How to find a dog-friendly taxi in London: an essential guide
If you’re looking for which taxi services will allow your pets to travel with you, you’re not alone. From German Shepherds to Great Danes, based on Essential Living’s 2021 ‘Taxi Rank’ report, we’ve rounded up the best taxi options so your furry friends will feel safe and secure with you on your journey to the vet – we mean park…
Uber and Bolt
Whether you’re looking to get a taxi home after a few drinks in one of London’s many dog-friendly pubs, bars or restaurants, it’s ultimately at the driver’s discretion whether they will accept your fluffy friend along on the ride, as Uber and Bolt don’t have any kind of pet-friendly policy.
Unfortunately, this means you cannot check whether your driver will allow this before you’ve already requested a ride.
If you’ve found yourself needing an Uber with your pet, request the car as normal and contact the driver immediately after, you can then cancel and request another driver if there’s a problem. If the company charges you a cancellation fee, you can contact the company as you’ll be entitled to a refund.
We’ve heard most drivers don’t mind the average pooch, but it’s always safer (and courteous) to give your driver a call beforehand, as there have been the odd few occasions where the driver has refused. However if your pet is clean, and well behaved, there shouldn’t really be anything to worry about.
However, when it comes to policies on service animals, service animals are permitted to accompany riders at all times without extra charge.
In some US states such as Chicago, Boston, Austin, Nashville, and Philadelphia, Uber passengers now have the option of bringing their pets along for the rides they order. In fact, Singapore Uber has launched a new feature called UberPET, which lets owners get around with their pets for an extra 2 dollar surcharge. Definitely something the UK should take onboard, in our opinion!
Black cab
Similar to Uber, Bolt and Lyft, most black cab drivers will accept travel with a dog. You can use Gett, the black cab app, to request a ride and leave a note that you’re traveling with a pet. You will then have to wait and see which driver will accept the ride.
Minicabit
Minicabit’s new pet-friendly feature lets you know which of their providers lets you travel with your four-legged companion. When making your search query and choosing what luggage to take, select miscellaneous from the drop down to choose which animal you’ll be taking.
Sixt
Travel in style as Sixt Mydriver is a chauffeur and limousine service, which operates in a number of cities worldwide and offers a pet-friendly alternative to your everyday taxi.
Their pet-friendly service page reads: “As long as there is sufficient room in the car you book and your pet does not pose a threat to the driver then you are able to bring your pet along for the ride. Please make sure that you inform us in the comment section when you book your ride to let us know that you will be bringing your pet along. This will allow us to find the best possible ride for you and your dog and avoid surprising your driver.”
Here’s how taxi prices stacked up for pet-friendly travel for the same journey:
Bolt: £6
Uber: £6.10
Black Cab: £9.40
Minicabit: £11.97
Sixt: £53.99