A Zurich taxi is licensed by the canton, carries a cantonal taxi lamp on the roof and charges on the meter. Zurich Tourism says most taxis charge a basic fare of CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per kilometre, and the airport's official Airport Taxis take you to the city centre for around CHF 65. Inside the city, distances are short: from the main station to the Paradeplatz is about 2 km by road.
For a quick ride across town, a taxi is usually the sensible choice, and the trams are cheaper still. A pre-booked Elly8.net car is a different product: a fixed price agreed before you travel, from US$135 for the airport run in a business sedan, with a chauffeur who tracks your flight or waits outside your meeting. This guide explains the rules, the typical costs, where to find a cab, and when each option makes sense.
How do taxis work in Zurich?
Since 1 January 2024, taxis across the canton of Zurich need a cantonal taxi ID for the driver and a cantonal vehicle permit, and carry a cantonal roof lamp. Fares run on the meter; Zurich Tourism says most taxis charge CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per kilometre. Airport Taxis charge around CHF 65 to the city centre.
The rules changed recently. Zurich voters approved a cantonal law on passenger transport by taxis and limousines, known as the PTLG, and since the start of 2024 the canton rather than each town has been responsible for taxis and limousines. According to the canton's taxi services page, anyone who regularly and commercially picks up and drops off taxi passengers in the canton needs two things: a cantonal taxi vehicle permit and a cantonal taxi ID. Only when both are in place may taxi trips be carried out, and the published fees for the taxi ID include a criminal record check.
Municipalities still decide where the public taxi ranks are and whether taxis may use bus and tram lanes. That is why ranks cluster where the city has designated them: the main station, the big squares and the airport.
Taxis and limousines: two different licences
The same law treats limousine services separately. The canton's limousine services page explains that since 1 January 2024, anyone running or offering limousine services in the canton must register the driver, the vehicle and its keeper before the trip, and display a cantonal limousine sticker on the inside of the windscreen when the driver, keeper or provider is based in the canton. The canton's question-and-answer sheet adds that limousine drivers may freely agree the price with the customer, but must make clear that it is a limousine ride and not a taxi.
In plain terms: a taxi has a roof lamp, uses ranks and runs the meter. A limousine is booked ahead at an agreed price rather than taken from a taxi rank. Elly8.net bookings are of the second kind. Rides in Zurich 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.
What a Zurich taxi costs
Zurich Tourism's airport guide gives the most useful public benchmark: in most taxis, a basic fare of CHF 6 and CHF 3.80 per kilometre, with a possible surcharge for a lot of luggage. Individual operators set and display their own tariffs within the cantonal rules, so check the tariff shown before a longer trip, or ask the driver for an estimate.
Using that benchmark, here is what common trips from Zürich HB would cost on distance alone. The distances are routed estimates on a clear road from the public OSRM engine, and the fares are simple arithmetic: CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per kilometre. Real meters also count waiting time in traffic, so treat these as a floor, not a quote.
| From Zürich HB to | Routed distance | Clear-road drive | Arithmetic estimate on distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paradeplatz | 2.1 km / 1.3 mi | about 4 min | about CHF 14 |
| Kongresshaus on the lake | 2.2 km / 1.4 mi | about 4 min | about CHF 14 |
| Opernhaus | 2.7 km / 1.7 mi | about 6 min | about CHF 16 |
| Prime Tower, Zurich West | 3.0 km / 1.8 mi | about 7 min | about CHF 17 |
| Letzigrund stadium | 3.8 km / 2.4 mi | about 7 min | about CHF 20 |
| Dolder area on the Zürichberg | 3.9 km / 2.5 mi | about 8 min | about CHF 21 |
| Hallenstadion, Oerlikon | 5.3 km / 3.3 mi | about 8 min | about CHF 26 |
The road distance is often longer than the walk. The Bahnhofstrasse is largely given over to trams and pedestrians, so a car from the station to the Paradeplatz takes the long way round, while on foot it is a straight stroll down the street.
Where to find a taxi
At the airport. Zurich Airport's taxi and limousine page recommends the official cars marked Airport Taxi, which wait along the inner curbside lanes of Arrival 1 and 2, and quotes around CHF 65 to the city centre. Zurich Tourism gives a range of CHF 50 to 70 for that trip. Our Zurich Airport to city center guide compares it with the train and tram.
In the city. Ranks are at designated public stands, so look for them at the main station, the main squares and big hotels rather than hoping to flag one on a narrow old-town lane. A taxi with its roof lamp lit can be hailed. Calling or using an app is usually quicker late at night.
After events. When a concert lets out at the Hallenstadion in Oerlikon or a match finishes at the Letzigrund, demand arrives all at once. A ride booked in advance, or an evening car that waits, avoids the queue. The same happens during the Zurich Film Festival, which usually runs from late September into early October with premieres and galas in the city centre: taxis are busy exactly when the screenings end, and a car that waits outside is worth arranging early.
Paying, receipts and luggage
If you plan to pay by card, ask the driver before you set off, especially on a short trip. At the airport, the official Airport Taxis advertise card payment with a VAT-compliant receipt, more room for baggage and Wi-Fi in all vehicles, according to the airport's own page. For business travellers, that receipt matters: keep it with your expense claim.
Luggage is the other detail. Zurich Tourism warns that a taxi may charge a surcharge if you have a lot of it, and a standard car fits a couple of large cases at most. With skis, golf bags or a family's worth of suitcases, a larger vehicle booked in advance avoids squeezing everything into two cabs.
Long trips on the meter
Taxis can go beyond the city, but the meter keeps running. As arithmetic on the CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per kilometre benchmark, the 46 km (29 mi) to the Rhine Falls would come to about CHF 181 one way on distance alone, before any waiting time or the return. A chauffeured full day, which includes the drive out, the time there and the drive back, starts at US$740 in a business sedan and is fixed before you leave. For one direct ride, a taxi can be the cheaper choice; for a day with stops, the booked car usually is.
