Seven-seater taxis: what one is like inside and when it pays off

A seven-seater taxi is a larger official taxi, usually an MPV or a van adapted for passengers, licensed by Madrid City Council like any other taxi. It has three rows of seats: the driver and one passenger in front, and the other passengers in the second and third rows. Its great advantage is that a large group travels together, in a single vehicle and with a single payment.

Three rows of seats

The second row is the easiest to get in and out of, and the third, at the back, is reached by folding or sliding one of the second-row seats. That is why it is worth thinking about who sits where before getting in: we look at this below.

The boot changes with how many of you there are

This is the detail that surprises people most. In many MPVs, when the third row is occupied, the luggage space behind it shrinks. With five passengers there is usually room to spare for suitcases; with every seat taken, the luggage has to be more limited. That is why, when booking, it is so important to say how many of you there are and how many suitcases you are carrying: that way it can be confirmed that everything fits.

Identified like any other taxi

On the outside it carries the markings of a Madrid taxi: white paintwork, the red stripe on the front doors, the roof light and the licence number. It is not a minibus or a private-hire vehicle: it is a taxi.

• Elderly people or those with reduced mobility are best in the second row or in front, where access is easier.
• Teenagers and agile adults go in the third row.
• Children in child seats go in the position that allows the seat to be fitted properly; ask for child seats when booking and give the children's ages.
• Hand luggage goes at your feet or on your lap only if it is small; suitcases always go in the boot.
• Whatever you will need on arrival (documents, phone, coats) stays with you, not at the back of the boot.

If you are not sure whether you really need this vehicle, there is a table to help you decide in when you need a 7-seater taxi. And if it is the suitcases you are worried about, have a look at luggage in taxis.

In most cases, yes. As well as the convenience of travelling together, you avoid paying for two full journeys. To be sure, enter your number of passengers in the booking form, which shows the price before you confirm, and compare it with twice the fare for your area on the airport taxi booking page. Sharing a vehicle is, in general, one of the best ways to save, as we explain in saving money by sharing a taxi.

There is also an environmental argument: one vehicle instead of two means one journey fewer and lower emissions for the same number of people.

Families with children and lots of luggage, groups of friends flying together on holiday or to a stag or hen do, work teams heading to a trade fair and travellers with sports equipment. If you do not all fit in one vehicle or the group arrives on different flights, we explain how to organise it in group taxi van to the airport. And to book, go to our 7-seater radio taxi in Madrid service, available 24 hours a day to or from any Barajas terminal.