A St. John's taxi is the default way to get around the city for most visitors. Cabs are licensed and regulated by the City under its Taxi By-Law, fares inside the city run on the meter, and the airport has its own closed taxi stand with a fixed C$35 fare to downtown hotels and B&Bs. Metrobus covers the city for a C$2.50 adult cash fare, and app-based rideshare does not appear in the airport's ground transportation listings.
A pre-booked Elly8.net car costs more than a cab on almost every short trip, from US$95 in a business sedan for the airport run, and we will not pretend otherwise. This guide explains how taxis and buses actually work in St. John's, what changes on a cruise day, a foggy morning or a Saturday night on George Street, and the specific situations where booking a chauffeur ahead is the better plan.
How do taxis work in St. John's?
All taxi companies and vehicles in St. John's must be licensed by the City every year, and the Taxi By-Law caps operator licences at 374, with ten reserved for accessible taxis. City trips are metered. From the airport, a closed stand charges set fares by hotel, including C$35 to downtown hotels and B&Bs.
The rules are set out on the City's taxicab licence page. Every company and vehicle is licensed annually, the number of operator licences issued each calendar year is limited to 374, and ten of those are reserved for accessible taxis. The City also licenses taxi stands, so the stands you see in the city are part of the same regulated system.
Two practical consequences follow. First, the fleet is a fixed size, so at the moments when everyone wants a cab at once, such as a cruise ship arriving, a big concert letting out or closing time on George Street, demand can outrun supply and waits get longer. Second, accessible taxis are a small share of the fleet, so if you need one, book it in advance rather than hoping one is at the stand. At the airport, the taxi provider asks for an hour's notice for accessible vehicles.
See St. John's prices and reserve
What a taxi costs in St. John's
Inside the city, fares are on the meter. The City's licensing page does not publish the meter tariff, so the simplest approach is to ask the dispatcher for an estimate when you call, or ask the driver before you set off on a longer trip. Distances in the city are short: Signal Hill is about 3 km from downtown and Quidi Vidi village about 5 km, so most metered trips around the centre are modest.
The airport is different, because its taxi stand charges set fares rather than the meter for most hotels. According to the St. John's International Airport taxi page, fares from the airport run from C$21 to C$60 depending on the hotel, with C$35 for all downtown hotels and B&Bs; any other address is the meter rate plus a C$5 surcharge. The airport explains that the premium reflects cabs waiting for you on arrival. Our St. John's airport taxi guide covers those fares hotel by hotel, along with departures and fog delays.
| Getting around St. John's | Price | How you get it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metrobus | C$2.50 adult cash, exact fare | Bus stops across the metro area | Solo travellers, light bags, daytime |
| City taxi | Metered | Phone dispatch or a licensed stand | Short trips around downtown and the city |
| Airport taxi stand | Set fares by hotel, C$35 to downtown hotels | Closed stand outside arrivals | Walk-up airport arrivals |
| Elly8.net business sedan | US$95 airport to downtown, US$110 an hour | Booked ahead, fixed price | Executives, early flights, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net business SUV | US$125 airport to downtown, US$140 an hour | Booked ahead | Families, winter, more luggage |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$250 airport to downtown, US$220 an hour | Booked ahead | Groups and crews up to 12 with bags |
Metrobus: cheap, regular, with a few rules
Metrobus is the city's public transit system. The adult cash fare is C$2.50, and there is an exact fare policy: drivers carry no change, and credit and debit cards are not accepted on board. A 10-ride pass costs C$22.50, which works out like nine paid rides and one free, and children under 12 ride free, although those aged 9 to 11 need an mCard. Route 14 serves the airport and Memorial University, among other stops.
For a visitor staying downtown with a light bag and time to spare, the bus is a perfectly good way to reach the university or the shopping areas. It is less suited to the steep streets of the old town with luggage, to the late evening, or to anywhere off the network, such as Cape Spear.
Downtown, George Street and the steep streets
Downtown St. John's climbs from the harbour in steep terraces: Water Street along the bottom, Duckworth Street above it, and cross streets and stairways rising to the rows of painted houses. This shapes every pickup. A cab, or a chauffeur, will often suggest meeting you one block over, on a flatter street, especially in winter, when ice and freezing rain make the hills treacherous. If you are booking a pickup from a house on a steep street, give the exact address and expect a call about the easiest meeting point.
George Street, the short block of pubs and music venues at the heart of the city's nightlife, is the busiest place for taxis on a weekend night. At closing time, a crowd spills onto the surrounding streets all at once, and that is exactly when the fixed taxi fleet is stretched thinnest. If you are with a group, or you simply want to know how you are getting back to the hotel, the evening out and event night package keeps a car waiting at an agreed corner nearby, from US$550 in a business sedan to US$1,100 in an Executive Sprinter. Chauffeurs follow local rules on alcohol in the vehicle.
Short sightseeing hops: Signal Hill and Quidi Vidi
Two of the city's best-known sights are a short taxi ride from downtown. Signal Hill National Historic Site, with Cabot Tower above the harbour narrows, is about 3 km away, and the fishing village of Quidi Vidi about 5 km. A metered cab out is quick and inexpensive.
