Let's face it, there are few things more enjoyable than waking up at 4:45am, packing and waiting for a ride to the airport. I think it measures right up there with being doused with ice cold water in the dead of winter or perhaps having your fingernails ripped off one by one. Can you tell I'm not a morning person? Anyhoo, as rough as this ritual is, thanks to the drivers and the convenience and ease of the Addison Lee experience, I arrived at the airport on time and in a good mood. That is amazing considering it was 6am. The driver was super friendly and tried to make conversation even though I was sick, tired and blowing my nose the whole way. (Hot, huh?) It was super simple to reserve the car the night before and they even text you when the car is on its way and then text you again when they are downstairs which I thought was rather nice considering the early hour and my hopes of not waking up my flat mate with a loud phone ring. I will definitely be using Addison Lee again for any scheduled journey. Good stuff! read more

You know the saying 'you get what you pay for'? I think it was coined after an experience with Addison Lee. They're prompt. They're professional. And furthermore, any car service that is savvy enough to have a mobile landing page that is simply devised of two large links - one to their phone number and another to 'book online', is truly as good as it gets. read more

I agree with the previous reviewer. I used to be a very regular customer, but have in the last year phased them out almost completely. They give priority to business customers regardless if the business account is large or small, and treat regular account holders poorly. Cash customers are considered a burden by drivers (they have to pay in more to AL) so don't even bother. I have probably called them a few hundred times to my flat in the last few years, and recently, they can never find the address (despite it being in central London and off a busy road). Extremely late at times with zero apologies -- my last (and possibly final) experience with them was about 45 minutes worth of lies from the driver. The driver is supposed to send off a message to the dispatcher when he arrives at the door so the customer receives an email/sms. I received the SMS, went outside, and alas, no driver. I waited and waited, called and called, and he just kept bullshitting me. Anyhow, I obviously took a taxi after waiting for more than half an hour and didn't make my usual cancellation call. This lying scoundrel had the audacity to blame it on me, like he was waiting outside the whole time (despite us having had about 4 conversations on the phone where he promised he was 4 streets away or whatever). According to a Caucasian driver I spoke with they business is racist and favours white drivers over non-whites. After hearing this I was hesitant to use them again, but I couldn't just go by what one person said -- I confirmed it with another non-white driver who felt management preferred the whiteys. On a plus note, they do have clean cars and most of the drivers are very nice. It's not their fault management are inept. read more

After negative experiences with two other car services, both of which use owner-operators, we asked our London landlord for a recommendation. The answer was Addison Lee, which is a large outfit employing company cars and drivers. As travelers, we liked it that Addison Lee cars are marked, that drivers have AddLee IDs, that we get an email confirming the booking, then a text message when the car is dispatched including the make and model of the car, its registration number, and the driver's cell number. We get another text when the driver arrives. Next time we're in London, we'll open an AddLee account, which will get us reduced fares, but this time we simply registered with the company and paid cash. Booking a car was easy using their smartphone app which is technically clever, user friendly, and gives the fare when you're finished booking. The fare was the fare was the fare. No nonsense. The fares we paid were comparable to fares quoted by independents we polled on the street or in taxi queues. The cars we got were all late model Ford Galaxies, clean, comfortable and smooth-riding. The drivers were professional, courteous and helpful. They arrived a few minutes early and got us to our destinations quickly and safely. We think AddLee should be the first choice for travelers who want a safe, no tricks, reliable car service. read more

After another successful holiday season of running about with Addison Lee's assistance, I just had to weigh in. Always courteous and on time, this taxi and courier service has yet to fail me. And, though I'm not sure they do it anymore, their in-car magazine, AddLee, is one of the free best publications available in Central London. Great content and surprisingly good writing. read more

Imagine you're in London during a tube strike. The buses are jammed and the taxi queue at Paddington is 1200 strong and growing. How ever will you get across town? In comes Addison Lee to the rescue! The driver was prompt and polite. He got me quickly across central London while circumnavigating the chaos and ridiculous traffic caused by the tube strike. What I like most about Addison Lee is that they send you a text msg when they are en route with an estimate of their arrival time and then follow-up with another text when they arrive. Highly recommend this mini-cab service! read more