Trams, trains and the Zürich Card
For one person with light luggage, public transport is excellent and often faster than a car in the centre. Zurich Tourism notes that the Zürich Card covers public transport, including the airport trip, and many museums. A 24-hour pass covering the airport costs CHF 14, according to the same guide. Trams reach most hotels, the lakefront and the old town, and the main station is a short walk from the Bahnhofstrasse.
Taxi, app ride, tram or a pre-booked car
| Option | Price | How you get it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tram or S-Bahn | CHF 7 airport single, CHF 14 for 24 hours | Ticket machine or app, or the Zürich Card | Solo travellers, light bags |
| City taxi | Meter, typically CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per km | Rank, hail, phone or app | Short hops across town |
| Airport Taxi | around CHF 65 to the city centre | Inner curbside lanes, Arrival 1 and 2 | Walk-up airport arrivals |
| App ride | Varies with demand | App | App users, off-peak |
| Elly8.net business sedan | US$135 ZRH to the Bahnhofstrasse, US$100 an hour | Booked ahead, fixed price per vehicle | Executives, early flights, fixed budgets |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$355 ZRH to the Bahnhofstrasse, US$200 an hour | Booked ahead | Groups up to twelve with twelve bags |
App prices are not published as a fixed tariff and change with demand, so we do not quote a figure. Our post on Uber in Zurich covers how that works.
When a taxi is the right choice
Be straightforward about it: for a short, spontaneous ride, a taxi is the better deal. Dinner across the Limmat, the station to your hotel with a carry-on, a late ride back from the old town: the distances are small, there is nothing to book, and the meter will usually show a modest number. If you travel light and the tram goes where you are going, the tram is better again. Booking a chauffeur for a ten-minute hop would cost more than it saves, and we would rather you kept that budget for the airport run or a day out.
When a pre-booked car wins
A meeting day. Roadshows around the Paradeplatz and the lake shore mean several short hops with tight gaps. An hourly car that waits outside, from US$100 an hour in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum, is simpler than finding a cab after each meeting. See hourly chauffeur and roadshow chauffeur. The corporate roadshow day costs from US$900 in a business sedan to US$1,800 in a Sprinter.
Airport runs at the edges of the day. A 6 am departure or a midnight landing is when a booked car, with the fare already fixed and the flight tracked, takes the guesswork out.
Groups and families. A Business SUV or van seats six with six bags, and an Executive Sprinter twelve with twelve bags. Child seats are available on request. See the fleet.
Evenings out. The evening out and event night package, from US$500 in a business sedan to US$1,000 in a Sprinter, keeps the same car with you for dinner and a performance, and the chauffeur follows local rules on everything inside the vehicle. See event transportation.
Leaving the city. A day at Lucerne, the Rhine Falls or the mountains is long and expensive on a meter. Our Zurich day trips guide prices the full-day chauffeur, from US$740 in a business sedan.
Elly8.net prices in Zurich
All fares are fixed, all-in and per vehicle, charged in US$, and include the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
- ZRH to the Bahnhofstrasse, either direction: from US$135 in a business sedan, US$180 in a Business SUV, US$220 in a First Class SUV and US$240 in a First Class Sedan to US$355 in an Executive Sprinter.
- By the hour: US$100 in a business sedan, US$125 in a Business SUV, US$150 in a First Class SUV, US$160 in a First Class Sedan and US$200 in a Sprinter, 3-hour minimum.
- Private city highlights tour: from US$400 in a business sedan to US$800 in a Sprinter.
See every fare in the Zurich fares panel and the Zurich car service page, and our fair comparisons of chauffeur vs taxi and Uber Black vs a chauffeur.
How booking works
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter ZRH with your flight number, Zürich HB with your train, or any address, and the destination.
- Vehicle. Choose the class and add child seats or extra luggage.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now for a published fare and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for anything else. 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; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. See the cancellation policy.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. Continuing your trip? The same desk books our Geneva chauffeur, Milan car service and St. Moritz transfers.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi in Zurich?
Zurich Tourism says most taxis charge a basic fare of CHF 6 plus CHF 3.80 per kilometre, with a possible luggage surcharge. On distance alone, the main station to the Paradeplatz works out at about CHF 14, before any waiting time. Airport Taxis charge around CHF 65 to the city centre.
Who licenses taxis in Zurich?
Since 1 January 2024, the canton of Zurich. Drivers need a cantonal taxi ID and each vehicle a cantonal taxi permit, and taxis carry a cantonal roof lamp. Municipalities still decide where public taxi ranks are and whether taxis may use bus and tram lanes.
Where do taxis wait at Zurich Airport?
Along the inner curbside lanes of Arrival 1 and 2, according to the airport, which recommends the official cars marked Airport Taxi. The trip to the city centre takes 10 to 20 minutes and costs around CHF 65, and card payment is accepted.
What is a limousine service in Zurich?
A pre-booked car at a price agreed with the customer. Under the cantonal law, limousine drivers, vehicles and keepers must be registered, and vehicles based in the canton display a cantonal sticker on the windscreen. Limousine rides are booked ahead rather than taken from a rank, and the price is agreed in advance.
Is a taxi or a pre-booked car better for a meeting day in Zurich?
For one short hop, a taxi. For several meetings, an hourly car is usually simpler: it waits outside, holds your bags and moves when you do. Elly8.net hourly service costs from US$100 an hour in a business sedan, with a 3-hour minimum.
What is the Elly8.net cancellation policy?
Free cancellation more than 72 hours before pickup. A 10% fee applies 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 used for the booking.
