Taxis form an essential part of the transport network, bridging the first and last miles of many journeys. In Asia, three-wheeled rickshaws or tuk-tuks offer a delightful on-demand personal transport experience. However, long-distance taxi rides can sometimes lead to eye-watering bills.
Last week, while travelling from the Armenian-Georgian border to Tbilisi airport for a flight to Luton, the only available option was a taxi. The driver, who also assisted with border formalities, charged only €60 (£52) for the 90-minute trip in a vehicle nearly as old as himself.
In contrast, at Bergerac airport in southwest France last year, a taxi driver seized the opportunity when all other options had vanished. For an hour-long journey along the Dordogne river in a new Mercedes, he demanded €200 (£173) to reach Castelnaud-la-Chapelle.
Italy's Taxi Tales
These fares pale in comparison to the quote received by my colleague, senior travel writer Natalie Wilson, as shared on Tuesday's travel podcast. On her first visit to Tuscany, she needed a taxi from Oasi Dynamo nature reserve north of Florence to Panicale, southeast of Siena. Her question: how much for a two-hour trip? The answer: €1,000 (£870). 'I thought, maybe naively, that it wouldn't cost the earth,' she said. Unable to hitchhike in such a rural area, she opted for a €50 (£43) taxi to Florence, then navigated the chaos of Santa Maria Novella station for a train journey. 'The journey was beautiful, and it made me so confused why our trains are so expensive,' she remarked.
Italy featured prominently in reader responses. Lee Marshall paid €200 (£175) for a 40-mile trip from Catania airport to Taormina after a flight delay caused him to miss the bus. 'Tried to claim back from the airline to no avail,' he reported.
James Boddie shared a screenshot of a €114 (£100) Uber quote for a journey under a mile from Milan Malpensa airport to the Tribe hotel. 'Caveats: hotel is other side of motorway, no pedestrian access from terminals, time was 12:30am, and Uber Black was the only option.' He instead paid €20 (£17) to a local taxi.
Marc Mills described a half-hour trip at 4am from a hotel near Malpensa to the central station: a €285 (£245) Uber quote, which he declined, opting for a local taxi firm's non-negotiable €130 (£110). The lesson: avoid peak hours and use Italy's excellent public transport when possible.
Global Extravagance
In Japan, 'Andy B Travels' recounted a journey costing £950, but stressed that train firm JR East paid after 'abandoning me in the middle of nowhere when the train was cancelled'.
Blake Lindsay needed a one-mile transfer in Aswan, Egypt. 'Hotel quoted us $30 (£22),' he said. 'Downloaded the local taxi app and paid around £1 – and that was us paying above the going rate as we had no change.'
But Mike Wood claims the global title, recalling 2010: '€3,500 [now £3,000] for a taxi from Oslo to Paris when flights were grounded after the Icelandic volcanic eruption. Added a €600 (£520) tip.'
