A St. John's airport taxi leaves from a closed stand outside the arrivals area at St. John's International Airport (YYT), run by a single exclusive provider with a dispatcher on hand. Fares to most hotels are set in advance: C$35 to all downtown hotels and B&Bs, between C$21 and C$60 to other listed hotels, and the meter plus a C$5 surcharge to anywhere else. For one person landing in daylight, that is quick and fair value.
A pre-booked Elly8.net car for the same run costs from US$95 in a business sedan to US$250 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, with the chauffeur waiting inside arrivals and your flight tracked. This guide explains exactly how the YYT taxi stand works, what you will pay to your hotel, the bus and accessible alternatives, and the arrivals where booking ahead is worth the difference, which in St. John's usually comes down to weather, groups and timing.
How much is a taxi from St. John's airport?
YYT taxis charge set fares by hotel: C$35 to all downtown hotels and B&Bs, from C$21 to C$60 to other listed hotels, and the meter plus a C$5 surcharge to any other address. The airport says the premium pays for cabs waiting on arrival. A fixed Elly8.net business sedan to downtown is US$95 per vehicle.
The fares are published on the airport's taxi page, which explains that the airport operates a closed taxi stand, with City Wide Taxi as the exclusive provider of public ground transportation. Cabs queue outside the arrivals area, a dispatcher helps you into the next one, and the rates are set for hotels and B&Bs. The airport is open about the reason for the set fares: because the taxis are already waiting when you land, a premium rate applies so that you get immediate service.
| From YYT to | Set taxi fare (C$) |
|---|---|
| Best Western, Holiday Inn Express | 21.00 |
| Comfort Inn | 25.00 |
| Holiday Inn, Super 8, Hampton Inn | 27.00 |
| All downtown hotels and B&Bs, The Guv'nor Inn | 35.00 |
| Spa at the Monastery, Extended Stay | 40.00 |
| Fairfield Inn, Capital Hotel, Ramada Hotel, Sandman Hotel | 42.00 |
| Crossroads Inn | 60.00 |
| All other locations | Meter rate plus C$5 surcharge |
The list is the airport's own and can change, so check it before you fly. If your address is a private home, a short-term rental or an office, you are in the "all other locations" category and the fare is whatever the meter shows, plus the surcharge.
See St. John's prices and reserve
How the YYT taxi stand works in practice
One provider, one queue. Because there is a single exclusive provider at the terminal, there is one line to join and no need to compare companies at the curb. The dispatcher matches you with the next cab.
Busy moments. St. John's is a mid-sized airport, and when several flights land close together, or a delayed flight finally arrives after a fog hold, the queue for cabs can build. The fleet serving the stand is the same fleet that serves the rest of the city, so a busy night downtown and a wave of arrivals can compete for the same cars.
Accessible taxis. The airport says City Wide Taxi has accessible vehicles able to carry large, non-folding mobility aids, and recommends giving one hour's notice. Two other accessible transport services listed by the airport recommend 24 hours' notice. If you need an accessible vehicle, arrange it before your flight rather than at the stand.
Hotel shuttles. The airport also notes that shuttle service runs for specific hotels directly to and from the terminal. If your hotel is near the airport, ask whether it is one of them.
Rideshare. App-based rideshare does not appear in the airport's ground transportation listings, which cover taxis, car rentals, public transportation and hotel shuttles. Plan around those options rather than counting on an app.
The bus: Metrobus route 14
The cheapest way out of the airport is Metrobus. The airport's public transportation page explains that route 14 has two stops at the airport, one near the arrivals area of the terminal and another on World Parkway near the Holiday Inn Express, and that the route is wheelchair accessible. It serves popular destinations across the metro area, including Memorial University, and you may need to change buses to reach downtown.
Metrobus fares are C$2.50 cash for an adult, exact fare only, and cards are not accepted on board. For a student heading to the university with a backpack, it is the obvious choice. With a suitcase, a downtown hotel on a steep street and a connection to make, the C$35 cab usually wins.
