Book a licensed Reading taxi in under a minute — fixed fares to Heathrow, live driver tracking, and 24/7 cover from Caversham to the Madejski Stadium.
Reading sits at the sharp end of the Thames Valley — a working town of around 175,000 people that punches well above its weight thanks to a dense tech corridor, one of the busiest railway interchanges outside London, and a football club that draws crowds to the Madejski most Saturdays in the season. All of that generates a lot of taxi journeys, whether it is a Green Park software engineer needing a quick lift to the station, a family heading to Terminal 5 with three suitcases and a pushchair, or a University of Reading student getting back to Whiteknights after a late shift on London Road. CabsOn covers every RG postcode with licensed drivers, transparent fixed-fare pricing on airport work, and a booking flow that takes about a minute from open to confirmed. We know the town — the Oracle riverside drop-off points, the height restriction under Cow Lane bridge, the quickest way out to the M4 J11 or J12 depending on which side of the Kennet you are starting from — and we run 24 hours a day, every day. The rest of this page walks through where we go, what it typically costs, and how to book.
Payment is straightforward with CabsOn in Reading. We accept all major debit and credit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, processed securely through our in-app payment system. Apple Pay and Google Pay work on both web and app bookings, so you can confirm a ride in seconds without reaching for your wallet. Payment is taken online when you book (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay) or billed monthly to a corporate account; we don't take cash. Corporate accounts are available for Reading businesses, ideal for the many tech firms, professional services and pharmaceutical companies clustered around Green Park, Thames Valley Park and Winnersh Triangle. Account holders receive consolidated monthly invoicing with itemised breakdowns, cost-centre coding, named passenger management and a dedicated portal for tracking spend across departments. Setup takes a working day or two, and we can integrate with common expense platforms. Luggage is included in the standard fare — no surprise excess-baggage charges. A saloon comfortably holds two large suitcases plus cabin bags for two passengers, an estate takes three to four large cases, and our MPVs handle six to seven. If you are heading to Heathrow with a family and a full boot of holiday luggage, an eight-seater MPV gives you room for everyone and every case without the squeeze. Golf clubs, prams, foldable wheelchairs, musical instruments and skis all travel free — just flag them at the booking stage so the right vehicle is despatched. Child seats are available for infant, toddler and booster ages, subject to advance notice at booking. We recommend requesting them at least a couple of hours before pickup, and for peak school-run and weekend times a bit more notice helps guarantee availability. There is a small surcharge to cover cleaning and equipment, disclosed clearly in your quote. Rear-facing infant carriers, forward-facing toddler seats and high-back boosters can be combined in the same booking where the vehicle allows. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles form part of our Reading fleet, providing ramp access and secure clamping for both manual and most powered chairs. These are best booked with a few hours' notice due to limited availability at very short notice. The driver will assist with boarding, positioning and disembarking. If you have particular access needs, mention them at booking so we can match you with an experienced WAV driver. Cancellation is free up to fifteen minutes before your scheduled pickup for standard local bookings. Airport transfers and pre-booked long-distance jobs have a slightly longer window — typically an hour before pickup — because dedicated drivers are dispatched further in advance. If a flight is delayed, our system tracks arrivals automatically and adjusts wait time at no charge for the first hour after landing on Heathrow and Gatwick jobs, so you never pay for airline holdups. Every driver is fully licensed by Reading Borough Council or a neighbouring authority under cross-border hire regulations, DBS-checked and insured for hire and reward. Vehicles undergo regular inspection and carry public-liability cover. Drivers know the town — the one-way system around the Oracle, the Cow Lane bridge restriction for tall vehicles, the quickest routes in and out of the RG postcodes — so you spend less time in traffic and more time doing what you actually need to do. Lost property is handled through our support team; if you leave something in a cab, the vehicle is identified from your booking record and the driver checked without you having to remember a plate number. Most items are recovered within a day.
Fixed fares from Reading to the nearest airports, from our live price list — the price you see when you book is the price you pay.
| Airport | Distance | Drive time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Airport | 28.4 miles | about 41 minutes | £70 Saloon |
| Southampton Airport | 47.4 miles | about 1 hr 4 min | £83 Saloon |
| Luton Airport | 57.3 miles | about 1 hr 12 min | £96 Saloon |
Drive times are with clear roads; allow longer at rush hour. Larger vehicles (MPV, people carrier, 8-seater) are priced on the quote page. Airport pickups include 60 minutes' free waiting from landing.
Get an exact quotePickup time auto-adjusts to actual landing. No driver-side panic if your flight runs late.
Counted from when your flight actually lands, with airport parking included. Plenty of buffer for immigration, baggage claim and customs. After that, waiting is £9 per 15 minutes in a saloon.
The airport drop-off fee is included in the quote, not added at the kerb. Same with London congestion charge and ULEZ.
Driver waits at the terminal arrivals exit with a name board. Add it when you book; the price is shown in your quote.
Pay securely by card when you book. Corporate accounts get monthly invoicing with PO numbers and itemised receipts.
£20 per seat, fitted before pickup. Confirm the seat type at booking so we match the right vehicle.
Fares from central Reading to Heathrow typically range from around £70 to £95 depending on terminal, time of day and vehicle size. Airport transfers are quoted as fixed fares at booking, so the price you see is the price you pay — no meter creep in traffic.
Journey time is usually 35 to 50 minutes via the M4, depending on traffic. We monitor live conditions and choose the fastest route — occasionally via the A4 if the motorway is heavily congested. Allow extra buffer during weekday rush hours.
Yes. Pre-book any journey from 30 minutes to several months ahead through the CabsOn app or website. You will receive driver and vehicle details around 15 minutes before pickup, plus a live tracking link so you can see the cab approaching.
Absolutely. We serve every Reading postcode including Caversham, Earley, Woodley, Tilehurst, Whitley, Lower Earley, Winnersh, Emmer Green and Purley on Thames, plus surrounding villages in the Thames Valley.
Yes. All major debit and credit cards are accepted, along with Apple Pay and Google Pay through the app. Payment is taken online when you book (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay) or billed monthly to a corporate account; we don't take cash. Corporate accounts are available for regular business travellers.
Yes. Infant carriers, toddler seats and boosters can be added to any booking with a couple of hours' notice. Child seats are £20 per seat. Just tick the child seat option when booking.
We operate wheelchair-accessible vehicles with ramp access and secure clamping. Please book a few hours in advance where possible so we can dispatch a WAV driver experienced with boarding assistance.
Our system tracks your flight's live arrival time and adjusts the pickup automatically. The first hour of wait time after landing is included free of charge on Heathrow and Gatwick pickups, so airline delays do not cost you extra.