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Frequently Asked Questions
How
are taxi fares calculated?
How should I travel to St Andrews?
Taxi Fares
Taxi fares usually consist of two basic elements - a minimum
charge (the 'flagfall') which applies up to a specified
distance
and a distance related charge thereafter. This flagfall
is determined by Fife Council and changes periodically. Between
10pm and 6am, fares are roughly 25% higher (and this rate
also applies to hirings to and outwith Fife) and there are
additional charges at Christmas and New Year.
Another
major element is 'waiting time' which in Fife is set by
Fife Council Other charges in Fife include 'Toll Bridge
Charges' and 'Soiling Charges'.
The fare structure and rates varies between local authorities
- although the basic flagfall and distance charge are fairly
universal, variations include fixed unsocial hour charges
(unlike the percentage increase in Fife), charges for each
additional passenger and charges for each item of luggage.
A couple of points are worth noting:
- Unless the taxi is stationary, the fare increments depend
on distance only - the driver cannot therefore increase the
fare by travelling more slowly
- The specified fares are maximum charges - the driver can
charge anything below these rates. In practice, drivers
generally charge the set fares on shorter trips while being
more willing to negotiate for longer hires. For example,
at Club Cars our fare to Edinburgh Airport is well below Fife
Council taxi rates.
The above is intended as a rough guide.
Travelling to St Andrews
Your optimal method of travelling to St Andrews will
depend on many factors such as your budget, your own personal
preferences and the amount of people in your party.
Edinburgh is the nearest major airport to St Andrews but lies
almost 50 miles away. Many travellers then choose to
travel to St Andrews by train, but this will involve a bus/taxi
journey to the station and a similar journey from Leuchars
station, which is situated five miles from St Andrews, and
this may be particularly onerous with lots of luggage.
Many travellers therefore choose to travel by taxi from the
airport and indeed this can work out cheaper than the bus/taxi-train-bus/taxi
option for larger parties. Another option is a hire
car from the airport, but this can also work out more expensive
than travelling by taxi, with the length of stay and the need
for a hire car while in St Andrews being factors to consider,
not to mention the difficulty of driving in an unfamiliar
environment.
Similar considerations apply to the other airports, but travelling
from some may entail changing trains en route.
If you have decided to travel as far as possible by rail then
you will then have the choice of bus or taxi for the final
five or so miles to your destination in St Andrews, but please
remember that you may need another bus or taxi on arrival
in St Andrews.
Please visit our airports and railways
page for further information on how we can assist you.
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