Staying near the airport for an early flight
Several hotels sit close to YYT, and the airport's list shows the cheapest set taxi fares go to them, from C$21. The airport also notes that some specific hotels run their own shuttle to and from the terminal. If you have a first-thing departure, a night near the airport cuts the morning drive to a few minutes, and a hotel shuttle or short taxi ride makes the start of the day simple. Ask the hotel when you book whether it runs a shuttle and from what time. For a group, or a family with car seats, an Elly8.net departure can collect you from the airport-area hotel just as easily as from downtown; the web booker prices the exact address.
Fog, diversions and late arrivals
YYT sits on the Avalon Peninsula, where fog and fast-changing weather delay or divert flights more often than travellers from inland cities expect. That shapes the airport taxi question in two ways.
First, a long delay can mean landing after the evening rush of arrivals has cleared, at an hour when you would rather walk straight to a car than wait in the cold for the queue to move. Second, a diversion can mean arriving the next morning instead of tonight. A taxi stand handles both, but you join the queue whenever you land.
A pre-booked Elly8.net chauffeur works differently. The flight number on the booking is tracked, the pickup moves to the actual landing time, and waiting is complimentary after a tracked landing, so a three-hour fog hold costs nothing extra. If the flight diverts and you arrive the next day, message the 24/7 desk and the booking moves with you. See airport meet and greet.
Three YYT arrivals, three answers
A solo traveller on a mid-afternoon flight, heading to a downtown hotel. Walk out, join the queue at the stand, pay the C$35 set fare. There is no good reason to pre-book a car for this one unless your company insists on a fixed, invoiced fare.
A family of five landing at 11:30 p.m. after a fog hold, staying in a rental house in the east end. The address is not on the airport's list, so the taxi fare is the meter plus the C$5 surcharge, and five people with luggage and car seats are likely to need two cabs. A business SUV booked ahead, with child seats fitted and a chauffeur who has tracked the delayed flight, costs from US$125 per vehicle to downtown, and the web booker prices the exact address before you fly.
A visitor with a free first day who wants to see the coast. Rather than checking in and then finding a way out to Cape Spear, some travellers start straight from the terminal. The chauffeur meets you inside arrivals, the bags stay in the car, and the four-hour Cape Spear package ends at your hotel. For a much longer road trip across the island, see our guide to driving from St. John's to Gros Morne, which compares the drive with flying to Deer Lake.
Side by side: YYT to a downtown hotel
| Option | Price to downtown | Where you meet it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metrobus route 14, with a connection | C$2.50 adult cash | Stop near arrivals | Students, budget, light luggage |
| Hotel shuttle | Set by the hotel | Hotel's own arrangement | Guests of the hotels that run one |
| Airport taxi stand | C$35 set fare to downtown hotels and B&Bs | Outside arrivals, with a dispatcher | Walk-up arrivals, solo travellers |
| Elly8.net business sedan | US$95 fixed, per vehicle | Inside arrivals, name board | Executives, late or delayed flights |
| Elly8.net business SUV | US$125 fixed, per vehicle | Inside arrivals, name board | Families, winter, more luggage |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$250 fixed, per vehicle | Inside arrivals, name board | Groups and crews up to 12 with bags |
When the taxi is the better choice
Be clear-eyed about it. If you are one or two people landing in daylight with ordinary luggage and going to a downtown hotel, the C$35 set fare is hard to beat, and the airport's single queue makes it simple. Our business sedan at US$95 is a much bigger number for the same 13-minute drive of about 9 km (5 mi), and we would rather you knew that.
When a pre-booked car is worth it
Late, delayed or diverted flights. A name board inside arrivals and a car that has tracked your flight are worth most at the end of a long, disrupted travel day.
Groups and crews. A project team or offshore crew of ten with luggage needs three or four cabs at the stand. One Executive Sprinter carries up to 12 people and 12 bags for US$250 per vehicle, which is US$25 each across ten people as arithmetic for comparison only. Several vehicles can be booked together for a crew change. See airport transfers.