I used Addison Lee to get our family of four to and from Watford (Harry Potter). Afterward, (and since the service was great) we used them to take us and our luggage to Eurostar in St Pancras. On all three trips we had a prompt and polite driver and on our trip to the train he helped us with our luggage at both ends of the journey. Coming from the US I really liked that reservations and billing were handled on the web with no UK phone required. We received texts with contact information when our driver was on the way and when he arrived. Around London, I prefer to take the tube or black cabs. But for these trips I was very happy with Addison Lee's service. read more

A lottery as to the experience that you will receive. I have had as many good experiences with Addison Lee as I have had bad experiences. Many times, I have had a great experience of having a polite, almost chauffeur-like driver arrive early to collect me, and has waited patiently outside, and taken me courteously to my destination. Many times, I have felt like I got a great deal in comparison to having a black cab for the same journey. However, just as many times, I have had bad experiences, with overpriced bills, drivers with a poor grasp of English getting lost even though they have been relying on their satellite navigation, and then being rude and driving erratically. My last journey cost £22 for a 15 minute trip. Do your homework, and make sure you know how much a black cab journey will cost, with a driver who has trained on London streets for many many years before he was allowed his license versus the lottery that you play with an Addison Lee cab driver. It really does depend on the journey, but I do believe the Addison Lee has a minimum journey price so many times you can be much better off financially with a black cab, not least the convenience of just being able to hail it on the street. Be careful of stealth charges being added to your bill if you are an account payer. This is a difficult decision for me, regarding how many stars to give this company. I truly have had five star service from them for a very reasonable price. However just as many times, I have had one star service that has left me questioning whether I ever want to use them again. Use at your own risk and decide whether they fit into your life. read more

Addison Lee is my default taxi (mini cab) service to think of when I decide to take one (and have the mind to make a booking). I booked them through phone and website for so many times and I found their booking system very reliable. However, I did not find their iphone app very useful yet. Their cars are big and clean and they have very decent and relaxed drivers too. Well, I'm saying that because I usually order big cars that can fit my whole tribe :D and the drivers are flexible and they never complain about anything you suggest (you know what I mean) The only things you need to consider here is, for short trips, and late night rides you might find the black cab cheaper than Addison Lee. but remember that A.L will come right in front of your door while you need to wait for a while to get the black cab. Another thing, during public transport strikes, you need to book your car days before the strike. Otherwise there is no chance to get a car. read more

Have been using them for a few years now and their service is really top notch. Driver is always on time and app works perfectly. You can really rely on them. Prices are definetly reasonable and makes it worth it when crossing london. Its also nice to know that its a fixed fee and the driver isnt going to take you on a ride. Cars are clean and drivers presentable and generally don't talk too much. read more

This review is about Addison Lee as a courier, not a taxi service. tl;dr They were great. What does one do with six 30kg boxes of books that need to get transported across London? Take them on the tube one-by-one? Throw them in the back of a cab? Hire a removals company? Such was my conundrum. "Man and a van," they suggested. "Two hour minimums," I said! And so it was that I discovered Addison Lee. "Can they solve my problem?" I wondered. A quick email was replied to with speed, answering to the affirmative. I booked a pickup for the next morning through the online app, and was guaranteed a price less than the cost of a taxi. The van arrived promptly. In two minutes they were off, and after a short tube ride for me, I met by books at their destination with not a bead of sweat shed. Payment by credit card meant no added fuss, and now I have a beautifully stocked shelf of books for an incredibly modest fee. Thanks be to Addison Lee. read more

Addison Lee is the most reliable courier and taxi service in London. They run an exceptionally professional service and all their vehicles are smart and clean. They run a text system notifying you when your driver is outside. The drivers have an excellent knowledge of London which makes the journey quicker. Due to them being such a good service, on the weekends in peak times, it can be very difficult to get a car. If you feel uncomfortable in any way taking a street cab, wait because Addison Lee is the safest way to get home. read more

