London, Ontario taxi vs Uber vs private car: which to use and when

A London, Ontario taxi is a metered cab licensed by the City of London, dispatched through a broker that files its schedule of fares with the City. Uber and Lyft operate in London too, licensed as private transportation companies, with a price shown in the app before you confirm. London Transit runs buses across the city, including 14 trips a day to London International Airport (YXU), at CA$3.50 cash. And a pre-booked Elly8.net car costs a fixed US$95 in a Business Sedan from YXU to downtown, all-in and per vehicle.

None of these is the right answer for every trip. A taxi or an app ride is usually best for a short hop across the city. The bus is the budget choice for one person with a light bag. A booked car wins on the late flight, the family with luggage and car seats, the group, and above all the 171 km (106 mi) run to Toronto Pearson. This guide puts real numbers and rules next to each option.

How do taxis, Uber and a private car compare in London, Ontario?

The City of London licenses three kinds of vehicle for hire under its Vehicle for Hire By-law L.-130-71: cabs and accessible cabs, limousines, and private transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft, which hold a broker licence while their drivers apply through the company. Under the City's regulations, every broker submits a schedule of fares to the City's licence manager for orders other than those made through mobile apps, and cabs, accessible cabs and limousines must display a notice that persons with disabilities cannot be charged a higher fare or a fee for storing mobility aids.

See London, Ontario prices and reserve

At YXU: where each option meets you

London International Airport sets out its ground transport on one page, and the details matter on a late arrival.

Taxi and limousine. Licensed taxi and limousine services are available outside the terminal, at regulated rates, according to the airport. If a cab is waiting, it is the fastest walk-up option.

Uber and Lyft. The airport says rideshare pickups are at the terminal curb outside the arrivals door, at the north end of the sidewalk. You request the ride after you have your bags, then wait for the match; late at night, with few drivers near the airport, that wait can be long.

London Transit. The LTC serves the airport 14 times daily. It is cheap, and the timetable decides when you leave.

Sarnia bus. The airport also lists a daily bus between Sarnia and YXU, useful for travellers heading west rather than into London.

A pre-booked car. The chauffeur waits at arrivals inside the terminal with a name board, the flight is tracked, and there is complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. Downtown is about 11 km (7 mi), roughly 16 minutes on a clear road.

The numbers, side by side

The London Transit fares page lists the adult exact-cash fare at CA$3.50 and the smart card at CA$2.65 per trip, with a bundle of five rides for CA$13.25. Taxi brokers file their fare schedules with the City rather than publishing one city-wide price list for visitors, so ask the driver for the fare to your address when you get in. App prices are not published in advance; they appear on your screen and change with demand, so we do not quote them.

In town: short trips and nights out

For a 10-minute ride from Richmond Row to a hotel downtown, or across north London to campus, a taxi or an app ride is quick and inexpensive, and we would not suggest booking a chauffeur for it.

The picture changes on the nights when everyone leaves at once. When the London Knights play at Canada Life Place on Dundas Street, or a Broadway in London show lets out, a full house empties into the same few blocks. Taxi queues form and app prices rise for the half-hour after the event. A group that books an SUV or Sprinter for the evening, with a pickup a block from the arena at an agreed time, avoids both. The evening out and event night package starts at US$550 in a Business Sedan and US$1,100 in an Executive Sprinter, which carries 12.

Term start and convocation at Western University and Fanshawe College produce the same squeeze in daytime, with families moving students in and loaded cars across the city.

Out of town: where the comparison really changes

The longer the trip, the more a fixed fare is worth.

To and from Toronto Pearson. About 171 km (106 mi) and 127 minutes on a clear Highway 401, and closer to three hours in weekday traffic or snow. A meter or a demand-priced app ride on that distance carries real price risk. The Elly8.net fare is fixed from US$395 in a Business Sedan, US$515 in a Business SUV and US$1,030 in an Executive Sprinter, the same in either direction. We compare the car with the train and driving in our Toronto to London, Ontario guide.

The train alternative. VIA Rail runs from the London station at 205 York Street to Toronto, with an average journey of about 2 hours 35 minutes, and from Toronto's Union Station the UP Express goes to Pearson. For one person with a carry-on and time to spare, that is the economical route. For a family with four cases, it is two trains, a transfer and a taxi.

