Welcome Pickups review: pre-booked airport transfers

What you get with Welcome Pickups

Welcome Pickups sells pre-booked private rides in two formats:

• Transfers: from an airport, port, train or bus station, hotel or any address, booked on welcomepickups.com or in the traveler app for iOS and Android.
• Sightseeing rides: City Highlights of 1 to 8 hours inside a city, or Day Trips of 4 to 12 hours or more to nearby towns, on a suggested itinerary you can change with the driver.

The help center says all drivers speak English as well as the local language. You get a confirmation email, then an email with the driver's details once one is assigned, and a text when the driver is waiting. The app shows the driver's location shortly before pickup and has a driver/traveler chat. The Travelpayouts listing describes the service as active in 353 destinations with live flight tracking.

Who Welcome Pickups is for

• Arriving travelers who want a prepaid ride waiting instead of a taxi queue.
• Families who can request child seats while booking; each has an extra charge that depends on the destination.
• Travelers needing accessibility: wheelchair-accessible minivans with ramps are potentially available in selected destinations such as Athens, Barcelona, Madrid, Oslo, Dublin, Istanbul and Tampa, depending on season. Mention it in the booking notes.
• Sightseers who want a private driver for a few hours or a day trip.

If you only want the cheapest ride, compare the quote with local options first.

Welcome Pickups pricing and what is included

Welcome Pickups does not publish a single price list: you get a quote after entering destination, route, time, passengers and luggage. For sightseeing rides the help center lists what the price covers:

The driver is not a professional tour guide and does not guide you inside historic sites. Tips are not included in transfer prices either and are optional, in cash.

Payment: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Discover, JCB and Diners cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Cash is not accepted for the initial booking. No promo code is advertised.

Waiting time, changes and cancellations

Free waiting time counts from the pickup time you chose:

• Airport: 60 minutes
• Port, train or bus station: 30 minutes
• Any other location: 20 minutes

Pick a time that leaves room for passport control and baggage claim; extra waiting beyond this may be charged.

Transfers. You can edit a booking in the website or app. If you cancel at least 24 hours before pickup, you choose between a Flex coupon worth 100% of the transfer (valid one year, usable by anyone, in any destination) or a cash refund of 80%, i.e. a 20% cancellation fee; refunds take 3 to 5 business days. Cancel less than 24 hours before and there is no compensation. If a delayed connecting flight makes you miss your declared flight, support can rebook the transfer free of charge with proof from the airline.

Sightseeing rides. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a 100% refund or a 100% coupon valid 12 months. Later cancellations are non-refundable.