Quick Summary
In London, a 40-minute taxi is roughly £30–£55 in a black cab by day, more at night. A 30-minute ride is about £22–£40 and a 60-minute ride around £45–£75. There's no single price because the meter charges per mile (about £4.10 a mile by day in 2026) plus a time charge in slow traffic — 40 minutes moving freely covers far more miles than 40 in gridlock. Outside London, council fares are usually lower. All figures are 2026 estimates.
Taxi Cost by Journey Time: 10 to 120 Minutes
This table gives approximate London black cab fares by journey time, using the 2026 Transport for London (TfL) tariff. The daytime column is Tariff 1; the evening and night column reflects the higher Tariff 2 and Tariff 3 rates. Outside London fares are usually lower — see below. These are estimates: the meter is the authoritative price.
| Journey time | Daytime (Tariff 1) | Evening / night (Tariff 2–3) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | £8–£14 | £10–£18 |
| 15 minutes | £12–£20 | £15–£26 |
| 20 minutes | £15–£28 | £19–£36 |
| 30 minutes | £22–£40 | £28–£52 |
| 40 minutes | £30–£55 | £38–£70 |
| 45 minutes | £34–£60 | £42–£78 |
| 60 minutes (1 hour) | £45–£75 | £56–£95 |
| 90 minutes | £65–£110 | £80–£140 |
| 120 minutes (2 hours) | £90–£150 | £110–£190 |
You can sense-check any specific route against the live tariff with a taxi fare calculator, which applies the per-mile and per-minute rates to your distance.
How Expensive Is a 40-Minute Taxi, Really?
So how expensive is a 40-minute taxi, really? It depends almost entirely on traffic, because the meter charges for distance and time at the same time. When the cab moves normally you mostly pay the per-mile rate; below about 10.4 mph a time charge takes over instead.
On a clear arterial road, 40 minutes might cover 10–14 miles and reach the top of the range. In central gridlock the same 40 minutes might cover only 4–5 miles, but the time charge keeps the meter climbing — so you still pay a substantial fare. Distance and traffic, not the clock alone, decide where in the range you land.
Taxi Cost Per Mile and Per Minute in 2026
London black cabs don't run on a flat per-minute price. The meter charges a rate per mile while you're moving, and switches to a time charge only when traffic slows below about 10.4 mph. Here are the 2026 rates by tariff.
| Tariff (when it applies) | Per mile (up to 6 miles) | Time charge (slow traffic) |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff 1 — daytime (Mon–Fri 06:00–20:00) | ~£4.10 | ~50p / min |
| Tariff 2 — evening & weekend | ~£4.95 | ~60p / min |
| Tariff 3 — night & public holiday | ~£5.25 | ~70p / min |
There's also a £4.40 minimum fare, and beyond six miles the per-mile rate steps up slightly. So a fast, free-flowing ride is mostly per-mile cost, while a slow one adds more of the time charge. Outside London, councils set their own rates, usually around £1.70–£2.50 a mile. The figures above are approximate — the fare card in the cab is authoritative.
London Black Cab Tariffs Explained (2026)
London black cab fares are set by TfL and identical in every licensed cab — the meter never surges for demand or weather. Since 25 April 2026 the minimum fare is £4.40, and the per-mile and time rates rise through three tariffs depending on when you travel.
Tariff 1 runs Monday to Friday 06:00–20:00; Tariff 2 covers weekday 20:00–22:00 plus weekends to 22:00; Tariff 3 is nightly 22:00–06:00 and public holidays. Beyond six miles the per-mile rate steps up again. For the full breakdown of London prices, see our London taxi fares guide.
30, 40 and 60 Minute Taxi Fares: The Short Answer
A 30-minute taxi in London is usually about £22–£40 by day, rising to roughly £28–£52 in the evening or at night. That typically covers a 5–9 mile trip in normal traffic, or fewer miles if the roads are busy.
A 40-minute taxi is roughly £30–£55 by day and about £38–£70 on the higher evening and night tariffs. Expect the lower end in heavy central traffic, and the upper end on a faster route covering more distance.
A 60-minute (one-hour) taxi is around £45–£75 by day and roughly £56–£95 at night. TfL rules say a black cab must accept any hire up to one hour or twelve miles, so an hour-long booking sits within a single fare.
Average Taxi Fares Outside London
Outside London, fares are set by each local council rather than TfL, and most are lower per mile — commonly around £1.70–£2.50 a mile. As a rough guide, a 40-minute taxi in a typical UK city often works out about £25–£45 by day, with a higher night rate. The fare card displayed inside every licensed cab is always the authoritative price.
Rates also vary widely between countries, so overseas a 40-minute ride could be cheaper or far more expensive than in the UK. Wherever you are, the in-cab meter or a pre-agreed fixed price is what counts. Our guide to how much taxis cost in London sets out the capital's prices in more detail.
App vs Black Cab vs Pre-Booked: What's Cheapest?
For a 40-minute ride you have three options. A black cab runs on the regulated meter — never surges, but it keeps ticking in traffic. Uber or Bolt can be cheaper off-peak, but they add 20% VAT (since January 2026) and surge at busy times, which can push them above a black cab. A pre-booked minicab quotes a fixed price up front.
