Christmas Eve in London: everything stops early, and the last train is earlier than you think
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Christmas Eve is the day London's transport winds down for its annual shutdown. Trains finish early, the Tube shuts before midnight, there is no Night Tube and the night buses stop too. If you are landing late, finishing a shift, leaving midnight mass or simply crossing town after dinner, a pre-booked fixed-fare car is the plan that does not depend on a timetable.
The 24 December timetable: early finishes, no Night Tube, no night buses
On Christmas Eve, Transport for London runs a normal daytime service that ends early: last Tube trains leave central London at around 23:00 (earlier on some branches), and there is no Night Tube and no night bus network into Christmas Day. National Rail operators wind down through the evening, with many last departures from the London terminals before 22:00 and some lines finishing in the early evening. The Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express also stop early.
From those last departures until the first Boxing Day services on the morning of 26 December, London has no public transport whatsoever. The Christmas Day page explains what that means.
Last services from the London terminals (table, updated in December)
| Terminal | Serves | Typical last departure on 24 Dec* | Christmas Eve notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line west, GWR to Reading, Bath, Bristol | Early evening for HEx; GWR mid-evening | Paddington has been closed for works in recent Christmas periods |
| Euston | Avanti, LNWR, Overground | Mid-evening | Watch for Euston engineering closures |
| King's Cross / St Pancras | LNER, Thameslink, EMR to Luton, Eurostar | Mid-evening; Thameslink later | Luton DART finishes early |
| Liverpool Street | Stansted Express, Greater Anglia | Stansted Express early evening | Last Stansted Express well before last flights land |
| Victoria | Gatwick Express, Southern, Southeastern | Early to mid-evening | Gatwick Express reduced |
| Waterloo | SWR to Surrey, Hampshire, Southampton | Mid-evening | — |
| London Bridge | Thameslink, Southern, Southeastern | Mid-evening | — |
*Indicative, based on recent Christmas Eve timetables. Operators publish exact 24 December times in early December and we will replace this table with them.
Late Christmas Eve flights: arrivals after 8pm
Plenty of flights land after 20:00 on Christmas Eve — transatlantic evening arrivals at Heathrow, the last European waves at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton — and they land into an airport whose rail link has already closed for the night. Passengers who did not pre-book join a long taxi-rank queue at the highest tariff of the year. We meet you in arrivals with a name board and take you straight home or to the hotel; the fare was fixed when you booked. See the Christmas Day airport transfer page for the airport-specific detail.
Midnight mass, family dinners, staff finishing late
Midnight mass and carol services
Westminster Cathedral, St Paul's, Brompton Oratory and parish churches across London finish between midnight and 01:00 — after the last Tube. Book the return leg and the driver will be outside.
Family dinners
A return booking across town or out to the Home Counties, both legs at a fixed price, so the evening can end when it ends.
Hospitality staff finishing late
Restaurants and hotels: block-book end-of-shift cars for your team on 24 December at a fixed rate per journey. See corporate and staff transport.
Fixed fares, no Christmas surcharge
Our Christmas Eve fares are the same fixed fares we quote all year: from £85 Heathrow to the West End in a saloon, from £146 for Gatwick, and cross-London journeys quoted instantly by postcode. We do not add a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day surcharge to a confirmed booking — the price on your confirmation is final.
| Airport ⇄ central London on 24 Dec | Saloon (1–4, 2 cases) | MPV (up to 6) | V Class (up to 7) | Road time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | from £110 | from £100 | from £145 | 40–75 min | Book this |
| Gatwick | from £123 | from £138 | from £183 | 60–90 min | Book this |
| Stansted | from £124 | from £139 | from £184 | 60–90 min | Book this |
| Luton | from £113 | from £128 | from £173 | 55–90 min | Book this |
| London City | from £85 | from £100 | from £145 | 20–45 min | Book this |
| Southend | fixed quote | fixed quote | fixed quote | 75–105 min | Book this |
From-prices as published on our airport pages. Your exact fare is fixed when you book — the price on the confirmation is the price you pay, whatever the traffic or the date. Postcode zone charges may apply for City, Bloomsbury and King's Cross addresses.
Book by 20 December
Late Christmas Eve is one of our busiest windows, and drivers who work into the early hours of Christmas Day are a finite group. Book by 20 December.
- Quote and book online at any hour — the fare is fixed at the moment you confirm.
- Driver details (name, vehicle, registration, direct mobile) arrive the day before.
- Flight tracking on every airport pickup: if your flight is early or late, the pickup moves with it at no charge, with 60 minutes' free waiting after landing.
- Pay by card when you book. No cash, no meter, no surge.
Frequently asked questions
- What time is the last Tube on Christmas Eve?
- Around 23:00 from central London, earlier on outer branches. There is no Night Tube on 24 December and no service at all on 25 December.
- Is there a Heathrow Express on Christmas Eve?
- Yes, but on a reduced timetable finishing in the early evening. If you land after that, road is the only option.
- Are night buses running on Christmas Eve?
- No. The night bus network does not run into Christmas Day.
- Do you charge more on Christmas Eve?
- No. The fixed fare you are quoted when you book is the fare, with no Christmas surcharge.
- How far ahead should I book?
- For 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January we allocate a fixed number of vehicles and drivers, and once they are gone we cannot add more. Book by 20 December for Christmas and by 15 December for New Year's Eve to be safe; we will always try to help later than that, but cannot guarantee it.
- Can I book by phone or WhatsApp?
- Yes — call +44 20 8888 9988 or use the contact page. Online booking gives you an instant fixed fare and is the quickest route on busy days.
Essentials for international visitors
Flying in from abroad? The six things that catch people out, in one place. Full detail, with official links, in our UK visitor essentials guide.
Entry
Most visitors from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia need a UK ETA (£20, apply in the UK ETA app, valid two years) — airlines have enforced it since 25 February 2026. eGates from age 8 for EU, US, Canadian, Australian and most other visa-free passports. More ›
Money
Pounds sterling; cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, contactless taps up to £100. Choose to pay in pounds when a terminal offers your home currency. Prices include VAT and there is no tourist tax refund. More ›
Phone
Free Wi-Fi at all London airports; UK SIMs and eSIMs from £75 in every arrivals hall; EU roaming depends on your operator. WhatsApp +44 20 8888 9988 works from any country. More ›
Christmas & New Year
Bank holidays on 25 and 28 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. No public transport at all on Christmas Day, reduced service and engineering works on Boxing Day; shops shut on 25 December. Pre-booked cars run every day at the fixed fare. More ›
Children & luggage
Child seats on request when you book. In a licensed private hire car children may travel without one if none is available (under-3s on the rear seat). Tell us the bag count and the right size of car turns up. More ›
Emergencies
999 or 112 for police, fire or ambulance; NHS 111 for urgent advice; A&E is free at the point of use, but bring travel insurance. Plugs are Type G, 230 V; traffic drives on the left — look right. More ›
Book your fixed-fare car
Price confirmed at booking, driver details the day before, flight tracked where relevant. Pay by card online — nothing to settle in the car.
