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What do you need to know about taxis in Rome? How much does it cost? Do taxi drivers cheat?
Important note: This article is not intended to scare or discourage you from using taxis in Rome (public transportation is even more fun). My task is to tell you about the pros and cons – forewarned is forearmed.
Today, we’ll dot the i’s and cross the t’s, revealing all the tricks and scams that an ordinary tourist can encounter, especially without knowledge of the Italian language and the peculiarities of the Italian mentality.
Five facts about Roman taxi drivers that will come in handy:
- Italians are the best salespeople in the world; they can persuade you to do anything. There’s always someone else to blame.
- Many Italians can speak or understand English, if it’s to their advantage. They can also “play dumb” with fixed prices from airports and conveniently forget all the languages in the world.
- You should only get into a taxi at official taxi stands or call one (it’s more expensive). Taxi drivers rarely stop when you hail them on the streets.
- There are almost no illegal taxis in Rome because a special permit is required to enter most of the historical city center. This is also something to consider for those planning to rent a car in Rome.
- Honest taxi drivers do exist in Rome, but they make up the minority – any local will confirm this.
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How official taxis look like
All city taxis in Rome are white, usually Toyota Auris hybrid cars.
Black Mercedes E-Class or Vito and Viano minivans are the top tier of licensed taxi drivers (private drivers) who only do pre-arranged transfers – you can’t hail them on the street. You will see the sign N.C.C. on the front and back of such vehicles.
Laws, regulations, fares
At any official taxi stand, you will see this sign:
- When getting into a taxi during the day at an official stand, the meter should display 3 EUR. From 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., it’s 6.5 EUR. On Sundays and official holidays from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., it’s 4.5 EUR.
- For trips from Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, fixed prices of 48 and 30 EUR apply, respectively – they are written on the door of each car. The additional charge for each piece of luggage after the first bag is 1 EUR.
- The fixed fee for calling a taxi is 3.5 EUR.
- A trip to the port of Civitavecchia from Rome or Fiumicino Airport costs 120 EUR.
- Taxis are cost-effective for short distances since after 11 EUR on the meter (approximately after 5-7 km, depending on the time of day), the fare switches to tariff T2 (1.3 EUR/km), and after 13 EUR, it switches to tariff TZ (1.6 EUR/km) for the rest of the trip.
In practice, especially with Ciampino, taxi drivers are not very willing to take you for 30 euros since it’s actually farther than Fiumicino, and the journey can take about an hour due to traffic. If your hotel is within the Aurelian Walls, you can (and should) insist on a specific fixed price and pay it – I personally have had to show the driver a map and prove that we’re inside the walls. If the taxi driver suggests using the meter but you’re sure that the hotel is within the Aurelian Walls, don’t fall for it!
- Attention: No trip within the municipality of Rome, including from the airport, should cost more than 70 EUR.
You can download all the rules and prices in PDF format on your phone, especially for trips from Ciampino and Fiumicino airports. It’s useful to have precise knowledge of the boundaries of the Aurelian Walls – you can download a map with the boundaries at this link. Look at the map to see where your hotel is in Rome.
Articles that will help you navigate Rome:
Tips
- If you’re traveling on a fixed route with a fixed distance and cost, make sure to clarify the price before getting into the car – how much will the trip cost?
- If you believe that a taxi driver cheated you, don’t be afraid to stand your ground and call the police (dial 112) – they will always be on your side. Drivers often surprise us with various tricks, so the police will generally understand the essence of your complaint. In the worst-case scenario, even if you’re mistaken, no one will arrest or fine you. In the best case, you’ll defend your hard-earned euros and gain valuable experience in dealing with Italians. Threatening to call the police using the number 112 is usually enough to cool things down. Yes, you’ll receive a thousand curses in Italian, but since you don’t understand them anyway, it’s okay.
- In a dispute, keep the receipt; you have the right to file a complaint against any taxi driver with the municipality of Rome. To download a complaint form in English, choose Modulo reclamo taxi inglese.
- When traveling to the airport, it’s much more advantageous, reliable, calm, and comfortable to pre-book a transfer with a reputable company. For the past three years, I have personally used and recommended to all my friends the most reliable and honest Italian in the world – Sergio. The prices are the same as for a taxi (or actually cheaper), but they meet you at the airport with a sign, help with your luggage, and take you to the hotel in a comfortable Mercedes E-Class without surprises (even beyond the Aurelian Walls) for a fixed price of 50 EUR from Fiumicino.
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And most importantly! If someone disappoints you, is late, deceives you, don’t be upset; in such cases, we simply say, “It’s Italy.” Look at everything positively, love it for what it is, and don’t pay attention to the little things. Everything will be fine.
Did you have a positive/negative experience using taxi services in Rome? Share it in the comments with all the readers.