Jeremy's
Taxi Tips for Madrid (& Spain in general) Be Veeeewy, veeeewy cawful!
While using a cab to get around town may
be ok, to get from the airport (Madrid Barajas) to the
city, I always recommedn either the Metro or an Aerocity
shuttle but if you feel that you need to take a taxi for any reason, please pay
close attention to this section of my site since most taxi drivers in Madrid
will rip you off any chance they get.
Taking a Taxi:
I don't care what you have heard before, a taxi from the airport to the city
center should NEVER cost more than 25-30 Euros. and even
that is a bit excessive. I have
heard horror stories about taxi rip offs for this ride and it seems to be
the norm here in Madrid these days. Depending on the traffic and the
trajectory, you should be charged between 15 and 25 Euros for your ride from the airport.
As of Jan. 1st 2002, there are no longer supplements for luggage (or
anything else for that matter) but the
airport supplement has gone up to 4 Euros. All in all you will pay what the TAXI
METER reads at the end of the trip + the 4 Euro supplement.
Advantages and disadvantages of
taking a Taxi from the airport to town and vice-versa:
Advantages:
a) it is much faster than the Metro.
b) you will be dropped off right in
front of your hotel or hostel.
c)
you will probably not have to wait for a taxi as they are usually lined up
by the hundreds at the terminal buildings waiting for passengers.
d)
the ride is more comfortable than the Metro especially if you have baggage.
Disadvantages:
a) there is a REAL danger of getting
ripped off by the taxi driver .
If you take a cab from the airport,
watch out for:
1) possible ("probable" is
a better word) overcharging.
2) a few shady drivers who may try
to convince you to go to a specific hotel (always expensive ones). Some
drivers have deals with hotels whereas they get huge commissions on the
tourists they bring in.
Logical Conclusion: In a
perfect world all taxi drivers would be honest but this is not the case. While
taxis are a comfortable way to get to town from the airport, they also assume the most risk
(rip offs).
Taxi fares usually change yearly, click HERE
or on the image at right to enlarge it and see the current fares in
effect for 2002.
As a general rule, keep an eye on the
taxi meter AND MAKE SURE THE CAB DRIVER TURNS IT ON FOR YOUR RIDE. Click HERE
or on the image at left to enlarge it.
I have scanned the latest
official multilingual pamphlet given out by the town hall of Madrid with
all you need to know about getting from the airport to the city
including great info on what you should and should not pay for a taxi
ride, You can see the pamphlet by choosing an option below:
· contains general and
VERY important info on taking a cab from the Airport to the city
of Madrid.
· more info on other
ways of getting from the airport to the city. This side of the
pamphlet also includes sample fares for trips from the airport (what
you should pay).
On the pamphlets, pay close attention to the info marked by a
, this is info that is most important for the majority of travellers.
Taxi Smarts from start to finish:
1) When you first get into the cab:
a) tell the cab driver you are
going to need an oficial receipt at the end of the trip (in Spanish =
"voy a necesitar un recibo oficial"). This may avoid his/her
trying to rip you off right from the start.
b) MAKE SURE THE DRIVER TURNS THE
METER ON. This is the oldest trick in the book and a lot of people do not
pay attention until they get to their destination and the meter has been
off the whole time. If this happens, you are in your right to refuse to
pay the taxi fare and only have to pay the airport or bus/train station
supplement since the taxi meter technically reads "0" because it
was never started. FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND DON'T JUST SAY "OH
FORGETI IT" and pay the driver, it is illegal not to turn the meter
on.
2) During the ride:
a) If you know the way to your
destination, it is your right as a passenger and paying client to choose
your preferred route.
b) If you can, get an eyeful of and
write down the name and license # of the cab driver (on the dashboard).
This could come in handy later if he tries to give you one of the famous
"official receipts" with a false license # on it.
3) At the end of the trip:
a) When the cab stops, watch to see
whether the driver hits a button on the meter and if he does, pay attention
to see if the rate jumps up eithe 4 Euros if you came from the airport or 2
Euros if from a bus or train station. If this jump takes place, that means
you only have to pay the final amount on the meter since he already added in
the suplements(s) described in b) below. Some drivers may add the supplement
on the meter and then add it again when they tell you what you owe. The best
thing to do is to pay attention to the meter as you are pulling up to the
destination (hotel/hostel/etc...) and before the cab stops because that is
more or less the trip fare without the supplemet(s).
b) PAY ONLY WHAT IT READS ON THE
METER plus the supplement(s) that your route may have (for 2002, to or from
the airport ) = 4€ supplement | from the train or bus stations (not TO,
just FROM) = 2€
supplement) and NOT A PENY MORE. Since Jan. 1st 2002, neither bags, packages,
dogs, etc... have a supplement, they are all FREEEEEEE! Unless you have to
strap an elephantt to the roof, do not let the driver charge you any more
for bagage, no matter how nasty he/she gets.
c) Get the "recibo oficial"
(official receipt, see Language
Tip:
Dealing with dishonest taxi drivers." below)and make
sure that the license number and/or cab # on it is correct.
If you feel you have been taken for
"a
ride" (no pun intended) and overcharged after arriving at your destination
and being charged, you have the right to ask for a "hoja de
reclamación" (complaint form) from the driver and he MUST GIVE YOU ONE (some
will say they have run out, it is a lie). You can fill out the form and send it
together with the "recibo oficial" to:
· Oficina Municipal del Taxi.
Concejalia de Movilidad
Urbana.
Calle Vallehermoso, 1, 1º .
28015 Madrid.
(tel.: 588 9632 | fax: 91 588 9635)
Language Tip:
Dealing with dishonest taxi drivers.
a) "Please give me an
official reciept"
= "Me da un recibo oficial por favor".
b) "It's for my taxes"
= "Es para hacienda".
c) "Can you please
turn the taxi meter on?"
= "Por favor, ¿puede poner en marcha el taximetro"? or
"Por favor, ¿puede poner en marcha el contador?"
)
Jeremy's
Taxi Tips for Madrid (& Spain in general) Be Veeeewy, veeeewy cawful!Advantages:
Disadvantages:
.
If you take a cab from the airport, watch out for:
Logical Conclusion: In a perfect world all taxi drivers would be honest but this is not the case. While taxis are a comfortable way to get to town from the airport, they also assume the most risk (rip offs).
)
)
, this is info that is most important for the majority of travellers.
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