How much does a taxi cost per kilometre in Germany?

In the 14 major cities covered here, the per-km rate is between €2.00 and €3.30 — with one exception: in Nuremberg the first kilometre costs €5.10. On top comes a base fare of €4.00 (Frankfurt) to €5.90 (Munich). Many cities use distance bands: the first kilometres cost more, longer distances less, e.g. in Hamburg €2.70 up to 9 km and €2.00 after that. A 10 km trip with 5 minutes of waiting costs roughly €31 to €37 depending on the city, i.e. a little over €3 per kilometre.

How is the taxi fare calculated?

The fare consists of base fare, distance charge and waiting time. The base fare is charged once when the meter starts. While driving, the meter counts distance at the per-km rate; when the taxi stands in traffic, at lights or waits at your request, the waiting rate applies instead. Surcharges, e.g. for a large taxi, come on top. All values are set by the city or district in its taxi tariff ordinance.

Is a taxi more expensive at night or on weekends?

It depends on the city. Most major cities have a single tariff around the clock — a trip costs the same at night and on Sundays as during the day. Leipzig, Dresden and Duisburg, however, have a separate night, Sunday and holiday tariff with higher per-km rates. Over 10 km the difference is between €1.00 (Dresden) and €2.40 (Leipzig). The calculator only shows the night option where the tariff has one.

How much does a large taxi (minivan) cost?

For a large taxi — usually from the fifth passenger or when you explicitly order one — cities charge a flat surcharge per trip. It ranges from €3.00 in Nuremberg (5–6 passengers) through €6.00 in Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund and Duisburg and €8.00 in Hamburg to €10.00 in Munich and Leipzig. The per-km and waiting rates stay the same. Split among five to eight people, a large taxi is almost always cheaper than two regular taxis.

Why does the meter show a different price than the calculator?

The calculator estimates the price for the distance and waiting time you enter. In real traffic, jams, lights, roadworks and detours change the waiting time and the distance driven. The meter also counts up in small steps of 10 or 20 cents, and some surcharges (e.g. airport) only apply in certain cases. The amount on the calibrated taximeter is always binding.

Can I agree a fixed price with a taxi?

For pre-booked trips, section 51(1) of the German Passenger Transport Act allows fixed prices or a price corridor with minimum and maximum prices. Many cities have implemented this, e.g. Berlin (up to 20 % above or 10 % below the meter price), Cologne (±20 %) or Dortmund (±15 %). If you take a taxi from a rank or hail one, you pay the meter price. Within the mandatory service area the tariff may otherwise be neither exceeded nor undercut (section 51(5) with section 39(3) of the Act).

Does luggage cost extra in a taxi?

In most major cities it does not: normal luggage, prams and wheelchairs ride free in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Dortmund and Essen, for example; in Bremen and Düsseldorf any other surcharges are expressly excluded. Surcharges sometimes apply to bicycles (Hamburg €8.00, Munich €7.50), to animals in Duisburg (€2.00) or when bulky luggage requires a large taxi or estate car. The notes for each city in the calculator show the details.

Which major German city has the cheapest taxi fares?

It depends on the distance, because cities weight base, per-km and waiting rates differently. For a typical 10 km trip with 5 minutes of waiting, Dortmund is cheapest at about €30.60, followed by Frankfurt (€31.17). Düsseldorf (€35.58) and Cologne (€36.80) are the most expensive. For short trips of around 5 km Frankfurt leads; at 25 km Dortmund, Hamburg and Berlin come out ahead because long distances get cheaper there. The city comparison in the calculator shows the ranking for your distance.

Do I have to tip in a taxi?

No, tipping is voluntary and not part of the tariff. It is common to round up to the next full euro or to give around 5 to 10 % for good service. The calculator does not include a tip. You can ask for a receipt — important for business trips or your tax return.

Taking a Taxi to the Airport: Costs, Fixed Prices and Fare Corridors | Taxi Fare Calculator

The airport run: long, important, often expensive

For many people the trip to the airport is their only taxi ride of the year — and usually the most expensive one. The distances are long, the departure time is not negotiable, and traffic on the way pushes up the waiting time. That makes it all the more important to know the cost in advance. Three things decide the price: the city's normal tariff, any airport surcharges, and whether a fixed route price exists.

Fixed route prices to the airport and trade fair

Some cities have written fixed prices for particularly frequent routes into their tariff ordinance. They apply regardless of traffic and time of day:

Munich: airport ↔ trade fair €90, airport ↔ central station €96, trade fair ↔ central station €41
Dresden: airport ↔ central station €48, airport ↔ Neustadt station €32, airport ↔ trade fair €45
Düsseldorf: airport ↔ trade fair €25 including the airport surcharge

For all other destinations the normal meter price applies. You can check Munich's €96 fixed price to the central station with the taxi fare calculator: about 38 km without any waiting gives a little over €100 on the meter — so the fixed price is usually cheaper and removes the risk of traffic jams.

Airport surcharges and special tariffs

Among the 14 cities covered, only Düsseldorf charges an explicit airport surcharge: €2.00 for trips to or from the airport. In Berlin, trips from BER airport use their own tariff band at €2.60 per km up to 5 km and €2.00 after that, plus €1.50 if you take the taxi from the airport's waiting area. The background: BER lies outside Berlin in the state of Brandenburg. In Leipzig, trips to Leipzig/Halle airport are not part of the city tariff at all but follow a separate agreement. Ask for the price before departure there.

What an airport trip typically costs

As a guide: a 20 km trip with 10 minutes of waiting costs between about €56 (Dortmund) and €69 (Cologne) under the current tariffs. The exact figure for your route depends heavily on the distance bands. In Hamburg the per-km rate drops to €2.00 from the 9th kilometre, in Berlin to €2.10 from the 7th — which makes a big difference on long airport runs. If you take a large taxi for the whole family, the flat surcharge is added; luggage almost always rides free.

Fixed price when booking: the fare corridor

Since the 2021 reform of the Passenger Transport Act, cities may allow fixed prices or price ranges for pre-booked trips (section 51(1) PBefG). The idea: you know the price before you leave, and the driver bears the risk of traffic. Cities have implemented this differently:

Berlin: up to 20 % above or 10 % below the meter price for the shortest route
Munich: up to 30 % above or 10 % below the meter price
Cologne: 20 % above or below the meter price
Dortmund: ±15 %; Duisburg: ±10 %
Dresden: +20 % / −10 %; Nuremberg: up to 25 % above the meter price, never below
Frankfurt am Main: €2.40 to €4.00 per km without base fare

A fixed price pays off above all at rush hour, when a lot of traffic is expected. On a clear road at night the meter price may be cheaper. So compare the fixed price you are offered with the calculator's result at a low waiting time.

Taxi, train or your own car?

For one person without much luggage, the train to the airport is almost always cheaper. With family, heavy luggage or an early flight before the first train, a lot speaks for the taxi. If you drive yourself, you have to add airport parking to the fuel cost; for a week this can easily exceed the taxi fare for the round trip. Calculate the pure fuel cost for the route with the fuel cost calculator. For an overview of all price components, read the main guide Taxi fares in Germany.

Taking a Taxi to the Airport: Costs, Fixed Prices and Fare Corridors

The airport run: long, important, often expensive

Fixed route prices to the airport and trade fair

Airport surcharges and special tariffs

What an airport trip typically costs

Fixed price when booking: the fare corridor

Taxi, train or your own car?

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