If you can help it, don’t take a taxi anywhere south of Bologna – this is how you know you’re no longer in Europe, you’re in Italy. Of course, sometimes you need to take a taxi. That doesn’t mean you will be able to take one, because you see the taxi drivers have fixed it so that there are never enough. If you’ve ever stood at Largo Argentina after 10 at night, you already know this. A few years ago, the government tried to issue more taxi licenses to relieve the burden, and the drivers staged a massive strike (not that anyone noticed), successfully lobbying to prevent more from hitting the streets. 

Ever notice that all taxis drivers in Italy are Italian? Which is strange because they’ve got foreigners doing just about everything else. That’s because being a taxista is a very lucrative job, and taxi permits are passed down through families (and ‘families’) in Godfather-like fashion. It would seem then that such a coveted and protected job would predispose its lucky employees to be honest and friendly – but unfortunately in Rome, that could not be further from the case. They can and will rip you off: by not turning on the meter, by charging above what is on the meter, by charging way over the fixed price for airport trips, by taking a longer route than necessary to your destination, by charging more than the prescribed 1 Euro per bag, and perhaps most sneakily by changing their meter to ‘Zone 2’ (for long-distance runs outside Rome’s beltway) while in the city center – this alone could double the cost of your trip. 

And here’s the real kicker – if you telephone a taxi service and they actually send one, the meter starts at the time of your call. This means that your taxista can drive all around the city before getting to you, and you’ll be responsible for any money already on the meter plus the charge of your trip. Any Italian will tell you that this is a completely normal practice, as if anything else would be unthinkable. If this doesn’t put Italy’s taxi drivers into the realm of criminal gangs…

So what can you do if you are forced by circumstances beyond your control to see a taxi in Rome? First, you can avoid the struggle by asking your hotel or a Roman you know to reserve a car service. As with most car services, you negotiate a price before the trip and this does not change (it might seem more expensive, but usually isn’t once the rip-off factor is figured in). If you simply must take a white taxi, check the meter before you get in – to make sure it is on ‘Zona 1’ if you are within the beltway (GRA) and that its at the right amount. All the rules for metered and airport rides should be posted in English in the back of all taxis. 

If you feel you are being ‘taken for a ride’, don’t hesitate to argue with, talk down to or tell off the driver – although none admits to speaking English, most will understand every word. You also have the right to refuse to pay what the driver asks if you think the fare just isn’t fair.  

Taxi Numbers (none speak English)

06 3570

06 6645