A Six Nations weekend at Twickenham is one of the biggest single-venue crowds London gets — over 80,000 people arriving and leaving within a few hours of each other, on a residential stretch of southwest London that isn't built for it. If you're heading to a match, or just live nearby and need to get somewhere else that day, a bit of planning saves a long walk.
Why match day is different from an ordinary journey there
Twickenham Stadium sits in a residential area with no motorway or major arterial road running right past it — everyone converges on the same handful of roads at once. On match days, roads immediately around the stadium (including sections of the A316 and local residential streets) are subject to closures and one-way restrictions that start well before kick-off and don't fully clear until well after the final whistle. A car can get close, but "close" and "at the stadium gates" are two different things once the closures are in place.
Arriving before kick-off
Traffic builds steadily from a few hours before kick-off as fans arrive from across the country, not just London — Six Nations weekends draw a much wider catchment than a typical club match. Build in extra time versus what a normal journey estimate would suggest, and agree a drop-off point with your driver a short walk from the ground rather than assuming the car can pull up right outside.
The exit is the harder leg
Unlike arrivals, which are spread over a few hours, departures are compressed into the twenty or so minutes after the final whistle — tens of thousands of people leaving at once, on foot, into the same closed road network. This is the same pattern as other stadium events (see our general stadium and concert event guide), but Twickenham's residential surroundings make it more pronounced than venues closer to a major road network. Agreeing a pickup point away from the immediate stadium perimeter — and being realistic about how long it'll take you to walk there — matters more than trying to get picked up right outside.
If you're travelling from further afield
Six Nations weekends bring supporters in from across the country and from the away nation itself, often connecting through a London airport the same day. If that's your journey, our guides on Heathrow airport transfers and long-distance taxi travel in the UK cover the wider trip either side of match day.
Booking ahead
Because demand spikes hard on fixture days, book your pickup — both directions — as early as you can once you know your kick-off time, rather than trying to arrange something on the day. See our advance booking guide for the general approach, and our last-minute booking guide if your plans do change close to match day.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How early should I book a taxi for a Six Nations match at Twickenham? A: As soon as you know your kick-off time — fixture-day demand spikes hard, and both the arrival and departure legs are affected.
Q: Can a taxi drop me right outside Twickenham Stadium? A: Not usually on match day — road closures around the ground mean the last stretch is typically on foot, so agree a nearby drop-off point in advance.
Q: Why is leaving after the match harder than arriving? A: Arrivals are spread over several hours, but departures happen all at once in the twenty or so minutes after the final whistle, on a road network still under closures.
Q: Do road closures affect journeys that have nothing to do with the match? A: Yes — anyone travelling through the immediate area on a fixture day should expect delays and diversions even if they're not attending.
Q: Is it easier to get a taxi from a point slightly away from the stadium? A: Generally yes — walking a short distance away from the immediate perimeter to a pre-agreed pickup point is usually quicker than waiting near the ground itself.