The vehicle that carries someone on their final journey is often the first thing people see as a funeral begins, and for many families it sets the tone for everything that follows. Whether you’re drawn to the quiet dignity of a traditional hearse, the grandeur of a horse-drawn carriage, or something that speaks more personally to who the person was, London offers more choice than most families realise.

This guide covers every option available, from the conventional to the deeply personal, to help you make a choice that feels exactly right.

The traditional hearse

The hearse remains the most common choice for funeral transport in London, and for good reason. It is elegant, familiar, and carries a sense of quiet ceremony that many families find deeply appropriate.

Most London funeral directors offer a standard hearse as part of their funeral package. At Exit Here, the standard vehicle is a navy blue Mercedes hearse, a considered alternative to the conventional black that feels purposeful without drawing attention to itself. For families who want something with a little more presence, Jaguar and Daimler hearses are also available.

The hearse leads the cortege, the procession of vehicles travelling together from the funeral home to the venue, and its pace and bearing give the journey a dignity that other forms of transport cannot quite replicate. For families who value tradition, or who simply want the focus to be on the service rather than the transport, a well-chosen hearse is always the right decision.

Funeral cars for the family

Alongside the hearse, most funeral directors offer funeral cars to carry immediate family members. In London, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Daimler limousines are the most common options, providing privacy, comfort, and a sense of being held and looked after on a day that can feel overwhelming.

Travelling together in a funeral car gives close family a moment of transition between the private grief of the morning and the more public gathering at the venue. Many families find this time together in the car unexpectedly meaningful, a quiet space on a demanding day.

How many people fit in a funeral car is a practical question that comes up often. A standard funeral limousine typically seats between four and six passengers comfortably, depending on the vehicle. If you have a larger immediate family, your funeral director will advise on additional cars or alternative arrangements.

Horse-drawn funeral carriages

A horse-drawn funeral carriage is one of the most striking choices available, and it has a long history in British funeral tradition. Before the motor car, horse-drawn hearses were the standard, and the sight of a beautifully appointed carriage moving through London streets at a slow, ceremonial pace retains a power that is hard to match.

Exit Here offers horse-drawn carriages with two, four, or six horses, allowing the scale and grandeur of the procession to be matched to what feels right for the person and the occasion. The horses are typically black, though white horses are sometimes chosen for children's funerals or for families who want a different quality of light in the procession.

A horse-drawn carriage tends to slow the cortege naturally, giving bystanders and the community a moment to pause and acknowledge what is passing. In a city like London, where life moves quickly, there is something genuinely moving about this.

Alternative and personalised funeral vehicles

For families who want the vehicle to say something specific about the person who has died, the range of options has expanded considerably in recent years. Exit Here offers an extensive fleet of alternative funeral vehicles, each of which lends itself to a particular kind of life and personality.

The VW Campervan has become one of the most requested alternative hearses in London. Converted to carry a coffin with care and craft, it suits someone who loved travel, festivals, the outdoors, or simply had an easy, unhurried approach to life. There’s something about the VW's character that brings warmth to even the most difficult day.

The Chevrolet Pickup is a bold, distinctive choice. It suits someone who had a love of Americana, of open roads, of things that are built to last. As a hearse it’s striking without being too showy, and it tends to prompt exactly the kind of knowing recognition from those who knew the person well.

The Cadillac Eureka is a piece of American automotive history. Long, low, and unmistakable, it carries a certain glamour and cinematic weight that makes it a natural choice for someone who had a flair for the dramatic, or who simply loved beautiful things.

The Land Rover hearse has become increasingly sought after since Prince Philip's funeral in 2021, when a specially converted Defender carried his coffin at Windsor. Exit Here offers both Land Rover options, a choice that suits someone who loved the countryside, adventure, or had a connection to the armed forces.

The Rolls Royce hearse represents the pinnacle of understated British luxury. For a family who wants the transport to reflect the very highest standards of care and elegance, there is nothing quite like it.

The Harley Davidson motorcycle hearse is a deeply personal choice for someone who loves riding. A motorbike hearse, also sometimes called a biker hearse, is a sidecar or trike adapted to carry a coffin, and it creates a procession that feels entirely true to the person it honours.

The cycle hearse is the quietest and most intimate option of all. Human-powered and emission-free, it moves at a walking pace and invites the cortege to travel on foot alongside it. For a woodland burial or an eco-friendly funeral, or simply for a family who wants something that feels close and unhurried, the cycle hearse is a genuinely beautiful choice.

Eco-friendly funeral transport

For families planning a green or eco-friendly funeral in London, the transport is worth thinking about as part of the wider picture. A traditional motorised hearse has an environmental footprint, and while it is rarely the most significant factor in a sustainable funeral, there are alternatives worth considering.

The cycle hearse produces no emissions and travels at a human pace. A horse-drawn carriage is carbon neutral. Walking funerals, where the coffin is carried or accompanied on foot through the local community, are another option that several London funeral directors can facilitate.

If a motorised vehicle is preferred, asking your funeral director about lower-emission options is always reasonable. The conversation about sustainable funeral transport is growing, and good funeral directors are increasingly equipped to help families make considered choices.

How to choose the right funeral vehicle

The right vehicle is the one that feels most true to the person who has died. Here are a few questions worth sitting with when making the decision.

What did they love? A vehicle that reflects a genuine passion or a characteristic way of moving through the world will always feel more meaningful than one chosen for convention alone.

What do you want people to feel as the cortege arrives? A traditional hearse invites solemnity and ceremony. An alternative vehicle can invite warmth, recognition, even laughter, which is not always the wrong response at a funeral.

What suits the route and the venue? London's streets vary enormously, and some vehicles suit particular journeys better than others. Your funeral director will know what works where.

What matters to the wider family? The choice of vehicle is visible to everyone who attends, and it is worth making sure that the decision reflects a consensus, or at least that the reasoning behind it is shared openly with those who might feel it differently.

Funeral transport in London with Exit Here

Exit Here operates from three locations across London, in Chelsea, Chiswick, and Crouch End, and offers one of the most extensive fleets of funeral vehicles available in the city. From the navy blue Mercedes hearse to horse-drawn carriages, Rolls Royces, Harley Davidson motorcycle hearses, VW Campervans, Land Rovers, and cycle hearses, every vehicle is maintained to the highest standard and chosen with the same care that guides every part of what we do.

If you are planning a funeral in London and would like to talk through the options, we are here to help. No pressure, no obligation. Just an honest conversation about what might feel right.