Using Taxis and Ubers in Rome

Both are easy and comfortable ways to get around the city. Local Taxis have on their apps Uber service with larger vehicles at  more economical rates than your Uber app. The latter’s prices are twice as much but they, working exclusively for Uber, arrive quickly depending on the time of year, hence number of requests and location. With Uber you can travel together if you are 4/5 or more. Most taxis only take 4, some 5 and very few take more. Uber almost always provides large vehicles.

However, there are a few unscrupulous drivers who give the rest a bad name. If they ask you where you are going, that is invariably an indication that they are cheats and are going to overcharge you, twice the normal local and legal rate. Others will tell you that the meter is not working and try to fix a rate with you, or say their taxi is reserved, so that they can wait for someone needing a longer ride. GPS/Google Maps directions also lets you track your driver's route. Use the download maps option with your hotel's Wifi connection on mapping services to keep data costs low.

There is a fixed starting charge of €3 during the week and during the day. After 6pm, the base rate goes up to close to 4 Euros, and then after 10pm, it is close to 6 Euros. Sundays and holidays are around 4 Euros. If you call a taxi, the meter starts from when the call is received to go and pick you up.

If for some reason you feel cheated, tell them you would like to talk to a policeman. That will sort out the predicament very quickly and economically. You can also take down their taxi number which is on the back seat door, mostly to scare them. Don't be intimidated, if they start shouting. You shout louder or stand your ground and get someone to assist you. To have some idea of the normal fare for a ride from one point to another, ask your hotel or guide.  

If you know you are being taken for a ride, so to speak, and don’t want to make an issue of it, let it go and/or tell him you didn’t like what he did and that you were going to tip him, but found his service dishonest and disappointing. Demonstrative gestures work if English doesn’t; you can always show the taxi driver a 5 euro or 10 euro bill and say sorry, not good service. Or is that too cruel?!!