Kent airport taxi prices
What a pre-booked private-hire car should cost from each Kent town to each London airport, one way, in a standard saloon. Use it to sanity-check any quote you are given.
| From | Heathrow | Gatwick | Stansted | Luton | London City | Southend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury | £140-20091 mi | £105-15068 mi | £130-18585 mi | £155-220100 mi | £90-13059 mi | £110-15570 mi |
| Maidstone | £100-14565 mi | £65-9041 mi | £95-13562 mi | £120-17078 mi | £55-8037 mi | £75-10548 mi |
| Ashford | £130-18584 mi | £95-13060 mi | £125-18081 mi | £150-21096 mi | £85-12055 mi | £100-14566 mi |
| Folkestone | £155-22099 mi | £115-16575 mi | £145-21095 mi | £170-245111 mi | £110-15570 mi | £125-18081 mi |
| Dover | £165-230105 mi | £125-18081 mi | £155-220100 mi | £180-255115 mi | £115-16575 mi | £130-18585 mi |
| Tunbridge Wells | £100-14063 mi | £40-5525 mi | £105-15069 mi | £130-18585 mi | £70-9544 mi | £85-12055 mi |
| Margate | £165-235106 mi | £125-18082 mi | £155-22099 mi | £180-255115 mi | £115-16574 mi | £130-18585 mi |
| Ramsgate | £165-240108 mi | £130-18584 mi | £155-220101 mi | £180-255117 mi | £120-16576 mi | £135-19087 mi |
| Sevenoaks | £80-11050 mi | £40-5526 mi | £85-12556 mi | £110-16072 mi | £50-7031 mi | £65-9042 mi |
| Chatham | £110-15570 mi | £70-10046 mi | £85-12556 mi | £110-15571 mi | £50-7031 mi | £65-9041 mi |
| Whitstable | £140-20091 mi | £105-14567 mi | £130-18584 mi | £155-22099 mi | £90-13058 mi | £105-15069 mi |
| Herne Bay | £145-21095 mi | £110-15571 mi | £135-19588 mi | £160-230104 mi | £100-14063 mi | £115-16574 mi |
| Deal | £170-240109 mi | £130-18585 mi | £160-225102 mi | £180-255117 mi | £120-17077 mi | £135-19087 mi |
| Sittingbourne | £115-16575 mi | £80-11051 mi | £105-15069 mi | £130-18584 mi | £65-9543 mi | £85-12054 mi |
| Faversham | £130-18583 mi | £95-13060 mi | £120-17077 mi | £145-20092 mi | £80-11051 mi | £95-13562 mi |
| Tonbridge | £90-13058 mi | £55-7534 mi | £100-14064 mi | £125-17580 mi | £60-8539 mi | £80-11050 mi |
| Dartford | £95-13060 mi | £55-8036 mi | £65-9543 mi | £90-13058 mi | £40-5517 mi | £45-6028 mi |
| Gravesend | £100-14566 mi | £65-9042 mi | £80-11050 mi | £100-14565 mi | £40-5524 mi | £55-7535 mi |
* Free-flow driving time from OpenStreetMap routing. Add time for traffic, especially on the M25 on weekday mornings.
** Indicative one-way price for a standard saloon car carrying up to four passengers, based on typical Kent private-hire rates. Your fixed quote may differ with the time of day, vehicle size, airport drop-off charges and the Dart Charge where the route crosses the Thames.
What moves the price
- Vehicle size. An estate or MPV for five or six passengers with luggage adds roughly 20 to 40 per cent. An eight-seater minibus is more again, but split between a group it is the cheapest way to the airport.
- Time of day. Pickups between roughly 23:00 and 06:00 often carry a night supplement. Bank holidays and Christmas Day are higher still.
- Airport drop-off charges. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton all charge cars to stop at the terminal forecourt. Some operators include it, some add it at the end. Ask.
- The Dart Charge. Any journey to Stansted, Luton or Southend crosses the Thames at Dartford and pays the charge in each direction.
- Waiting time. Return pickups include a grace period after landing. Beyond it you pay per 15 minutes, plus the short-stay parking.
- Return discount. Booking both legs together is usually 5 to 10 per cent cheaper than two separate bookings.
Car, train or airport parking?
For one person on a daytime flight, the train wins from most of Kent, particularly to Gatwick via St Pancras or to London City via Stratford. For two or more, or for any flight that means leaving before 06:00, a fixed-price car is normally cheaper door to door and a great deal less stressful. Against parking, a return transfer to Gatwick from Canterbury at around £250 breaks even with on-airport parking after about five days and with meet-and-greet after three.