We had a horrible experience with Camden Lock Cars and when we needed a car to help with our move, we called Addison Lee. The service they provide, the operator, and the driver were ALL nothing but professional and courteous. The driver was helpful with our bags as well. I cannot recommend them enough! read more

Addison Lee has inspired me to write my first Yelp review. In short, I will not be calling them ever again. Some background: I frequently travel for work and have been spending thousands on Addison Lee. I decided to call them for personal travel for the first time... Traveling from MUC to LHR on a delayed flight, I realized I would miss the last train back to the city so called Addison Lee to get a taxi. They want to know when I'll arrive, I say I'm not sure but around midnight and ask them to please check the flight status. I ask to pay in cash. They say that somebody will be there when I land. Five minutes later, I get a call from an Addison Lee driver waiting at LHR for me. I explain that he should not be there until I land. He says "your flight has landed in London." I assure him that this is, in fact, not the case seeing as I'm quite confident I am still on the aircraft in Munich. After he tries to argue with me, I hang up and call Addison Lee again. This time I make the mistake of booking by credit card. Not five minutes after the second booking, I get another call from a driver telling me he's waiting for me at LHR. I explain, again, that I'm still in Germany. I call back and ask them to cancel the booking. The flight finally departs, and a few hours later I arrive at LHR. As soon as we arrive at the gate, I call Addison Lee a third time and book a taxi (given that there's no uncertainty now as to when I'll arrive). I walk into the arrivals hall and there's an Addison Lee driver holding a paper with my name on it. Excellent. I get in the taxi and we start off. Half-way through the drive, I get a call from another Addison Lee driver saying he's waiting for me at LHR. I explain that I'm already in an Addison Lee taxi with the driver that specified my (full) name when he picked me up. So I call Addison Lee again. Before I get to talk to the operator, my current Addison Lee driver explains that he is the "cash" driver and does not want me to pay on credit. Fine. So long as my card isn't charged, right? The Addison Lee operator confirms that I will not be charged (by card) for the other booking, and that I can just pay cash. So I do. I also make sure I receive a receipt! What do you think I find on my credit card statement? A charge for the full amount from Addison Lee! I call them up, they are rude to me, and insist that I email a complaint to their Card Query department. So I do. One week later I receive an email without any explanation including an attached receipt for a refund of 1/10th of the full amount! I call again. This time, they say that they need to "investigate" to determine what happened. Now, I have to wait another week to see if they will refund the double-charge. TL;DR Addison Lee booking procedures are terrible, they double-charged me, and are making it incredibly difficult to get refunded. I will not travel on them again. UPDATE: Addison Lee has since "investigated" my calls and decided that I had made two bookings, but "as a gesture" they would refund the double-charge. For that, I will bump them up a star. They recommended that in the future I ask them to check if I have any other bookings in the system (why this isn't standard process is beyond me), so perhaps you do the same. Either way, I will certainly not be booking Addison Lee for personal travel (especially not for uncertain pick-up times) any time in the near future. read more

Gone are the days of getting into a dodgy cab and hoping for the best at the end of a great night! Since I discovered Addison Lee a few years ago I could NEVER go back to dodgy drivers (in probably non insured cars) who never seem to know where they're going! Oh the joy of finding Addison Lee- no more waiting outside my front door wondering when the mini cab will arrive ............only to be told that the car has come and gone! Addison Lee will text you the details of the car so there's no danger of getting into the wrong car. I have always found the drivers to be very professional and friendly. read more

I booked a car to take me to a client meeting from my hotel in central London. When I called a few minutes after the scheduled pick up time I was told I had been notified that it was late, but I never received that notification. I was then told that no driver had actually been assigned to the booking. I spent approximately 15 minutes on the phone with the customer service representative - who repeatedly told me there was nothing she could do but finally was able to confirm a car was dispatched. It arrived 30 minutes late. Unless you have time to spare and want to spend time trying to figure out if you will have a ride at all, It's a shame to see how badly the Adlee service has deteriorated over time. I would highly recommend using another car service. I canceled my three other bookings for the rest of my trip and will be finding another alternative. read more