Families. Child seats are fitted before pickup on request, and a business SUV has room for seats, coats and luggage together. In February, that matters.
Addresses off the list. A home in Mount Pearl, Paradise or Torbay is a meter-plus-surcharge trip by taxi. The web booker gives you a fixed price for the exact address before you fly.
Straight from the plane to the sights. Some visitors go from the airport directly to Signal Hill or Cape Spear before checking in. The four-hour Cape Spear package, from US$405 in a business sedan, can start at the terminal. Our St. John's tours guide has itinerary ideas.
Billing and budgets. Companies and travel agents booking for clients get a fixed price in US dollars, confirmed in advance, and corporate accounts get monthly invoicing.
For the general comparison, see chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs airport shuttle.
Departures: getting back to YYT
The set fares above are the airport's rates for trips leaving the terminal. For the trip to the airport, book a taxi with the taxi company or your hotel desk and ask for an estimate when you call. On the morning after a storm, call earlier than you think you need to, because every cab in the city is busy on those days.
An Elly8.net departure costs exactly the same as the arrival, from US$95 in a business sedan, because every airport fare is fixed in both directions. The chauffeur collects you at your door at the time you set and drops you at the terminal. The drive is short, so you can usually leave downtown later than in larger cities, but allow for winter roads and the security queue. A round trip booked together starts at US$185. Private aviation passengers can be met at the operator's building; see private jet and FBO transfers.
Elly8.net fares at YYT
Rides in St. John's are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer. Prices include the chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet; parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
| Vehicle | YYT to or from downtown | YYT round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan, up to 3 passengers and 2 bags | US$95 | US$185 |
| Business SUV, up to 6 passengers and 6 bags | US$125 | US$240 |
| First Class SUV, up to 6 passengers and 6 bags | US$155 | US$295 |
| First Class Sedan, up to 3 passengers and 2 bags | US$170 | US$325 |
| Executive Sprinter, up to 12 passengers and 12 bags | US$250 | US$475 |
Booking is three steps: enter the pickup and drop-off with your flight number, choose the vehicle, then reserve the fixed fare or use the web booker for any other address. Confirmation arrives by email. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show.
The full price list is on our St. John's car service page, and for getting around once you are in the city, read our St. John's taxi guide. Travelling on through Atlantic Canada? The same service runs as our Halifax car service. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from St. John's airport to downtown?
C$35 to all downtown hotels and B&Bs, according to the airport's published taxi rates. Other listed hotels range from C$21 to C$60, and any unlisted address pays the meter rate plus a C$5 surcharge. A fixed Elly8.net business sedan is US$95 per vehicle, with the chauffeur waiting inside arrivals.
Which taxi company serves St. John's airport?
The airport operates a closed taxi stand, and City Wide Taxi is the exclusive provider of public ground transportation at the terminal. Cabs queue outside the arrivals area, and a dispatcher is available to help you. Because there is one provider and one queue, there is no need to compare companies at the curb; check the airport's taxi page for current fares before you fly.
Is there a bus from St. John's airport?
Yes. Metrobus route 14 stops near the arrivals area and on World Parkway, and serves destinations including Memorial University; you may need a connection for downtown. The adult cash fare is C$2.50, exact fare only, and cards are not accepted on board.
Are accessible taxis available at YYT?
The airport says the taxi provider has accessible vehicles for large, non-folding mobility aids and recommends one hour's notice. Two other accessible transport services listed by the airport recommend 24 hours' notice. Arrange it before your flight rather than at the stand.
What if my flight is delayed by fog?
An Elly8.net chauffeur tracks your flight and waits for the actual landing, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. If the flight diverts and you arrive the next day, message the 24/7 desk and the booking moves with you. At the taxi stand, you join the queue whenever you land.
How much is an Elly8.net car from YYT?
From US$95 in a business sedan, US$125 in a business SUV and US$250 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and per vehicle, including the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. The same fare applies from downtown to the airport, and a round trip starts at US$185.
