London's airports, a taxi to central London costs about £45 to £55 from London City, £70 to £120 by black cab from Heathrow, and £65 to £110 or more from Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Southend; from regional airports such as Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, a taxi to the city centre usually costs £20 to £40. Only London black cabs use the TfL meter; outside London, local councils set the maximum tariffs and airports appoint official taxi operators.

London airport taxis: what affects the fare

A London black cab from Heathrow uses the TfL meter, typically £70 to £120 to central London, and cab drivers can add up to £1.60 for a Heathrow rank pickup and up to £6 as a drop-off extra where charged. Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Southend are outside London, so their official taxi operators set their own fares, and pre-booked cars are usually cheaper. Every London airport now charges for drop-off, from £7 at Heathrow to £10 at Gatwick and Stansted, which a taxi passes on in the fare. See our Luton drop-off charges guide and Stansted to London guide.

Global Airport Taxi fixed prices from London airports depend on the exact address in London, the vehicle and the time of travel, so each range covers a saloon car to different parts of central London. Your exact fixed fare is shown before you book.

Regional UK airports

Regional UK airports are close to their cities, so taxis are cheaper: about £25 to £35 from Manchester, £25 to £40 from Birmingham, £20 to £40 from Edinburgh and £20 to £35 from Glasgow. Liverpool John Lennon Airport estimates £27 by day and £31 to £32 at night and weekends. Belfast International is further out, at about 30 km from the city. For fixed fares, see our Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow airport taxi pages.

How much is a taxi from Dubai airport?

A Dubai airport taxi starts at AED 20 and costs AED 2.62 per kilometre, so a ride from Dubai International to Downtown Dubai costs about AED 53 to 70, to Dubai Marina about AED 92 to 125, and to Deira about AED 35 to 45. Salik road tolls of AED 4.20 off-peak or AED 6.30 at peak are added for each toll gate, and 5% VAT applies. From Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum), which is further south, a taxi costs about AED 105 to 130 to Dubai Marina and AED 145 to 165 to Downtown.

Dubai airport taxi tips

Official taxis wait at ranks outside every Dubai International terminal 24 hours a day and take cash, cards and phone payments. Pink-roofed taxis with female drivers serve women and families. Uber and Careem pick up from a dedicated area at Terminal 3 and at Terminals 1 and 2. Tipping is optional; rounding up or AED 5 to 10 for help with bags is common. For a fixed price in pounds, see our Dubai airport taxi and Abu Dhabi airport taxi pages; from Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, a metered taxi to the Corniche costs about AED 85 to 100.

How much is a taxi from Spanish airports?

Spanish airport taxis are among the cheapest in Western Europe: €33 flat from Madrid to the centre, about €35 to €45 from Barcelona, €20 to €26 from Malaga, €25 to €37 from Palma and €26 by day from Seville. Island airports in the Canaries and Balearics are often only 5 to 10 km from the main town, so short fares of €12 to €25 are common. Each city or island sets its own tariff, with airport supplements and night rates.

Resort transfers in Spain: taxi or pre-booked?

On long resort routes, a pre-booked transfer is often the same price as the meter or cheaper: Malaga to Marbella costs about €70 to €81 by taxi and €69 fixed with Global Airport Taxi, and Alicante to Benidorm costs about €70 to €100 by taxi and €74 fixed. For short city rides, the official rank is usually good value. See our Malaga to Marbella taxi, Palma to Magaluf taxi and Malaga taxi fares explained.

Spain airport taxi tips

Use only the signposted taxi rank on the arrivals level and avoid drivers who approach you inside the terminal; using an unlicensed car can lead to a fine of up to €600. Card payment is compulsory in Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga taxis but not guaranteed in Palma. Bolt has official airport pickup areas at Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante and Seville; ride-hailing apps do not normally operate in the Canary Islands. Tipping is not expected, but rounding up is common.

How much is a taxi from French airports?

Paris airport taxis charge official flat fares in 2026: €56 from Charles de Gaulle to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank, and €45 from Orly to the Right Bank and €36 to the Left Bank, the same day and night with luggage included. Nice also publishes fixed taxi fares of €32 to the centre, €85 to Cannes and €95 to Monaco. Elsewhere, taxis use the meter: about €70 by day from Lyon, €65 to €100 from Marseille and €35 by day from Bordeaux. Paris Beauvais is the exception, at about €185 to €230 because it is about 85 km from Paris.

France airport taxi tips

French taxis must accept card payment and give a receipt for fares of €25 or more, and the minimum fare is €8. Take taxis only from the official outdoor rank; licensed taxis have a roof light, a meter and a card terminal, and never tout inside the terminal. Uber, Bolt and G7 operate at the Paris airports from set pickup points. See our Orly airport taxi prices and Charles de Gaulle airport taxi pages.

Is a pre-booked airport transfer cheaper than a taxi?

Not always, but often for families, groups, long resort routes and late arrivals. Where a city sets a flat fare, such as Paris or Madrid, the rank taxi is fair value for one or two people. A pre-booked transfer wins when:

• The route is long: resort transfers such as Malaga to Marbella or Palma to Alcudia.
• You need a bigger vehicle: one people carrier usually costs less than two taxis.
• You land late: night tariffs raise meter fares by about 10 to 35% in many cities, while fixed prices stay the same.
• You want certainty: no traffic surcharges, tolls or queue at the rank, and a driver in arrivals.

What extra charges can be added to an airport taxi fare?

The most common extras are airport supplements, night and weekend tariffs, road tolls, luggage charges and booking fees.

• Airport supplements: €4.60 in Barcelona, €4.55 in Alicante, €2.10 in the Canary Islands.
• Night tariffs: for example Seville rises from €26 to €29 and Lyon from about €70 to €95.
• Tolls: Dubai's Salik gates add AED 4.20 to 6.30 each.
• Drop-off charges: £7 to £10 at London airports, usually passed on in the fare.
• Booking fees: €4 to €7 for a booked Paris taxi.
• Luggage: free in Paris and Barcelona, €0.58 a bag in Malaga.

Should you tip airport taxi drivers?

Tipping is optional for airport taxis in the UK, Dubai, Spain and France. Rounding up, or adding around 10% for a driver who helps with heavy bags, is common but never required. A fixed-price pre-booked transfer usually includes everything, so there is nothing extra to work out on arrival.

How we calculated these airport taxi prices

We compared 46 airports and 59 routes using official sources first, and labelled every figure by its basis.

• Official fares: flat fares and tariffs published by Transport for London, the Paris taxi tariff order for 2026, Madrid City Council, Barcelona's AMB, Malaga and Seville city councils, the Valencia regional government, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and Dubai Taxi.
• Airport estimates: fare guides published by airports such as Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Liverpool and Basel-Mulhouse, and by Aena in Spain.
• Estimates: where no official figure exists, typical meter fares from reputable travel guides and booking sites, cross-checked.
• Global Airport Taxi prices: taken from our own airport pages; where a page shows no price, we say "Get a quote".
• Conversions: €1 = £0.842 and £1 = AED 4.887, both as of 19 October 2026.
• Last checked: 20 October 2026. Fares change, so check before you travel.

Airport taxi prices: frequently asked questions