Taking a Taxi in Rome without getting ripped off
Taxis can be a fast and convenient way to get around Rome, but sadly they can also be expensive, unreliable, and not always honest. When another type of transport is available, it's usually a good idea to take it, but there are times, like late at night or away from the transport network, when a taxi is your best option.
First of all remember that official licensed Roman cabs are white, with a taxi sign on the roof and the driver's license information on the door, they also have written outside “Comune di Roma” and an official number and of course inside they have a meter. The average journey across the city centre, taking no more than fifteen minutes, shouldn't cost much more than €12 - €15, although longer journeys can costs a little more.
You may want to print out and take with you a copy of the Comune di Roma official taxi fares. (That link points to an official .pdf document in Italian, English and Spanish. It's dated 2012, but still appears to be current as of August 2016.)
How to catch a taxi:
1) You can go at one of the several official taxi stations.
2) You can call an official white taxi telling to the operator where you want the car comes to pick you up.
Autoradiotaxi Roma Tel: 063570
Cooperativa Samarcanda Tel: 065551
Radiotaxi La Capitale Tel: 064994
Radiotaxi Tevere Tel: 064157
Pronto Taxi - Tel. 6645
Euro CosmoTel: 068822
3) You can download an app for Android and iOS and use it from your smartphone. This app allows you to switch the language in english too.
4) You can catch a taxi in the street waving at the driver, but this option is the most difficult of all because the taxis are often busy going to catch someone else even if you see them empity driving around.
Taxis between Rome and the Airports of Fiumicino or Ciampino
There is now a fixed-rate fare for travel between the centre of Rome (within the old city Aurelian walls “Mura Aureliane” ) and the airports: getting to or from Fiumicino costs €48 while getting to or from Ciampino costs €30. This price includes up to four passengers, and all luggages. However, some taxi drivers are more honest than others, so it's worth politely confirming that they will honour the fixed tariff before getting in.
There are some other journeys covered by fixed tariffs, including between certain rail stations and other key locations. See the tariff document for details.
For that reason Rome Trip tips suggests always to take an official NCC (Noleggio Con Conducente) that is a licensed car with a driver instead of taking an official white taxi. They are more professional, cleaner, more reliable and they usually have better cars, and Rome has many companies that provide that service for €45 euros or more depending by the numbers of passengers.
You can even book your ride from/to the airports with a NCC here, Rome Trip Tips has a partnership with one of the best company in the city that has a price for €45 up to 3 passengers for a trasfer from or to Fiumicino. To book a car with a driver here you can chat with one of our experts when available online or you can send us a request filling the form here.
Otherwise you can choose to book this other NCC extremely professional for €55 up to 3 passengers. Prices can be higher for more passengers.
Avoid the scams:
It's a sad fact of life in Rome that there are people out to scam the unwary tourist (or local, for that matter). This is particularly true when taking taxis in Rome, and there are several common scams worth watching out for.
Be especially vigilant when taking taxis from major tourist hotspots like airports or Termini station. Keep the tariff document handy, and write down the license number of the cab (and the telephone number of the company that runs it) when you first get in.
Unlicensed Taxis: Never, ever take an unlicensed or unofficial taxi in Rome. These are a problem particularly around the airports and at Termini station, where touts loiter at the exits and pick up tourists. Drivers of licensed cabs always wait in or near their cars at the official ranks, and never act like this. Always go to an official white taxi.
Not Using the Meter: Unless you're travelling on one of the fixed-fare journeys, make sure the driver is using the meter (for example From Fiumicino airport to the city center or viceversa they don’t have to use the meter)
Letting other people jump in the taxi with you and make different stops. That happened too, especially from Ciampino airport where the fixed fare is just €30 to arrive in Rome inside the Aurelian Walls. Some unfair taxi driver try to take advantage of tourists carring more people going in different destinations in the same cab and not splitting the fare between all the passengers.
Switching Tariffs: The taxi meter will display which tariff is being used: Tariff 1 is the standard rate, which all journeys should start with. Tariff 2 starts after the first €11 has mounted up on the meter, and tariff 3 kicks in after a further €13. See again the official tariff document for further information. Comune di Roma official taxi fares.
Bill-Switching: Taxi drivers in Rome have been known to take advantage of tourists' unfamiliarity with euros by claiming that you've underpaid them, or by short-changing you, claiming that the €20 note you gave them was actually €5, the €50 a €10, etc. You can try to avoid this by handing over notes one at a time, stating clearly what each one is. This is actually good practice when handing over cash for anything in an unfamiliar environment. (Bear in mind that Rome isn't a huge city: if you're handing over several notes to a taxi driver, especially large ones, you may also be getting overcharged.
Avoiding the Destination: If your driver takes you almost-but-not-quite to your hotel, perhaps by trying to drop you round the corner, or a couple of hundred yards up the street, be wary. They sometimes do this when they're planning to overcharge, and don't want a bellboy or porter to interfere.
Alternatives: Ride-Sharing with Uber and Scooterino
The ride-sharing trend is starting to arrive in Italy, although it's being held back by legal issues and objections from licensed taxi drivers. Uber's UberPop service was closed down by the courts in May 2015, but UberBlack (which uses licensed drivers) is running in Rome, and you can find details and get quotes on Uber's website.
If you're feeling really adventurous, there's a new start-up in Rome called Scooterino, we talked about it in another post, which uses a mobile phone app to let you grab a ride on the back of another member's scooter for €4-5. It won't be much use if you've got luggage or are travelling with others, but if it sounds like fun you'd like to give it a try,
FInal warnings and advices
Make sure the taximeter (placed above the dashboard or attached to the upper part of the front windscreen) is switched on prior to starting journey, if not ask driver to get it going.
Always ask to be given a receipt (in italian "ricevuta"). The receipt must include the following information: details of the journey, the licence number, the fare and the driver’s signature.
In the event of a problem or dispute, call Traffic Wardens at the number of 0667104282 or send an e-mail to tutela.consumatori@comune.roma.it and report it on the site www.turismoroma.it.
Complaints/Demands for compensation may also be sent to: Dipartimento Mobilità e Trasporti, Commissione di Garanzia, Via Capitan Bavastro 94, 00154, Roma.
Taxi drivers may not refuse service; may not select passengers; may not carry more passengers than is indicated in the vehicle’s logbook; must charge the amount indicated by the taximeter except for those routes where there is a fixed fare; must request that passengers fasten their seat belts if they have not done so.
Recap: always take an official white taxi if you need and always choose an NCC rather than a taxi from/to the airports of Romeand you will never have problem with scammers.
