NYC Taxi & Cab Service
Metered yellow cabs and pre-booked taxis for everyday trips across the five boroughs.
our metered taxi service across the five boroughsCar service in NYC, booked ahead at a fixed price
Reserve a car and driver in advance and know the total before you get in. No meter, no surge multiplier, no surprise at the end of the trip.
- TLC licensed & insured
- Fixed price, no surge
- Available 24/7
- Card or cash
You want a car in New York at a specific time, and you want to know what it costs before you commit. That is what a car service in NYC does that a street hail cannot: the price is settled when you book, the vehicle is assigned to you, and it is outside the address you gave at the time you gave.
New Yorkers use "car service" to mean something specific — a pre-arranged, licensed for-hire vehicle, as opposed to a yellow cab you wave down. The distinction matters legally as well as practically. For-hire vehicles cannot pick up street hails; they must be booked. In exchange, you get a driver who is expecting you.
What you actually get for a fixed price
We quote on the route, not the clock. Once you have the number, it does not change because the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway seized up or because you booked at 5pm on a Friday.
That is the whole point. A metered taxi charges $0.70 for every fifth of a mile or every 60 seconds it spends stationary — so on a bad day you pay for the traffic. Rideshare apps do something similar with a surge multiplier, which can double a fare with no warning while you are standing on the pavement. A pre-booked flat rate does neither.
| Route | Typical drive time | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Midtown → JFK | 45–75 min | Time of day, tolls, terminal |
| Midtown → LaGuardia | 25–45 min | Grand Central Pkwy traffic |
| Midtown → Newark | 40–70 min | Tunnel choice, NJ tolls |
| Brooklyn → Manhattan | 25–50 min | Bridge vs tunnel, congestion zone |
| Bronx → Midtown | 30–55 min | Major Deegan / Harlem River crossings |
| Staten Island → Manhattan | 45–80 min | Verrazzano toll, Gowanus |
When booking ahead is worth it
Early flights. A 6am departure means a pickup around 3:30am. That is the worst possible hour to look for a cab anywhere outside Midtown.
Anything with luggage. A sedan takes four people and roughly two large cases. Four adults with four cases need a minivan or SUV, and you will not find one by standing on a corner.
Business travel. Turning up in an unmarked sedan with a driver who knows the address beats arriving flustered because three cabs passed you.
Outer-borough pickups. Yellow cab density drops sharply outside Manhattan below 96th Street. In Tottenville, Throgs Neck or Bay Ridge, booking is not a luxury — it is the only reliable option.
Congestion-zone trips. Manhattan below 60th Street now carries a congestion toll on top of the older $2.50 taxi surcharge. We fold that into the quote rather than surprising you with it.
Vehicles and capacity
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard sedan | Up to 4 | 2 large + 2 cabin | Everyday trips, solo business travel |
| Minivan | Up to 6 | 4–5 large | Families, group airport runs |
| SUV | Up to 6 | 5–6 large | Groups with heavy luggage |
| Luxury / black car | Up to 3 | 2–3 large | Corporate, client collection |
| Wheelchair accessible | Up to 4 + chair | 2–3 large | Ramp access, passenger stays seated |
If you are not sure, tell us the passenger count and the bag count when you book and we will pick for you. Getting it wrong at the kerb at 4am is expensive in a way that has nothing to do with money.
Child seats
New York exempts taxis and for-hire vehicles from the child restraint law. Exempt is not the same as safe, and most parents would rather have the seat. Ask when you book — give us the child's age and weight and we will fit a rear-facing seat, forward-facing seat or booster. There is no charge for it, but we do need notice, because the seats live at the base rather than in every car.
Paying
Card or cash, your choice. Every licensed vehicle in New York City is required to accept credit and debit cards, and ours do. For a pre-booked trip you can settle with the driver at the end or arrange payment when you confirm.
Tipping is customary but genuinely optional. Fifteen to twenty per cent is the New York norm and the driver keeps all of it.
Booking
Use the form on this page and it opens WhatsApp with your details filled in — nothing is stored on this website. Or call (888) 652-7136, which is answered 24 hours a day, including holidays.
Tell us the pickup address, the destination, the date and time, how many people and how many bags. If it is an airport run, add the flight number and we will track it.
Get a price for this trip
Send the details and we come back with one number — no meter, no surge.
Where we pick up
We collect from every borough, not just the parts of Manhattan where cabs are easy to find.
Other ways to travel with us
Car service is the pre-booked, fixed-price option. If you need something else, these are the alternatives.
Limo Service NYC
Stretch limousines for weddings, proms and events, charged by the hour.
NYC limo serviceChauffeur Service NYC
A professional driver assigned to you for the hour or the day.
professional chauffeur serviceLuxury & Black Car NYC
Executive sedans and premium SUVs for business travel and airport pickups.
executive sedans and SUVsWheelchair Accessible Taxi
Ramp-equipped vehicles where the passenger stays in their own wheelchair.
wheelchair accessible taxi serviceFlying out? Start at our airport transfer service.
Questions about this service
What is the difference between a car service and a taxi in NYC?
A taxi is hailed on the street or by app and runs on a TLC-set meter, so the final fare depends on traffic. A car service is booked in advance and quoted as a flat price for the route, so traffic is our problem rather than yours. Car services also cannot be legally hailed on the street in New York — they must be pre-arranged, which is exactly why they turn up where and when you asked.
How far in advance should I book?
Two hours is enough for a standard trip inside the city. For an airport run, book the night before — that lets us hold the right vehicle and plan around the morning peak. For a 5am or 6am departure, booking ahead is not optional in practice; street hails are genuinely scarce at that hour outside Midtown.
Is a car service more expensive than a yellow cab?
It depends entirely on the trip. On a short Midtown hop the meter usually wins. On anything long, anything in heavy traffic, or anything at a peak-surcharge hour, a flat rate usually wins — the meter charges you $0.70 for every 60 seconds you sit still. Airport runs and outer-borough trips are where the gap is widest.
Do you charge waiting time if my meeting overruns?
The first 15 minutes of waiting are included on a standard booking, and 60 minutes on an airport pickup where we track your flight. Beyond that we charge in 15-minute blocks at a rate quoted when you book, so you know the number in advance.
Can I book several stops on one trip?
Yes. Put the stops in the notes field or tell us on the phone and we price the whole route as one journey. Multi-stop is usually cheaper than booking separate trips, and it means the same driver stays with you.
What happens if my plans change?
Call or message us. Change or cancel with at least two hours' notice on a city trip and there is no charge. Airport bookings need a little more notice because we are already holding a vehicle against your flight time.