The return is the part to plan. A lookout or a village lane is not a taxi stand, and on a windy or foggy afternoon you may not want to wait outside for a car to be dispatched. Arrange the pickup time with the driver or the dispatcher before you go, or keep the number handy and call with time to spare. If you are seeing several places in one afternoon, a chauffeur by the hour is often simpler than three separate cab trips: the car waits at each stop, your coats and bags stay in it, and the price is fixed before you start. With a 3-hour minimum at US$110 an hour in a business sedan, that is US$330 per vehicle, as arithmetic, which suits a family or a small group better than a solo traveller.
Cruise days
Cruise ships berth along Harbour Drive at the foot of downtown, and the St. John's Port Authority publishes the ships in port. When a large ship arrives, many passengers come ashore at the same time, and a good share of them want to reach Signal Hill or Cape Spear and be back before all-aboard. Taxis do a steady trade, but a full ship can empty the nearby stands quickly.
A pre-booked car solves the timing problem. Give us the ship name and date, and the chauffeur meets you at the agreed point near the berth with a name board, takes you on your route and has you back with time to spare. The four-hour Cape Spear package costs from US$405 in a business sedan to US$810 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, and fits comfortably into most port days. See cruise port transfers, and for ideas on how to use the time, our St. John's tours guide.
Fog, wind and winter
St. John's weather changes how you should think about getting around. Fog off the Atlantic delays flights into YYT more often than travellers from inland cities expect. Wind is constant on the hills. Winter brings heavy snow and freezing rain, and on those days every taxi in the city is busy. If you have a flight to catch the morning after a storm, the safest plan is a car booked ahead, with the time confirmed the evening before.
For visitors on business, an hourly booking is the practical answer to poor weather: one car and one chauffeur stay with you between meetings, so nobody is standing on a corner waiting for a cab in the wind. Hourly chauffeur service costs from US$110 an hour in a business sedan, with a 3-hour minimum.
Weather also changes the cost of a taxi in a quieter way. Metered fares include time, so a cross-town trip that crawls through snow-covered streets costs more than the same trip on a clear day, while a fixed-price booking does not change with the conditions.
When a taxi is the right choice
Taxis are the right answer for most short trips in St. John's. If you are one or two people going from a downtown hotel to a restaurant, or from the airport to a downtown hotel at a normal hour, a cab will cost less than a pre-booked car and get you there just as well. The C$35 airport fare to downtown is good value for a solo traveller, and a metered hop across downtown costs very little.
When a pre-booked car wins
Early departures and weather days. A confirmed pickup at 5 a.m. after an overnight snowfall is worth more than a phone call to a busy dispatcher.
Groups and crews. St. John's is the hub of the province's offshore oil and gas industry, and crew changes and project teams often need several people moved together with luggage. An Executive Sprinter carries up to 12 with 12 bags in one vehicle, from US$250 between the airport and downtown. See group transportation and corporate car service.
Cruise passengers on a deadline. A booked car with a set return time beats queueing at a stand with a ship's horn in the background.
A day out of town. Cape Spear, Petty Harbour, the Irish Loop or a run to Terra Nova and beyond are long trips to make on a meter. Our guide to driving from St. John's to Gros Morne covers the longest of them.
Families. Child seats are fitted before pickup on request, and a business SUV gives room for seats, coats and luggage together.
Billing. A corporate account gives monthly invoicing and fixed US-dollar fares.
The general case is set out in chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft.
Elly8.net prices in St. John's
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. Prices are fixed, all-in and per vehicle, and include the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
The airport transfer to downtown costs from US$95 in a business sedan, US$125 in a business SUV and US$250 in an Executive Sprinter, the same in either direction. By the hour, rates run from US$110 to US$220, the private city highlights tour from US$440 to US$880, and the full-day chauffeur from US$810 in a business sedan. The complete list is on our St. John's car service page, and the nearest Elly8.net cities are Halifax and Quebec City.
Destination St. John's publishes the city's events and seasonal sights, which is worth checking before you plan around a busy weekend. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi in St. John's?
City trips are metered, and the City's licensing page does not publish the tariff, so ask the dispatcher or driver for an estimate. From the airport, the stand charges set fares by hotel, from C$21 to C$60, with C$35 to downtown hotels and B&Bs; other addresses pay the meter plus a C$5 surcharge.
How many taxis are there in St. John's?
The City's Taxi By-Law limits the number of operator licences issued each calendar year to 374, with ten reserved for accessible taxis. Because the fleet is a fixed size, waits can lengthen when demand spikes, such as on a busy cruise day or at closing time on George Street.
Is there Uber in St. John's?
App-based rideshare is not part of the airport's ground transportation listings, which name the taxi stand, Metrobus, car rentals and hotel shuttles. Plan around taxis, the bus or a pre-booked car rather than counting on an app, particularly late at night or in poor weather.
How much is the bus in St. John's?
The Metrobus adult cash fare is C$2.50, exact fare only, and cards are not accepted on board. A 10-ride pass costs C$22.50, and children under 12 ride free. Route 14 serves the airport and Memorial University. It suits light travellers in the daytime; with luggage and the steep downtown streets, a taxi is usually easier.
Can a car meet us off a cruise ship?
Yes. Give us the ship name and arrival date, and the chauffeur meets you near the berth on Harbour Drive with a name board, then returns you well before all-aboard. The four-hour Cape Spear package starts at US$405 in a business sedan, per vehicle.
What is the Elly8.net cancellation policy?
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. Refunds go to the original card. If a fog delay or diversion changes your arrival, message the 24/7 desk and the booking moves with you rather than being cancelled.