For longer 40–90 minute journeys — especially airport runs — a fixed fare is usually the best value and the most predictable, because it doesn't move with traffic or demand. Our Uber vs black cab vs minicab guide breaks down which wins in each situation.
How to Avoid the Meter Climbing in Traffic
The catch with any metered cab on a 40-minute-plus trip is that traffic costs you money — every stationary minute adds to the fare through the time charge. A pre-booked fixed price removes that risk entirely: you agree the cost before you travel, and it stays the same whatever the roads do.
That's why fixed fares suit airport transfers and long-distance trips, which often run 40–90 minutes or more. LondonAirport‑Taxi.com quotes fixed fares with no meter and no surge. See our long-distance taxi service and UK long-distance taxi prices for how those journeys are costed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How expensive is a 40-minute taxi?
A 40-minute taxi in London is roughly £30–£55 in a black cab by day, and about £38–£70 in the evening or at night.
There's no single figure because the meter charges for both distance and time. On a clear road, 40 minutes covers more miles and lands near the top of the range; in heavy traffic you cover fewer miles but the time charge keeps the fare up. Outside London, fares are usually lower. These are 2026 estimates — the meter or a fixed price is the actual cost.
How much is a 30-minute taxi?
A 30-minute taxi in London is about £22–£40 by day, rising to roughly £28–£52 in the evening or at night.
That usually covers a 5–9 mile trip in normal traffic, or fewer miles if the roads are busy, since the meter adds a time charge below about 10.4 mph. Evening and night journeys fall on the higher Tariff 2 and Tariff 3 rates. In other UK cities a 30-minute ride is often a little cheaper. As always, the in-cab meter is the authoritative price for your exact journey.
How much is a 1-hour (60-minute) taxi?
A one-hour taxi in London is around £45–£75 by day and roughly £56–£95 at night.
TfL rules require a black cab to accept any hire up to one hour or twelve miles, so an hour-long trip sits within a single fare. The exact total depends on how far you travel in that hour and how much of it is spent in slow traffic. For an hour-long journey, especially to an airport, a pre-booked fixed fare is often cheaper and more predictable than a running meter.
How much does a London taxi cost per mile?
A London black cab costs about £4.10 a mile in the daytime in 2026, around £4.95 in the evening and at weekends, and about £5.25 late at night.
Those rates apply for journeys up to six miles; beyond that the per-mile rate steps up slightly. There's also a £4.40 minimum fare. Outside London, council-set tariffs are usually lower, commonly £1.70–£2.50 a mile. The fare card inside every licensed cab shows the exact per-mile rates, which are the authoritative figures for your journey.
How much does a London taxi cost per minute?
There's no flat per-minute price — a time charge of roughly 50–70p a minute applies only when the cab is below about 10.4 mph.
The rest of the time you pay the per-mile rate (about £4.10 a mile by day in 2026, more in the evening and at night). In other words, a London fare is a blend of distance and slow-traffic time, not a simple per-minute meter. That's why a fare calculator needs both your distance and the likely traffic to estimate a realistic cost.
What is the average London taxi fare?
There isn't one official average, but a typical short central trip is about £9–£19 and a six-mile journey roughly £32–£44 in 2026.
A 40-minute ride averages around £30–£55 by day. The figure varies with distance, traffic, and the time of day, since evening and night tariffs are higher than daytime. App fares from Uber or Bolt move with demand and add 20% VAT, while a pre-booked minicab gives a fixed price. The meter or a pre-agreed fare is always the actual cost you pay.
Is a 40-minute ride cheaper by app than a black cab?
Sometimes off-peak, but not always — surge pricing and VAT can flip it.
Uber and Bolt can undercut a black cab in quiet periods, but they add 20% VAT (since January 2026) and surge at busy times, bad weather, and late at night, which can push them above the regulated black cab meter. A black cab never surges. For a longer 40-minute-plus trip, particularly to an airport, a pre-booked fixed-fare minicab is usually the cheapest and most predictable of the three.
Do these prices apply outside London or in other countries?
The headline figures are for London; elsewhere fares differ.
Outside London, each UK council sets its own tariff, and most are lower per mile, so a 40-minute ride is often around £25–£45 by day. In other countries, rates vary widely and could be cheaper or much more expensive. Wherever you travel, the in-cab meter or a pre-agreed fixed price is what you actually pay, and the fare card inside a licensed cab shows the local rates that apply.
Summary
A 40-minute taxi in London is roughly £30–£55 by day in a black cab and more at night, with a 30-minute ride around £22–£40 and a 60-minute ride about £45–£75. There's no single price because the meter blends a per-mile rate (about £4.10 a mile by day in 2026) with a time charge in slow traffic — 40 minutes on a clear road covers far more miles than 40 in gridlock, and evening and night tariffs are higher again.
Outside London fares are usually lower, and overseas they vary widely, but the meter or a pre-agreed fixed price is always what you pay. For longer 40–90 minute journeys and airport runs, a fixed fare avoids the meter climbing in traffic. Get an instant quote for any airport or long-distance journey.