This used to be the best cab courier firm in London by far, expensive but worth it. Now is it just a good mini cab firm and a courier firm that leaves you wishing you went elsewhere. Basically for the cabs they now have this automated service that schedules the cabs, rather than their old controllers that they sackedd. Teh computer tells the cab about the job 20 mins before the job, so as the cab is normally nearby you get them outside your door 18 minutes before they were meant to arrive. As they only get paid for the fares you give them you feel quite pushed to try and get you to come out 15 minutes before you actually booked the cab. Also, once the cab turns up you get a text message, if you have not come out after 2 mins you get a second one. After 5 mins the head office controller calls you. this is all with the mini cab driver sitting 10 metres outside your door. They cannot be bothered to get out of the cab and ring the door because they lazily do this automated system. As you are not looking at your phone as you are getting ready for a cab or if there is a delay in your phone receiving the text then you are made to feel like an idiot. Finally, the motorbikes can be late quite often as they get lost, by this I mean 20 minutes late which is not great for a bike as you order them to get the job done quickly. Also they often lie, once a bike left me at 2pm to deliver a package to an office. I told him that it needed to be there by 4pm and he agreed. Then I get a call saying the office is not answering, of course it is not answering as it is 6:30pm ! They want me to pay to bring the pakage back and then to deliver them again. I am not around to receive it so they say they will keep them overnight. by the way these are very confidential documents and the bike rider has already proven himself a liar. Then to really polish things off, despite being a regular customer for the last 7 years, they say I must pay the bill for going there, coming back as they delivered it late and then going again. Then as I said I would only pay for it to go there, which anyway had cost me time and money because they had been so rubbish. Of course you do not deliver to an office after 6pm when anyway you agree it will be there at 4pm. So they send me to a debt collection company ! I have cancelled my account and am very happily using another firm. their cabs are still okay and I am happy to use them despite their downsides, but the bikes are buyer beware. A shame as they used to be the best of the best read more

This is not only a highly reliable minicab service in London, it is also the leading one. The drivers are evidently all very well trained and the need for consistently good customer service is evident. If you need a car as soon as possible, one can be sent within 15 minutes, and a text will be sent to your phone to tell you that they are on their way, or waiting downstairs. If you're going a fare distance, it actually works out cheaper than taking the usual black cab which is on the meter. In addition to the gratifyingly reliable service, you do feel very safe. read more

They quoted me £75.30 to pick me up from Heathrow. I took the ride and paid them what they told me it would cost. Then 3 days later, they sent me a revised invoice of £85.50... why? Thieves. I have been using Addison Lee for 18 years (since 2004). I also have a corporate card and so do the 200 people in my team but today, I am deleting my personal account, I will never use the corporate account again and I will tell all my employees to use alternatives when booking taxis (after all, my company does not have an exclusive agreement with them. We can use them or use any other taxi companies, up to us). I will also tell my family to stop using Addison Lee ever again. There are many, many, more taxi companies out there, and more honest ones: TotallyDriven, Uber, Lyft, hundreds of mini cabs... farewell to the thieves of Addison Lee. Thieves. I hope it was worth it stealing £10.20 from me, after 18 years of customer loyalty. read more

I am so happy that we have Addison Lee in Central London. It amazes me that we don't have more well run and trust worthy cab services. In fact it alarms me. How exactly are people meant to get home when the buses all go in the opposite direction from your house and the tube is having its nightly snooze? I confess, I have occasionally got into an unlicensed mini cab. It has never been on my own, usually with groups of guys, but it is still a terribly bad idea. If I were travelling by myself, I wouldn't hesitate - I'm calling Addison Lee. Don't get all drunk on them, as in be having such a great time in the club that you keep on texting them 'I will be another 5 minutes!' And fair play, if you are lucky enough to get Addison Lee to come and pick you up, don't keep them waiting. They will always text you to let you know what car is coming, and the driver, and how far away they are from you. If you don't get that then you don't have Addison Lee on the phone. read more

