Rome taxi regular price

You'll hear plenty of tales of woe about Rome taxi rip-offs - this isn't one of them.

We used taxis quite a bit during the week we were there and never had any problems at all.

Our first taxi was from the airport and we'd been warned this can be a hazard. Knowing that it's a set fare of 40 euro from Fiumicino to anywhere within the Aurelian walls in the city, no matter what the time or how much baggage you have, was a good base to start from. As long as you take a licenced taxi from the official rank (they're all white, with 'taxi' lights on top, and each has a taxi license number displayed on the door) you shouldn't have a problem either. If you do, insist on getting the the taxi's license number and make it clear you're writing it down - don't forget to take down the name and number of the co-operative as well as the driver - and ask for a receipt.

Call 060606 to report any problems.

There are other set charges too - including the flagfall that will show on the meter immediately you enter the taxi. This varies according to the time and day - currently (summer 2008) it is
€2,33 from 7 am to 10 pm on weekdays
€3,36 from 7 am to 10 pm on Sundays and holidays
€4,91 from 10 pm to 7 am all days of the week

and there are 2 tariffs. Tariffa 1 applies inside the city's ring road. If you cross the ring road, Tariffa 2 will be applied but the driver is required to inform you when this happens. The Nueva Feria for example is outside the Ring Road, and not part of the airport fixed tariff scheme, so Tariff 2 be displayed on the meter but only after you have crossed the rindg road.

Baggage is charged at a rate of €1,04 per bag - this charge does not apply from the airports where the set fare includes your luggage but is applied on all other taxi journeys.

If you call a taxi to pick you up do be aware that the meter will be set from the minute the driver sets off to collect you, which can make quite a difference to a fare. The easiest way to get a taxi is to walk to a taxi stand - there are plenty of them around the central district.

Rome's higgledy-piggedly streets are a one-way nightmare maze for drivers - if your taxi seems to be going the long way round, it's more than likely because your driver is well aware of that and is taking a faster, albeit longer-as-the-crow-flies route via the city's arterial roads. Since 8th february 2008 these are the new fares (18% increase):
2,80 euro initial fare (this is just for seat into one taxi)
plus 0,92 euro per kilometer.

As usual in italy, if you call a radiotaxi by phone the meter will be switched on from the point of the taxi departing. This means that when eventually it will pick you up you have to pay also that part of the trip.
In Rome the agree is that you will pay this surcharge depending on how long you wait the taxi:
2 euro up to 5 minutes wait
4 euro up to 10 min wait
6 euro for more then 10 min wait

Termini train station: taxi departing from there will charge an extra 2 euro.
Airport rides are fixed fee: Ciampino at 30 euro, Fiumicino airport at 40 euro.

ps: It is not easy, but it's possible to stop an empty cab on the street. But be aware that the sign on the roof must be lighted on (this means that the cab is free). Not easy to see in daylight!