jueves, 14 de marzo de 2013
However, even though taking a taxi in Bucharest is truly cheap, it does have it's fair share of "curiosities", if you will, that I will share with you as following:
1) The drivers often smoke, make calls or even browse the internet while driving: Once I got into a cab where the driver was smoking and talking on the phone while he was driving. On the other hand, that day I understood religion ;).
2) The older drivers mostly don't know english: This will happen very often in Bucharest as it happens in most of the world, the older the person, the slimmer the chances of that person knowing english if it's not their main language.
3) The cars aren't exactly what you would call "modern": This tendency has started to revert over the past few years. However, many of the taxi's in Bucharest are Dacia Logans, which is a pretty old car. I'm not saying it isn't a safe car, but let's just say you don't really feel like your in the best hands in the world in regards to your safety.
4) Check the pricing on the door of the taxi: In Bucharest there are several taxi companies which offer different rates. The most common rate is 1.39 Lei's per KM (about 30 cents a euro). However, there are some other companies which will charge you 1.77 Lei and even 1.99. The companies that charge the most, on the other hand, are the ones that charge 3.50 lei per Km. I have it on good authority that you shouldn't try to get in one of those taxi's not because of the price but because they will actively try to ripp you off, more so if you are clearly foreign.
5) Don't take a taxi from the airport. The "normal" priced taxi's aren't allowed in the arrivals gate of the airport, for some strange reason you will only find the 3,50 lei taxi's over there. That means that a taxi from the airport towards downtown will cost you at the very least 40 euros (160-200 leis). But what's worse is that often times you hear stories of people who get the "touristic" ride on those taxi's or even get conned when the driver forces them to accept a "pre-agreed" price.
6) Don't be surprised if they reject you: In Bucharest, it's not strange for a taxi driver to reject you if your trip isn't long enough. In fact, if you are going anywhere below the 1 mile radius you are most likely going to be rejected by the taxi driver.
That said, the price is quite cheap compared to most european countries and they are quite safe, regardless of the driver's habits while driving. Honestly, i've taken quite a bunch of taxi's since I got here and fortunately none of them has given me the "touristic" trip.
I really happy to see this post because now a days taxi essential for all. So I want to add here for good airport taxi services with a lost cost. Thanks and see more.airport taxi
ResponderEliminarIt's all so true. If you want to go from the airport to the central train station downtown (Gara de Nord) buy a train ticket from the airport (I think it's like 8 Lei / Ron). Get on the courtesy shuttle that takes you to the local train station in the middle of a field haha, Rocky ride with a rude van driver but safe nevertheless. Then lug your bag up the hill to the tracks and in 20 mins you're at Gara de Nord and can get on the subway that can take you almost anywhere in the city for peanuts. I love that place. I was born there and left many years back. I go back now and lol at all the odd things they do compared with our life here. Some are grumpy and some rude still struggling with poverty and lack of comforts. Nevertheless most are the friendliest and sweetest people you'd ever encounter anywhere. Of course the older generations tend to be more rigid, God fearing and harder to adjust to our modern life styles, global thinking and technology. The Romanian boomers are on the average very well educated and progressive and the younger ones live on-line entrenched in the culture of the West. They'll be the once to eradicate all the intolerance that's still around today.
Eliminar