7, 8 and 11 seat vehicles · both airports
Maxi taxi Sydney: 7 to 11 seat hire vehicles
A vehicle that takes the whole group and the whole pile of luggage in one trip: a hire vehicle with a driver, not a taxi, booked in advance with the fare fixed before you pay. One way from Inner West to Sydney Airport, GST included, a sedan is from $88, a 7-seat people mover from $108 and an 11-seat maxi van from $143.
Is a maxi cab the same as a maxi taxi — and which are you?
In everyday use, “maxi taxi” and “maxi cab” mean the same thing: a van that seats roughly seven to eleven passengers and carries their luggage in one trip, instead of splitting a group across several cars. That size of vehicle is what most people are searching for. We provide it as a pre-booked hire vehicle with a driver, not as a taxi.
The legal distinction is worth knowing, because operators are not all the same thing. In NSW, a taxi is licensed to be hailed in the street or taken from a rank, and can charge a metered fare for that work. A hire vehicle is booked in advance, with the fare agreed before the trip begins. Both are regulated under the Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016, and both are booked through an authorised booking service provider.
We operate booked hire vehicles, not taxis. In practice that means there is no rank and no hail, and no meter running while you sit in traffic. You request a fare ahead of time and see it straight away, we call you back to confirm the vehicle against the passengers and luggage you told us about, and the trip is booked once the secure payment link we send is paid. If you want a van you can wave down outside a pub at midnight, that is a taxi and we are not it. If you want an eleven-seater booked for 4.30am with the price already settled, that is exactly what this is.
Our authorisation, accreditation and insurance position is set out in full on the safety and compliance page — including what is confirmed and what is still pending before launch.
What is a maxi taxi in Sydney? #
In NSW a maxi taxi is a larger taxi: like any taxi it can be hailed or taken from a rank, and it can charge by the meter. People also say “maxi taxi” or “maxi cab” for any pre-booked van seating about seven to eleven passengers with luggage. Ours are booked hire vehicles with drivers, not taxis, and the fare is fixed before you travel.
The reason the category exists is arithmetic rather than luxury. A sedan takes four people and two large suitcases. A family of five with five bags is already over that, and a group of nine is three cars, three fares and three arrival times at the terminal. One larger vehicle solves a problem that splitting the group does not.
How many passengers fit in a maxi taxi? #
In the vehicles we provide, seven, eight or eleven. The seven-seat people mover carries four large bags, the eight-seat version the same, and the eleven-seat maxi van carries up to ten large bags — which is the figure that matters for an airport run rather than the seat count alone.
Capacity is not simply seats. Child seats occupy a passenger seat each, oversized items like golf bags and surfboards consume large-bag space, and a pram takes room that suitcases would otherwise use. Our maxi cab Sydney page works through what fits in each vehicle, and the booking tool counts all of it when it sizes yours.
How do I book a maxi taxi in Sydney? #
With us you book ahead rather than hailing one, because what we provide is a hire vehicle, not a taxi. Enter your pickup address, the airport and the time, tell us the passengers and luggage, and the fixed fare appears straight away. Leave your name, mobile and email and pay nothing yet: we call you back to confirm the vehicle and the fare, then send a secure payment link, and the trip is booked once that link is paid.
For airport pickups the booking carries your flight number, so the driver's timing follows the actual landing rather than the printed schedule. That is the part that cannot be replicated by flagging a vehicle down: somebody has to be watching the flight before you land.
How much does a maxi taxi cost in Sydney? #
Our 7 to 11 seat hire vehicles are quoted at a fixed fare, not a meter. One way from Inner West to Sydney Airport, GST included, a sedan is from $88, a 7-seat people mover from $108 and an 11-seat maxi van from $143. Every vehicle shares one per-kilometre rate, so the maxi van costs $55 more than a sedan on any trip.
The fare is built from a base rate for the vehicle, the distance, the typical tolls for the corridor, the NSW passenger service levy and any extras such as child seats, and trips from 10pm to 5.59am carry a late-night surcharge, shown in the fare you are quoted. Traffic is our problem rather than yours: a slow run on the M4 costs you nothing extra, because the number was agreed before the wheels turned. Every area page publishes its own fares by vehicle.
Can a maxi taxi carry child seats? #
Ours can: child seats are fitted in every 7 to 11 seat vehicle we provide, and those are pre-booked hire vehicles rather than taxis. NSW law requires an approved child restraint for every child under seven, matched to their age and size, and we fit them before we reach your door rather than handing one over at the kerb. Choose rear-facing, forward-facing or booster seats when you request your fare.
Declare the children's ages at booking rather than on the night. Each seat takes a passenger seat, so a group of seven with two toddlers is a different vehicle from a group of seven adults, and that is a decision the booking tool needs to make before the driver is dispatched.
