- taxis
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This tip can be used for any airport. When you arrive find the price of the taxi at the departure hall. Then go to the arrivals hall and grab a taxi that is setting down but not allowed to pick up and you will get the best deal possible on the taxi fare.
If it's daytime, and you are travelling within the medina or the New Town, insist the meter (le compteur) is on. It starts at about 1 dirham 60. If they say it's broken, tell them to stop and get out. There are lots of other taxis.
The only ones you negotiate with are the Grand taxis. Petit taxis only take three people. Taxis can be difficult to get during rush hours, 8 - 9.30, 12 - 2 (that’s when they change over drivers too) and 5 - 6.30.
At night, they charge 50% more. Rides in the medina are generally about six dirhams, from the New Town to the medina generally about ten dirhams.
Make sure you have small change.
Getting a taxi from the medina to the airport on the meter is about 25 dirhams, but getting one from the airport to the medina is negotiable. Published tarif is about 60 dirhams, but you may have to pay 100, depending on number of people and amount of luggage and time of day.
After that, how much you tip is up to you.
A mobile phone (adequately topped up if pay as you go) is a vital piece of kit for the independent traveller in Jamaica. Signals in even the remotest of places ease co-ordinating taxi journey plans. JUTA Taxis are a quite safe and very reliable mode of travelling, they might seem a bit on the expensive side and journeys on the poor road infrastructure are slow but at least you are contributing directly to the local economy. A journey from Kingston to Forrespark Lodge in Mavis Bank for instance cost about £80 in Feb 2006, and took 2 and a half hours to travel 60 miles, but worth it. Forrespark Lodge is situated on a coffee plantaion with wonderful valley and Blue Mountain views, perfect for sunrises and sunsets. Exotic flora and fauna are a delight and on an early morning bird watching walk you will espy many species. Bring your own G&T for there is no bar, but the verandah is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before dinner and observe the tiny Doctor Bird with its' long tail feathers, hover at the sugared water feeder. At dinner, which is al fresco, you may be joined by the large Jamaican Owl, who will sit on the tree branch above your table and hiss. A short stroll along the road is the JABLUM coffee factory where local growers bring their beans for processing. The guided tour is casual but very interesting. Every bean is graded by hand! A calm and picturesque corner of the island well worthwhile at least a two-night stay.
The yellow taxi service is excellent in Rio. I have never had a problem with a dishonest driver. You pay only what is on the meter - no tipping is expected (although you can round up to the next real).
If you need a taxi to the airport you can schedule one with Libertaxi (registered clients get a discount of 20% off on fares over 15 reais). If you meet a driver you particularly like you can negotiate with him for a rate for a full day of driving around the city, or even up to Petropolis (the former summer capital) and back.
Rua Cirne Maia, 100 Cachambi
Tel: 2105 0500
www.libertaxi.com.br
You will almost certainly be ripped off and/or not taken to where you want to be taken (especially if returning to a decent hotel) by the charmless and unpleasant local drivers.
They are everywhere
I am British but live in Budapest, and recommend great care with taxi rip-offs. Even meters are often doctored so you can't rely on them. City Taxis (see other tips in this section) are fine, and used by many embassies – they have English speaking phone operators.
Tel: 2-111 111
My wife and I used them from the airport to our hotel in Prague and it was brilliant. The drivers are all English speakers, mostly expats, and they give you lots of information about the city on the way to your hotel as well as bar/restaurant tips and local scams, the price was the same as the airport taxis, about £15.
You will get ripped off.
Taxis that you hail from the street are dangerous, particularly around tourist areas. They spot tourists and then fleece you at the nearest cash point. Always call a radio taxi service - there are loads of them. And always insist on air conditioning - you'll need it!
I used Alo Taxi - very reliable. Tel: 4855 0455
There are thousands and thousands of taxis in Buenos Aires. They are very, very cheap, reliable and safe. During our three week stay we occasionally took the metro and the bus (el collectivo), both of which were cheap and efficient but the taxis were in a class of their own. Not once were we taken out of our way and the drivers (always happy to chat) invariably used their meters.
It was completely unnecessary to negotiate a price in advance, and quite the opposite of what we'd been led to believe. We were told never to hail them off the street, but we always did. I have never felt safer than I did in Buenos Aires.
We arrived at Easter to find all hotels in the central area full so we stayed a little out of the city. One night the taxi driver wanted five times the normal amount of money for the fare. After arguing with him, my husband went into the hotel to get the owner to come out and talk to the driver. When he exited the taxi the taxi driver then drove off at high speed with me in the back and central locked all the doors. After I promised him I would pay the amount he requested he stopped the taxi and let me out. I would not trust any of the taxi drivers there.
A reliable taxi service. Rare in Budapest. English speaking operators too. Do not take the taxis from the rank outside the terminal, but call the number. You will be given a car number and you should look for this number - in the City Taxi crest (See the website) on the car - the car will be there in less than 5 minutes. If there are two or more of you, it's cheaper, and faster, than the Airport Minibus service. No, I'm not on commission! On request, they'll send an estate if you have lots of baggage.
Call 2111 111 or see www.citytaxi.hu
Arriving at the airport, avoid being ripped off by local taxi drivers or having the hassle of hauling luggage around while trying to find public transport in to town. Use the Airport Minibus situated in the arrivals lounge.
For under £12 they will not only take you to your hotel in Budapest but will also collect you at the end of your visit. It is a very well-run operation.
Phone No.: (+361) 296-8555
Fax: (+361) 296-8993
The phone booking service is available each day between 06.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m..
Budapest Airport website has further information:
www.bud.hu/
Reliable cab firm I posted about before - beware similar sounding names. This week an outfit called "City Cab" was involved in a stabbing - the driver stabbed a British tourist who argued over the bill, and he's currently critical in hospital. Be careful! Anything with "City" in it that isn't "City Taxis", forget it.
2-111-111 City Taxis
Taxi drivers picked up on the spot tried to rip us off. One guy tried to switch a 500 note into a 50 by sleight of hand, and then insisted I had given him a 50. Be wary, and make sure the meter is visible.
Some taxis will rip you off, but there are simple ways to avoid this:
- never take a taxi that is unmarked (except for the light on top), including the white taxis lined up at the airport; these are mafia run and will rip you off
- taxis are always cheaper if you call in advance - get some numbers from your hotel/hostel, or have the bar call for you
- some reputable companies: BudaTaxi; 6x6 Taxi; Taxi 4; RadioTaxi. There are others, but in six years I've never gone wrong with these
- it's a good idea to keep a card with your address written down on it
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