Heading home late but there's no Night Tube on your line or tonight? The Night Tube only runs on some lines, on Fridays and Saturdays, so plenty of late journeys fall outside it — leaving slow night buses or a taxi. This guide covers getting home when there's no Night Tube, and how a fixed-price late-night taxi takes you door-to-door with no surge.
The Night Tube is a great service, but it's limited: only certain lines run it, and only on Friday and Saturday nights. So if you're travelling on another night, on a line without it, or to a destination it doesn't reach, you're back to the normal last-Tube times — typically around midnight to half past. Miss that, or need a line that's not running through the night, and your late-night options narrow to night buses or a taxi.
London's night buses run widely, but they're slow and often need changes.
Only some lines, Fridays and Saturdays — check yours runs and reaches you.
Door-to-door, direct, no waiting — the surest way home late at night.
For the first morning service — rarely appealing.
When there's no Night Tube for your journey, a fixed-price taxi is usually the best way home — direct, door-to-door, no slow night-bus changes or long waits at a bus stop in the cold. Crucially, a pre-booked or agreed fixed fare means no late-night surge, unlike the apps that spike exactly when everyone's heading home at once. For getting home safely and quickly after a late night out, especially for a group who can share, it's the reliable choice.
| From | Saloon | Executive | MPV | 8-Seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Across central London | £81 | £92 | £92 | £104 |
| Inner suburbs | £81 | £92 | £92 | £104 |
| Outer London | £88 | £97 | £99 | £105 |
| Further out | £93 | £104 | £106 | £112 |
Fares vary by your home postcode. No late-night surge. Saloon seats 4, MPV 6, 8-seaters for groups.
The key to a stress-free journey home when the Tube has stopped is knowing your options before you go out, rather than working it out at midnight. First, check whether the Night Tube even applies to your journey: it runs only on certain lines — including the Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly — and only on Friday and Saturday nights, so a Tuesday night out, or a journey on a line without it, means normal last-Tube times apply, typically around midnight. Second, know your last train and Tube times for the specific lines you'll use, as these vary. Third, understand the night bus network as a backup — it's extensive and cheap, running through the small hours, but it's slow and frequently involves changes, which is tiring late at night, especially in bad weather. Fourth, for a reliable, direct alternative, have a fixed-price taxi option ready, ideally the number or booking details of a trusted operator, so you can arrange a door-to-door ride without gambling on app surge pricing when everyone's heading home at once. And fifth, if you're out as a group, consider that an 8-seater taxi split between you is often excellent value and gets everyone home together. A little forethought — knowing whether the Night Tube runs for you, and having a taxi plan as backup — turns getting home from a potential late-night headache into a simple, sorted part of the evening.
A: Only on some lines, on Friday and Saturday nights — other times, normal last-Tube rules apply.
A: A fixed-price taxi gets you home directly, beating slow night buses, with no surge.
A: A pre-booked or agreed fixed fare won't — you know the cost upfront.
A: Yes — an 8-seater keeps the group together and splits the cost.
When there's no Night Tube for your journey, a fixed-price taxi is the reliable way home — direct, door-to-door, with no late-night surge. Faster than the night bus and kinder than waiting for the first train, and great value for a group who can share.
Door-to-door home, no surge — faster than the night bus.
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