Night out in Leicester: getting your group home safely

A night out in Leicester is a great way to celebrate a birthday, a hen or stag do, or simply to catch up with friends. The evening should be about enjoying yourselves, but getting home at the end can be the hardest part of the night. Queues for taxis, surge pricing and groups getting separated are all common problems. Here is how to plan ahead so your whole group gets home safely.

Why the journey home needs planning

Leicester has a lively city centre, with bars, restaurants and clubs that stay busy late into the night. At closing time, hundreds of people are trying to find transport at once. Taxi ranks have long queues and apps can become expensive or unavailable. If you are travelling from Loughborough, Charnwood or a nearby village, the last train or bus may already have gone.

Groups face extra challenges. It is difficult to get eight friends into a standard taxi, and splitting into two or three cars means people are dropped at different times, sometimes without knowing everybody got home.

Book a group vehicle in advance

The simplest solution is to pre-book a private 8 seater. One vehicle carries up to eight passengers, and the fare is shared between the group. You agree the pick-up time and location in advance, or arrange to call when you are ready. Nobody has to wait in a queue or negotiate a price at the end of the night.

You can read more about the service on our night out minibus page. For Leicester journeys, Dan collects you from your home, drops you at your venue and brings you back.

Decide who is coming and where they live

Before the night, work out which friends are travelling and where they need to go home. If everyone lives in the same area, the route is simple. If not, tell your driver the different addresses in advance so he can plan the drop-off order. Extra drop-offs on the route come with an additional charge, so it is worth agreeing the details when you book.

Choose a meeting point

Leicester can be busy at night, and it is easy to lose people. Agree a meeting point near your last venue, and share the driver's phone number with the group. A clear place, such as a well lit street outside a restaurant, is better than a crowded club entrance.

Agree a time, but stay flexible

Some groups prefer a fixed collection time, such as midnight or 1am. Others want to leave when they are ready. Either can work. Tell Dan what you prefer. If you are staying out late, plan a slightly later pick-up rather than rushing. Dan is available seven days a week, day and night.

Look after each other

A few simple habits make a group night out safer:

• Stay together, and leave together.
• Keep your phones charged, and share live locations with a trusted friend.
• Drink water between drinks.
• Do not accept unlicensed lifts from strangers.
• Make sure the last person in the vehicle gets to their door before anyone relaxes.

Special occasions

For a hen or stag night, birthday or leaving party, the transport can be part of the celebration. A shared vehicle means the whole group starts the night together, arrives together and finishes together. For weddings and other big events, see our wedding taxi page for more ideas.

Students and society nights

Loughborough students often head to Leicester for a big night out. A shared 8 seater makes the return journey affordable, and everyone travels back to the same area. Our university student taxi page explains how this works for teams, societies and friendship groups.

What does it cost?

Fares for local journeys depend on your pick-up address and destination. Because the vehicle is shared between up to eight people, the price per person is usually modest. Contact Dan with your details, and he will give you a clear price before you commit. Compare that to the cost of two standard taxis at closing time, and the saving is often obvious.

Avoid the closing time rush

If you know when you are leaving, book the return in advance. That way, the vehicle is waiting rather than you waiting for it. Dan will check the plan with you before the night, so there are no surprises.

Your night out checklist

• Confirm the number of people travelling
• Share pick-up and drop-off addresses
• Agree a meeting point in Leicester
• Save the driver's number in every phone
• Agree a collection time, or plan to call
• Ask about extra drop-offs

Book your night out transport

An enjoyable night out ends with everyone getting home safely. Reserve your 8 seater for Leicester using our booking form or call Dan on 07402 935 712. You can also see our 8 seater taxi Leicester page for more about our coverage in the city.