Treesa

Arriving on Eurostar from Brussels around noon. Need to grab a taxi to Waterloo and catch a train to Southampton. Any ideas of the cost? We have some pounds left over from previous trip and don't want to waste time getting money from ATM. Thanks for your help.

PalenQ

Cabs probably take credit cards

PalenQ

Taxi - London
http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller...on/taxisLondon
Search for: Do black cabs take credit cards?
Do you tip taxi drivers in London?
Do all taxis take credit cards?
Most cabs accept credit cards or debit card payment via a Point of Sale machine (POS). There is an additional charge for the use of a card. Cash is still the fastest and cheapest way to pay. Fares are regulated by the city, so all taxis will have the same fares.

Treesa

Thanks, Pal. I figured it would be somewhere between $20 and $25.00.

Whathello

Best to go to Waterloo before boarding Eurostar.
HAve a beer just in front of the lion. Very good beer - called 'Waterloo'. Easy as pie.

Cathinjoetown

Whathello, poster is getting off eurostar at st. pancras, then catching train from Waterloo to Southampton.

I'd have £20 to £25 to be on safe side, heavy traffic can drive up the cost. I tip drivers 10-15%.

Whathello

Was a joke.

Treesa

Thanks, Cathi.

Belinda

By the way, you can use Uber in London too.

janisj

If you are in any sort of a hurry - I wouldn't take a taxi. The tube St Pancras/Kings Cross to Waterloo takes only 12 minutes (Victoria line > Oxford Circus, then Bakerloo line > Wasterloo)

Driving on a weekday could easily take 35-40 minutes.

PalenQ

Now do folks routinely tip London cabbies? Is it expected - nice to know - yes tips are always welcome but do Londoners or Brits tip cabbies and if so how much?

Cathinjoetown

My husband is English, he tips as I do. other than that, I really don't give a flying F what anyone else does. I will say in 40 years of living or working in the UK and London, in, out and around the City countless times, I have never seen anyone NOT tip the driver. Nor has a tip ever been flung back in someone's face.

The OP was asking the cost of a black cab, I responded with what I would expect to pay. And Janis is right, if you don't have a lot of luggage, the tube is much faster and cheaper.

Haggle over the fare if you want, don't tip, tip 5%, round up to the next pound, tip 20%. I will continue to tip as I always have.

janisj

Cathinjoetown: don't take the bait, he's just stirring the pot

Cathinjoetown

I rarely do, janis, and I should know better.

willit

I think Whathello was joking about site of battle rather than station.

Will you need money for Taxi in Southampton - I presume you must be doing something cruise related and you'll need to get to the port once you arrive at the station?

PalenQ

Cathinjoetown: don't take the bait, he's just stirring the pot>

I was dead serious about that tip question - thanks for answering - it is something folks not familiar with London cabs should know - it was a serious question despite janis' ad hominem attack on my motives - not sure what her motives for doing so are???

Anyway Cath - I was dead serious with that question.

Dukey1

This entire "use Uber" thing is becoming more and more interesting. How long would it take for Uber to show up? How much would it cost? Is the price that much less that it compensates for time spent waiting? Given the knowledge of London cab drivers I cannot imagine ANY Uber driver is going to get a person to a destination faster than a cab would.

People seem to have decided that Uber is always going to be cheaper but by how much nobody seems to either know or willing to say. And how much the waiting period is "worth" nobody will say, either.

But it seems that anybody who even suggests that using Uber is not automatically the best choice gets derided, ignored, etc.

Do people TIP Uber drivers? How much?

Tulips

Well, I have used Uber in London only a few times. It was less then I would have expected to pay for a taxi, but not much. For example Notting Hill to St Pancras was 9.98. You can see where the cars are on your app, and every time it took only a couple of minutes. Clean car, friendly driver. Tipping is not expected, and I don't tip. It's easy that you don't need to have cash; I suppose with cash I would still round up to the next round figure, as I do with taxis.

I will still rather hail a taxi on the street while I'm out and about - but will use Uber as an alternative to a car service, when going to St Pancras or a restaurant from home.

RM67

Fyi, you can also get a train to Southampton from Farringdon (if you want the city centre rather than the quay), which would make for easier connections in London - this may not be the best option if you are departing for a cruise though.

Treesa

Thank you for engaging in this discussion.
Willit, yes we're cruising from Southampton but we have friends who live in Botley and will pick us up at the station.
We always tip taxi drivers.