Horse Guards Parade · The Mall · London SW1 · June · Morning
Trooping the Colour Transfers – Fixed Price Quote, Book Online 24/7
Nearly every London event we cover happens in the evening. Trooping the Colour is the opposite: a morning ceremony with road closures going in around dawn, crowds gathering along The Mall hours beforehand, and the whole thing finished by early afternoon.
Is roughly when the closures start going in around Whitehall, St James's and The Mall. By mid-morning there is no vehicle access to any of it and the good viewing spots along the route have been taken for some time.
How the morning runs
Timings vary year to year, so check the official schedule. The shape stays the same.
Around dawn
Whitehall, The Mall and St James's shut progressively through the morning.
Hours before
Free viewing along The Mall fills a long time in advance.
Balloted
Seats on Horse Guards Parade are allocated by ballot well in advance.
Early afternoon
Which is when a great many people leave, all at once.
Kent to Westminster
An early Saturday morning, which is one of the quietest times to drive into London.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Early morning journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 13 miles | 35–55 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 13 miles | 35–55 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 19 miles | 40–65 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 25 miles | 45–70 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 25 miles | 50–75 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 34 miles | 55–85 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 35 miles | 60–90 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 58 miles | 85–115 min |
A realistic morning
Built around free viewing along The Mall rather than ticketed seating.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 05:30–06:30 | Leave Kent. The roads are empty, which is the one advantage |
| 07:00–07:30 | Drop outside the closure area. Walk in and find a spot |
| 07:30–10:00 | Waiting, and it is a long wait. Bring something to sit on |
| Mid morning | The ceremony, along The Mall and at Horse Guards |
| Early afternoon | Flypast, and then everyone leaves at once |
| Then | A walk out and a collection at an agreed point |
Planning the morning
The early start is the whole thing
Leaving Kent at half five feels absurd until you understand that the closures go in around dawn and the free viewing spots along The Mall fill hours before anything happens. The compensation is that the drive in is the easiest London journey we ever make, because nobody else is on the road at six in the morning on a Saturday.
Bring something to sit on and something to eat
There is a long wait between securing a spot and anything happening, standing on a pavement in June. A folding stool or a mat, water and something to eat make a substantial difference to how the morning feels, and there is nowhere convenient to buy any of it once you are in place.
The ballot is for seats, the street is free
Seating on Horse Guards Parade is allocated by ballot a long way in advance. Watching from The Mall costs nothing and is how most people see it, and it is a perfectly good view of the procession if you arrive early enough. Tell us which you have and we will set the drop-off accordingly.
Everyone leaves after the flypast
Which is the one crowd surge of the day, and it happens in the early afternoon rather than at midnight. We collect at an agreed point outside the closures, and the walk out is fifteen to twenty-five minutes through a large slow crowd, which is considerably more pleasant in daylight than the equivalent at New Year.
Trooping the Colour questions
A morning event, for once.
What time do we need to leave Kent?
Between half five and half six in the morning. Closures go in around dawn and the free viewing spots along The Mall fill hours before the ceremony.
Is the drive in difficult?
No, it is the easiest London journey we make. At six on a Saturday morning the roads are effectively empty, which is the one advantage of the early start.
Do we need tickets?
Seating on Horse Guards Parade is allocated by ballot well in advance. Watching from The Mall is free and is how most people see it.
How long is the wait?
Several hours between finding a spot and the ceremony. Bring something to sit on, water and something to eat, because there is nowhere convenient to buy them.
When does it finish?
Early afternoon, after the flypast, which is when everyone leaves at once. We collect at an agreed point outside the closures.
How far will we walk?
Fifteen to twenty-five minutes at each end, through a crowd. Considerably more pleasant in June daylight than at other big London events.
Are the timings the same every year?
The shape is, and the exact times vary. Check the official schedule for the year and tell us, and we will plan backwards from it.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking including the waiting.
Ceremonial London
The state occasions.
Travel guides
London closure days and shutdown dates
Vehicles and drivers
Choose a saloon for up to four passengers, an executive car for business travel, an MPV for families and luggage, or a minibus for groups of up to 16. Every driver is TfL-licensed and DBS-checked, and every vehicle is insured for private hire.
Frequently asked questions
Is the price for Trooping the Colour Transfers fixed?
Yes. Every Rushxo journey is a fixed price agreed before you travel, whatever the traffic or time of day: no meter, no surge pricing, no hidden extras.
How do I book Trooping the Colour Transfers?
Request a quote online, by WhatsApp or by phone, 24 hours a day. Confirm the pick-up time and address and you receive the driver details before the journey; business accounts can book on monthly invoice.
Is Rushxo a licensed operator?
Yes. Rushxo journeys are operated by Get London Transfer Ltd, a TfL-licensed private hire operator (licence 11588). Rushxo Ltd is registered at Companies House (16464640), with DBS-checked drivers and insurance up to £10m.
Looking for Trooping the Colour taxi, London to Trooping the Colour taxi or taxi from London to Trooping the Colour? Rushxo covers it with a pre-booked, fixed-fare car, live flight and train tracking, and 24/7 availability.
Trooping The Colour: events, venues, airports & the wider network
Rushxo runs fixed-price transfers from Trooping The Colour to events and venues, every major airport and cruise terminal, and towns and cities right across London and the South East. Every journey is a fixed price agreed before you book.
Event & venue transfers
O2 Arena · Wembley Stadium · Twickenham Stadium · Emirates Stadium · Ascot Racecourse · Epsom Derby · Download Festival · Brands Hatch
Airports & cruise terminals
Gatwick Airport · Heathrow Airport · Stansted Airport · Luton Airport · London City Airport · Southend Airport · Cruise transfers
Popular towns & cities
London · Brighton · Canterbury · Chelmsford · Cambridge · Oxford · Guildford
Explore the network
Airport transfers Business · Events & venues · Event airport transfers