Base fee was $200, which is already pricey for an airport pickup. Driver arrived when the plane landed at 10:15, then they billed me a whopping $60 extra because I didn't meet up with the driver until 11:00 am and I only get 30 minutes of waiting time. I gave them my flight information. My flight was on time. They said they track flights. Any reasonable person wouldn't arrive right when the plane lands for an international flight. You have to take into account baggage claim, customs, and general lineups. If they were smart, they would have arrived at 10:45. Instead, they arrived super early and then charged me even more for "making them wait". Also, the base $200 didn't even include parking at the airport. So they charged me for that too. EDIT: I almost forgot. When we got to the driver, he didn't say "welcome to the UK". He said something like, "wow, you're late." When I tried to engage him in conversation, he was too busy talking on his cell phone to his friend. Which he continued to do while driving. read more

These guys have always been absolutely excellent whenever I've used them. Never once late, always polite and courteous and very reasonably priced. I love the text message updates I get when the driver is on his/her way so I know how much more Simpsons I can watch. The free newspaper on the seat when you get in is a nice touch. The fact that one can book online seals the 5th star on this review. read more

Best cab company I've ever used. There's just something very lovely about their service. You know who's picking you up. You know when they're arriving. The cars are nice. You feel safe. If I'm anywhere near a local cab company, I'll use them, but otherwise they make everything easy. I like the text message they send you to tell you when you car is on its way - you don't have to stand outside in the freezing cold for twenty minutes. Yes, they are slightly more expensive, but it's worth paying an extra couple of quid to get to where you need to be and be safe. I was travelling home after my birthday in a silly pair of sandals last month. It's was pouring with rain but I had to jump out and get some cash. The cab driver made sure he took me to a supermarket so he could drop me off outside the canopy bit - he didn't want me to get me feet wet. Yay Addy Lee! read more

I will admit the driver got me where I needed to be going, otherwise the service and how they operate is very suspect. They charged me two days later for parking, which they don't make any mention of , plus wait time for the driver. Don't waste your time giving them your flight details, as they don't pay any attention to them, for some reason they think you can be picked up within five minutes of landing. Don't use them, I won't be doing so again. read more

Addison Lee is that taxi firm that Londoners fall in love with and have conversations with each other about how much they adore them. You feel like you're in great hands. And if you've got to get your grandma from Brixton to King's Cross and she doesn't normally leave her little village in Devon, then the calm of Addison Lee is your only option. read more

I got good service when I used Addison Lee to move house. After just a day's notice, they sent over a van, which was more than big enough to store everything I needed. And surprisingly, the driver helped us carry our things as well, which was a big plus. All this was for a reasonable price, about 30-40 pounds I recall. As they all use GPS systems, it was a quick ride to my/our new place, where again, he helped us unload the things and carry them to the door. Carrying stuff up the stairs is a paid-for service, so it wasn't surprising that he didn't help us carry it up. Overall, I'd definitely recommend anyone looking for a van/minicab to call them up. read more

Very simple and easy. We needed a ride to the train station so I just looked up taxi services in yelp and Addison Lee popped up. The person who answered the phone and booked the trip was very pleasant. Our driver Michael was amazing. So friendly, the car was luxurious and clean. Michael was punctual, 5-7 minute wait as the phone attendant said. I was very impressed! read more

I don't understand all the negative reviews?!? It is the only car company that I would ever think of using. The prices are confirmed beforehand, so it doesn't matter if there is traffic (unlike black cabs where the meter keeps going even if the car is stationary) and the cars are always clean and executive looking (unlike local minicabs). I have only given it 4 out of 5 because their prices are fixed at something like £13 (this figure could be wrong but it's def over £10) so I think you're over-charged if you take very short journeys, in which case I would opt for a black cab! read more