Stratford, Kitchener-Waterloo and Detroit. Theatre nights in Stratford, business in Kitchener-Waterloo and flights from Detroit are all common bookings from London. A one-way run between cities is priced through our city to city car service.

When to use which: a plain guide

Use the bus if you are travelling alone, with a light bag, at a time that fits the airport timetable, and the CA$3.50 fare matters more than 20 minutes.

Use a taxi for a short trip in town, a walk-up arrival at YXU when a cab is waiting, or a solo ride at a normal hour.

Use Uber or Lyft off-peak, when you are flexible about the wait and comfortable with a price that may change.

Book a car when any of these apply:

• You land late, when the bus has stopped and few drivers are near the airport.
• You have children who need seats; child seats are available on request.
• You have more luggage than a sedan boot: a Business SUV takes 6 bags for US$125 from YXU.
• You are a group: an Executive Sprinter takes 12 people and 12 bags on one booking.
• You are travelling to or from Pearson and want a known price.
• You need the car to wait between meetings, at US$110 an hour with a 3-hour minimum.
• You need an invoice: a corporate account gives monthly invoicing for departments and companies.

The broader comparisons are in chauffeur vs taxi, chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and Uber Black vs a pre-booked chauffeur.

Three London trips, worked through

One student, YXU, Tuesday afternoon, a backpack. Take the bus if the timetable fits, or a taxi from the rank. A booked car is not needed.

A couple and two children, YXU, Saturday 11:40 p.m., back from a sun holiday. Four cases, two car seats, a sleeping child. A Business SUV at US$125 fixed, with seats fitted and the chauffeur at arrivals, is worth every dollar. The alternative is waiting at the curb for an app match that may take a while at that hour.

A visiting surgeon, Pearson, Monday 6 p.m., operating at 8 a.m. the next day. The fixed Business Sedan fare of US$395 removes the 401 rush-hour uncertainty from the price, and the chauffeur goes to the hospital entrance. A First Class Sedan at US$695 is the quieter option for working on the way. We are not a medical transport provider; this is for ambulatory passengers and visiting staff. Our London, Ontario limo service guide covers business and hospital trips in more detail.

Accessibility and mobility aids

London licenses accessible cabs as their own class, and the City's rules require cabs, accessible cabs and limousines to display a notice that passengers with disabilities cannot be charged a higher fare or a fee for storing a mobility aid. If you use a wheelchair that must stay occupied during the trip, an accessible cab booked through its broker is the right vehicle. If you can transfer to a seat and the chair folds, any of our SUVs or the Executive Sprinter takes it as luggage; tell us when you book so the right vehicle is sent, and the fare does not change.

Leaving London for an early Pearson flight

This is the trip where the comparison is most one-sided, so it is worth planning properly. Start with your departure time, subtract your airline's recommended check-in time, then subtract the drive: 127 minutes on a clear road, with 30 to 60 minutes more on weekday afternoons or in snow. For a 9 a.m. flight that usually means a pickup in London somewhere between about 4 and 5 a.m., depending on the airline and whether the flight is international.

At that hour, a taxi or app ride for 171 km is a large and uncertain fare, and driving yourself means parking at Pearson for the length of the trip. A fixed airport transfer at US$395 in a Business Sedan, with the chauffeur at your door at the agreed time, is the simplest answer. For a longer trip with a stop on the way, such as a meeting in Hamilton or Mississauga before the flight, book an hourly chauffeur instead.

Checking the vehicle

For a taxi, look for the City licence and the company name on the car. For an app ride, match the plate, model and driver photo before you get in. For an Elly8.net booking, the confirmation email tells you who to look for, and at YXU the chauffeur holds a name board inside arrivals. If anything does not match, call the desk first.

Booking

1. Enter pickup and drop-off, with the flight number for YXU or Pearson.
2. Choose the vehicle by bags first: sedan 2, SUV 6, Sprinter 12.
3. Reserve now or use the web booker. Confirmation arrives by email.

Book any address

Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. We book the car only; for flights and hotels see BookingWorldwide.net.