How to get a taxi
How to get a taxi
Unlike many other cities, in Rome, it’s not so easy to hail a cab on the street. You can give it a try, but the odds are low that you’ll succeed. To get a cab, it’s best to go to a taxi stand or order one by phone or app.
At a taxi stand
The cheapest option is always to go to a cab stand. This way you’ll save the extra cost of €3.50 for ordering a cab.
There are taxi stands located all over the city, many of them close to places of interest . They are easily identified by a sign with an orange background and the word TAXI in black.
If you arrive at a stop where there’s no cab available, it’s recommended to wait a little while. Unless it’s a holiday or a rainy day, a cab should soon return to the taxi stand after finishing a ride.
The best way to find a taxi stand in Rome is through Google Maps, using “stazione cab” as a search term.
By making a call
Normally, to avoid problems due to language barriers, it’s more convenient to order cabs with your smartphone through the Free Now app (mentioned later in this article). However, it’s also possible to order one by making a phone call.
For this, it’s best to use the ChiamaTaxi telephone service. When you call, you should clearly specify the address where you want to be picked up. This way, the automatic voice recognition system will detect your location and the call will be forwarded to the nearest cab stand.
If no one answers after two attempts, your call will be transferred to the cell phone of the nearest cab driver. If he accepts the ride, he’ll give you his license number and estimated time of arrival.
If you don’t wish to use the ChiamaTaxi service, you can also order a cab by calling one of the traditional taxi companies via one of the following numbers.
| Service |
|---|
| ChiamaTaxi |
| Radiotaxi |
| Pronto Taxi |
| La Capitale |
| Service | Phone number* |
|---|---|
| ChiamaTaxi | 06-0609 |
| Radiotaxi | 06-3570 |
| Pronto Taxi | 06-6645 |
| La Capitale | 06-4994 |
*All calls to order cabs are local. If you have a European phone operator, you can call these numbers at no extra charge. Another option is if you’re staying at a hotel, asking the reception to make the call for you or you can use one of the apps mentioned below.
Remember that a supplement of €3.50 applies to all cabs you order by phone and that the taxi driver turns on the meter the moment he has arrived at the pick-up point.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, the cabs usually arrive within 3 to 5 minutes. Therefore, it’s important that you only make the call when you’re ready to go.
Using the Free Now app
There are several apps to book taxi rides via your smartphone. Unfortunately, many of these applications don’t work well and therefore we don’t recommend using them.
However, there’s one exception. Free Now, a service formerly known as My Taxi. We tested this one out, with excellent results.
The app is user-friendly and an ideal alternative to avoid long queues for a taxi stand. It’s also a convenient solution for night rides to ensure that you’re traveling with a licensed cab that respects the official rates.
To use the Free Now app, you can easily register in just a few minutes. When you want to order a taxi, the app automatically detects your location and will request to enter your destination.
With this data, the app calculates the estimated cost of the trip and offers various vehicle options. In addition to the typical Renault Sedan, it’s often possible to reserve vehicles with up to eight seats or other specific requirements.
Payments can be made directly in the app via PayPal or credit card. However, it’s also possible to pay with cash at the end of the ride.
Other apps
As mentioned before, there are also other apps to order taxis in Rome, but in our experience, they don’t work as well.
They’re briefly discussed below if you do wish to try one out.
ChiamaTaxi
Although the ChiamaTaxi phone service is highly recommended, the performance of the app is not as good. Based on our tests, the app is only available in Italian, isn’t user-friendly, and has compatibility issues with some smartphones.
Moreover, this option is not ideal for those who want to avoid phone calls, because when ordering a cab, the ride must be confirmed through a phone call with the cab driver.
If you still want to try out the app, you can download it via the following links:
Download the ChiamaTaxi app for iOS
Download the ChiamaTaxi app for Android
itTaxi
Another app we tried to test is itTaxi. Unfortunately, we can’t say much about it because it didn’t allow us to register.
If you want to try this app, you can download it via the links below:
Download the itTaxi app for iOS
Download the itTaxi for Android
Uber
You can also use Uber in Rome. This app doesn’t connect users with a traditional cab. Instead, it offers its own vehicles to take passengers to their destinations.
Unlike what Uber offers in other parts of the world, only luxury services are available in Rome that are significantly more expensive than regular cabs. Unless comfort and a ride in a luxurious car are a must for you, the high cost of this service isn’t worth it.
If you’re interested in this option, you can download the app via the links below:
