No, not when the fare is all-inclusive. Private hire cars are not exempt, so the daily Congestion Charge still applies to the car. Tripyana’s fixed fares include the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, tolls and parking, so nothing is added on the day. With any company, check that the written quote says these charges are included.
This guide explains each London road charge a chauffeur journey can meet. It covers what each charge costs, when it applies and who pays it. It also shows how to read a quote so nothing appears after the trip.
What is the London Congestion Charge?
It is a daily charge for driving in central London’s charging zone. TfL lists it at £18 if paid on the day or in advance. Paying by midnight on the third day after travel costs £21.
The charge runs from 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays. On Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays it runs from 12:00 to 18:00. It stops altogether from Christmas Day until the New Year’s Day bank holiday.
It is charged per day, not per entry. A chauffeur day with five stops between the West End and the City is still one charge for the car.
Do chauffeur and private hire cars pay the Congestion Charge?
Yes. TfL states that private hire vehicles are not exempt from the Congestion Charge or the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge. A chauffeur car driving in the zone during charging hours owes the daily charge.
Two groups are exempt. Licensed London taxis are one. Wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles are the other, while they carry out a booking.
Electric cars no longer travel free either. TfL’s 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount has ended. Since 2 January 2026, electric cars on Auto Pay receive 25% off instead.
Who pays the charge: the passenger or the chauffeur company?
That depends on the quote, so read it before you book. An all-inclusive fare carries the charge inside the price. A fare quoted with charges extra adds it afterwards.
Tripyana quotes all-inclusive. Each fare covers fuel, the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, tolls and parking, and it is fixed before you pay. Our chauffeur cars in London carry one rate with these already inside it.
Three questions show whether any quote is complete:
- Is the Congestion Charge included on weekdays and at weekends?
- Is the ULEZ charge included, or does the car already meet the standard?
- Are tolls, parking and airport pickup charges inside the fare?
What is ULEZ, and does a chauffeur car pay it?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone is a separate daily charge for vehicles that miss its emission standards. TfL sets it at £12.50 a day for a car. It runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day.
It covers all London boroughs, up to but not including the M25. The London Datastore dates the London-wide expansion to 29 August 2023.
A car that meets the standard pays nothing. TfL’s minimum is Euro 4 for petrol cars and Euro 6 for diesel cars. As a rough guide, that means petrol cars registered new after 2005 and diesel cars after September 2015.
Which London road charges can a chauffeur journey include?
Most chauffeur days meet one or two of these charges. Longer journeys east of London can meet four.
| Charge | Where it applies | When it applies | Car charge (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congestion Charge | Central London zone | 7am–6pm Monday to Friday; noon–6pm weekends and bank holidays | 18 on the day or before; 21 by the third day after |
| ULEZ | All London boroughs inside the M25 | 24 hours, every day except 25 December | 12.50 per day for a car below the standard; 0 if compliant |
| Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels | River crossings in east London | Peak and off-peak rates | Set by TfL; private hire vehicles are not exempt |
| Dartford Crossing | M25 crossing east of London | 6am to 10pm, every day | 3.50 one-off payment; 2.80 with a pre-pay account |
Airports add their own forecourt fees on top of these. Our guide to London airport drop-off charges lists them for all five London airports.
Is the Congestion Charge included on a Heathrow transfer?
On a Tripyana transfer, yes, whenever the route enters the zone. Heathrow lies far west of the zone, so a run to a hotel in west London may never enter it. A drop in Covent Garden or the City does, during charging hours.
On a fixed fare this makes no difference to you. The route price is set before you travel, and the road charges sit inside it whatever time the flight lands.
A booked pickup also covers the airport’s own fees. Those charges sit inside the route price, so a delayed flight does not add a forecourt bill.
What about the Dartford Crossing and the river tunnels?
Journeys east and south-east of London often use the Dartford Crossing. GOV.UK sets the car charge at £3.50 as a one-off payment. With a pre-pay account it is £2.80. It applies from 6am to 10pm, including weekends and bank holidays.
Payment is due by midnight the day after the crossing. With an all-inclusive chauffeur fare, the company settles it and the passenger never sees it.
The Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels carry their own charge, and TfL confirms it applies to private hire cars. A run from Canary Wharf to Greenwich can use either tunnel.
Do day trips out of London add road charges?
Usually only on the way out and back. The Congestion Charge applies only when the car drives in the central zone during charging hours. ULEZ ends at the edge of Greater London, so it never applies on the open road beyond the M25.
A day trip west to Windsor or Oxford rarely meets a toll. A route across the Thames on the M25, such as north London to Kent, meets the Dartford charge. Both kinds of trip are priced as one fixed figure with us, so the route does not change the total.
How do Christmas and bank holidays change the charges?
The Congestion Charge pauses over the Christmas week. TfL lists no charge from 25 December up to and including the New Year’s Day bank holiday. ULEZ pauses on Christmas Day only.
On the other bank holidays the Congestion Charge follows the shorter weekend hours, from noon. The Dartford Crossing charge still applies on weekends and bank holidays.
How can you avoid surprise charges on a chauffeur booking?
Ask for one all-inclusive figure in writing before you pay. Our guide to chauffeur costs in London explains what moves the price, from the car to the hours booked.
- Book a fixed fare, not a price quoted with charges extra.
- Check that waiting time and parking sit inside the fare.
- Keep the written quote, so the final payment can be matched to it.
On Tripyana’s online booking form, the total appears before payment and does not change on the day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
Tripyana Ltd is a UK-licensed company, licence PHOP950, company no. 16308293.
Frequently asked questions about the Congestion Charge and chauffeur cars
How much is the London Congestion Charge in 2026?
TfL lists it at £18 a day if you pay on the day or in advance. Paying by midnight on the third day after travel costs £21. It applies from 7am to 6pm on weekdays. At weekends and on bank holidays the hours are noon to 6pm.
Are chauffeur cars exempt from the Congestion Charge?
No. TfL confirms that chauffeur and other private hire cars must pay it. The exemptions cover licensed London taxis and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles on a booking. With an all-inclusive chauffeur fare, the company pays the charge rather than the passenger.
Does ULEZ apply at weekends?
Yes. ULEZ runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day, according to TfL. It covers all London boroughs inside the M25. A car that meets the emission standard pays nothing. A car below it pays £12.50 for each day it is driven there.
Do I pay the Congestion Charge on a Tripyana booking?
No. Every Tripyana fare includes the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, tolls and parking, and the total is fixed before you pay. A full day of stops in central London costs the figure on your booking. Time in the zone and the number of entries do not change it.
Is there a Congestion Charge over Christmas?
No. TfL lists no charge from Christmas Day up to and including the New Year’s Day bank holiday. ULEZ is suspended on Christmas Day only. A chauffeur booking that week is priced as usual. An all-inclusive fare already carries any road charges that apply.
Sources
- TfL: Congestion Charge
- TfL: Congestion Charge discounts and exemptions
- TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone
- TfL: ULEZ standards for cars
- London Datastore: London-wide ULEZ expansion 2023
- GOV.UK: Dartford Crossing charges
- GOV.UK: Dartford Crossing, when you pay