As mane of us Addison Lee use to be my favourite but after y last experience not only I won't use it again but I'll tell to all of my friends and people I'll come across about my unpleasant experience with Addison Lee. So on the 3rd of Feb 2014 I booked online a cab , so the quote I got online was £36.50 buy the time I reach to the destination, the driver added another £10. I did not like the idea as he didn't mention it to me before hand as a fair person will have done it. So I write a complain to the head office and haven't heard from them at all. I am completely shocked about the down road the organisation is going and not aware of it. Florin , London read more

Ordered 3 transports for 3 airport (arrival to the Sundance film festival, departure from Sundance, and arrival in NY). ALL 3 drivers were late to arrive (needless to say, the plan was for the driver to wait for me at the gate), and took half-an-hour to respond to my calls trying to figure out where they were. No more Addison Lee for my company. read more

If I could give negative stars I would. They cancelled my confirmed reservation at 11 PM the night before a 5 AM pick-up. No phone call or assistance in trying to resolve. I only noticed the cancellation because I had to set my alarm for the night. Absolutely unacceptable and unprofessional organization. I would NEVER take them again and have asked my company to take them off the approved list. read more

Although the pick up service was always on time and they were there for us when we got lost in London in the cold dark night. We had paid for each trip at the time we scheduled it, well after returning home, Addison Lee decided they didn't charge us enough and charged my credit card without my authorization and it really pissed me off. I even reached out to them informing them of how incorrect their calculations were. Be weary!! read more

Addison Lee has charged my credit card for a "taxi waiting time of 10 minutes" one week after my journey, without any notification at the time of the journey. This was not true as it took me less than 5 minutes to reach the taxi once I have been informed it arrived. I complained to Addison Lee and asked for a refund. They didn't bother to reply! I used to be one of their regular customers and thought their reputation would not make such issue possible. OPTIONS NOT TO BE RIPPED OFF BY ADDISON LEE: 1) Choose another taxi company 2) Pay by cash! read more

shocking service . Waited FOR the driver 15 minutes after which we has told me that he can not find me and for me to forget it and informed me that he will not pick me up any more . He told me that i should FIND HIM , what ? I am standing in the main road you couldn't get an easier address than this one,. Speechless really , maybe a little bit of customer service training would be good. They used to be very good , recently their service got bad. Some of the driver have real attitude for no reason , i even feel guilty Stop i really shouldn't as I am the paying customer. Maybe is time to give UBER a go. read more

We needed a taxi to the airport so we asked the hotel front desk for help. They gave us a price that seemed extremely high. I decided to use Yelp and found Addison Lee taxi service. I called and gave them our info. The taxi cab company texted me that they were on their way. The driver arrived 5 minutes early, helped load our luggage and made sure we were all safely seated. We made great time to the airport and the cost was literally half of what the hotel quoted! I would highly recommend this service. read more

Book this at your peril. At this point my car is 45 minutes late and when I contacted the service (after being on hold for ten minutes) I was told that there were "system" issues and that it could not be estimated when a driver would show up or indeed if one would show up at all. And this was all delivered with no apology or even acknowledgment of fault. Terrible terrible service. Avoid at all costs. read more

You people are nuts if you think they are a good service. They charge outrageous prices for service that is barely better than a random street-corner minicab outfit. read more

Clean, yes. On time, yes. Just way too damn expensive. They charge as much as a black cab, but can't use the bus lanes, so will move more slowly in traffic. read more

This service was fantastic about 7 years ago when it was a good and cost effective alternative to a Black cab and cleaner, better quality vehicles than a mini cab . Now they are on drugs with their pricing. Come on London - wake up and stop being taken for a ride! read more

I recently had a driver who began decently in a conversation but then became decidedly xenophobic. Not quite full on racist but it definately made for an uncomfortable ride. I've also had more than one journey where I found myself bracing against the passenger seat. With whistleblowers spilling the beans on working conditions for drivers within the company and the chairman's recent plans to fight for bus lane use alongside his comments regarding cyclists, I intend to never use them again! read more