When is a maxi taxi the wrong choice? #
When there are one or two of you travelling light from somewhere well served by rail, the train is usually cheaper and often quicker — and we would rather say so than take the booking and have you work it out afterwards.
The point where a booked vehicle starts to win is a combination of group size, luggage and hour. The Sydney Airport station access fee is charged per person and sits outside the Opal cap, so a family of four pays it four times each way. Add suitcases and a 5am departure and the comparison stops being close. Our comparison page shows the whole picture, including the options that are not ours.
Capacity, published
How many passengers and bags fit in each vehicle
The numbers below are the same ones the booking tool uses to size your vehicle — not a brochure version of them.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Large bags | Carry-on | Prams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan Toyota Camry or similar | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| People Mover Kia Carnival or similar 6 passengers when carrying 6+ large bags | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| People Mover XL Hyundai Staria or similar | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Maxi Van Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 11 seats | 11 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Luxury Van Premium people mover | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
Not sure which size you need? Enter your passengers, suitcases and any child seats and we'll recommend the smallest vehicle that genuinely fits — golf bags, surfboards and prams included. Child seats take a passenger seat, so the tool counts them properly rather than leaving it to you.
Size my vehicleWhy book with us
Booking a 7 to 11 seat vehicle with us
- The fare is fixed before you pay Shown in full before you leave your details, with typical tolls, the passenger service levy and GST inside the number. We confirm it with you on the call, and once you've paid, it does not move. No meter, no surge, no toll added afterwards.
- We track the flight, not the clock Your booking carries the flight number. If you land early or late, the pickup time moves with it — you are not paying for a driver who left on the scheduled time.
- Up to 11 in one vehicle Seven, eight and eleven-seat vehicles, quoted with the luggage you actually have. A group of nine is one booking and one fare, not three cars meeting at the terminal.
- Child seats fitted before we arrive NSW law requires an approved restraint for every child under seven. Choose rear-facing, forward-facing or booster at booking and it is installed before your pickup.
- Confirmed by a person, paid by link No payment is taken on this website. We call you back to confirm the vehicle and the fare, then send a secure payment link, and your trip is booked once it's paid. To change or cancel, reply to our call or email bookings@wsitransfers.com.au.
- Early and late trips, both airports Pre-dawn departures and late-night arrivals can be requested; trips from 10pm to 5.59am carry a 20% late-night surcharge, shown in your fare. Sydney Airport has an 11pm to 6am curfew, and Western Sydney International has none.
Booked hire vehicles with drivers, not taxis. What NSW requires of a booking service, its drivers and its vehicles is set out on our safety and compliance page.
FAQ · maxi taxi Sydney
Maxi taxi questions
What is the difference between a maxi taxi and a maxi cab?
Nothing, in everyday use — both describe a van seating about seven to eleven passengers with luggage space. The legal difference is between taxis, which are licensed for rank and hail work with a meter, and hire vehicles, which are booked in advance for a fare agreed up front. We operate booked hire vehicles, not taxis.
How many people can a maxi taxi carry in Sydney?
Up to eleven in our largest pre-booked vehicle, the 11-seat maxi van, which is a hire vehicle rather than a taxi; the seven and eight-seat people movers suit smaller groups. Child seats take a passenger seat and oversized items consume bag space, and our maxi cab Sydney page sets out exactly what fits in each.
Can I book a maxi taxi for 4am?
You can book a pre-booked 7 to 11 seat hire vehicle, not a taxi, for a 4am pickup, and trips from 10pm to 5.59am carry a late-night surcharge, shown in the fare you are quoted. Sydney Airport's curfew lifts at 6am, so early flights need a pre-dawn pickup, and Western Sydney International has no curfew. We work the pickup time out from the flight and confirm it when we call you back.
Do you charge extra for luggage?
No. Luggage determines which vehicle you need rather than adding a surcharge — the fare follows the vehicle class. Declare oversized items such as golf bags, surfboards or a boxed bike at booking, because each one consumes large-bag space and can change which vehicle actually fits.
Is a maxi taxi wheelchair accessible?
Ours are not: none of our pre-booked 7 to 11 seat hire vehicles has a ramp or a hoist. A folding wheelchair or walker can be stowed and takes large-bag space, and wheelchair assistance is available as a booking extra. A powered or non-folding chair cannot be carried in any vehicle we currently run, so look for a vehicle with a ramp or a hoist instead.
Which suburbs do you cover?
Fourteen areas across Greater Sydney, from Penrith and Campbelltown through to the Eastern Suburbs and Northern Beaches, for both airports. Each area has its own page with distances, typical drive times and indicative fares by vehicle.
Where to next
7 to 11 seats, Sydney-wide
Get a fixed fare for your group
Tell us the passengers, the bags and the flight. The fixed fare appears straight away and you pay nothing yet: we call you back to confirm the vehicle, then send a secure payment link.
Get a fixed fare