A standard car tops out at 4 passengers, which catches a lot of groups out — a party of 5 or 6 assumes "one taxi" will do, then discovers it won't. Knowing the real capacity split before you book avoids arriving at the pickup point to find the car is too small.
Prices below are estimates and may vary by group size, vehicle and time of travel; we confirm the final fare when you book.
The real capacity split
Our fleet runs on four categories, and it's worth knowing there's a jump straight from 4 to 8 passengers — there's no in-between size:
- Saloon — up to 4 passengers, 2 large bags.
- Estate — up to 4 passengers, 4 large bags — the better pick when the group of 4 has more luggage than a saloon comfortably takes.
- Executive — a premium saloon (Mercedes E-Class or equivalent), up to 4 passengers, 3 large bags, for when presentation matters as much as the seats.
- Minibus — up to 8 passengers and 8 large bags — the option once your group is 5 or more.
If your group is genuinely between 4 and 8 (say, 5 or 6 people), the Minibus is the correct booking even though it has spare seats — there's no smaller vehicle that legally or practically fits more than 4 passengers.
One minibus vs splitting across two cars
For a group of 5–8, one Minibus booking is usually simpler and more cost-effective than two separate saloon/estate bookings:
- One pickup point and one pickup time, instead of coordinating two cars arriving together.
- Everyone travels together — useful for a stag/hen do, a race day group, or a team that wants to arrive as one party rather than staggered.
- One estimate to compare, rather than adding up two separate fares and hoping both cars run to time.
Common group-travel scenarios
- Airport group runs — a family or group of friends flying together, sized to one Minibus rather than two cars converging at the terminal.
- Race days — Ascot, Epsom and similar events draw exactly this kind of group booking, often with a fixed return pickup time to plan around too.
- Stag, hen and night-out groups — see our late-night taxi guide for the safety side of getting a larger group home together at the end of the night.
- Corporate events — a team travelling to the same meeting or venue, where arriving together matters as much as the journey itself.
- Cruise departures — the heaviest-luggage group booking there is; our cruise port transfer guide covers Southampton, Dover and Tilbury and why the return leg needs booking too.
Booking for a group
Tell us your exact passenger count and luggage when you book, rather than rounding down — a Minibus booked for 6 that turns out to need to fit 8 on the day is the situation worth avoiding. For a full day out rather than a single trip, a minibus can also be booked by the hour inside London, which keeps the same vehicle with the group between stops. Get an estimated fare for your group journey in London or for an airport transfer.