Taxi in Moscow
Have you thought about are taxis safe in Moscow and how to get a taxi there?
Taxis in Russia are almost always the same as in all other countries. But sometimes you can catch pirate taxi drivers. In this post, I will explain how to get a taxi in major cities in Russia such as Moscow or St. Petersburg. And of course, I will give recommendations on what to watch out for.
When traveling in the center of large cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, many people prefer to use the metro. It’s fast, safe and cheap. By the way, the metro in Moscow is one of the best, cleanest and most affordable in the world! Taxis are still a good way of getting around from the airport or other places where there is no good connection to the metro system.
There are four main ways to get a taxi in Moscow
1. Catch a taxi on the street
The easiest way to get a taxi in any city in the world is to do it on the street. Raise your hand and wait for a taxi to come to you. However, be prepared for the fact that two different types of taxis may come to you: illegal and official taxis. In case you come across an unlicensed taxi, you need to agree in advance on the price of the trip. Feel free to fix the price by writing the cost, for example, in notes on your phone and show it to the driver. If he agrees, then get in the car and start driving. This is not fair, but it is true: not all taxi drivers in Moscow or in Russia in general work honestly.
They can inflate the cost of the trip when they see that you are a foreigner, which means that you most likely do not understand how much the trip should cost approximately. Also, given that this is an unlicensed taxi, you cannot be 100% sure that your trip will be safe. No, most likely you will not be robbed, because Moscow has long been a safe European city (and not as it was in the 90s in Russia). I am saying that in this case you cannot be sure that the driver will drive according to the rules, and also will not be in any stage of alcoholic intoxication.
By the way! A licensed taxi is always faster than driving a regular car. Official taxis are allowed to use a dedicated lane, so you will avoid traffic jams and save time.
Another option is to order a taxi in advance by phone. On the internet you can find many phone numbers of different taxi companies. But the problem with ordering a taxi by phone is that you have to know Russian, although in some companies it is possible that they have English speaking staff, this is unlikely. Still, in Russia they have not yet studied English well enough 🙂 If you are faced with such a problem, you can ask the administrator of your hotel to order a taxi for you — all hotels have such a service.
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2. Order a taxi by phone
Another option is to order a taxi in advance by phone. On the internet you can find many phone numbers of different taxi companies. But the problem with ordering a taxi by phone is that you have to know Russian, although in some companies it is possible that they have English speaking staff, this is unlikely. Still, in Russia they have not yet studied English well enough 🙂 If you are faced with such a problem, you can ask the administrator of your hotel to order a taxi for you — all hotels have such a service.
3. Ordering a taxi on the Internet
This is the most popular and easiest way to get from point A to point B in Moscow. There are many companies that allow you to order a taxi over the Internet. This is an easy way to reserve a taxi from the airport to the city center. A huge plus is that you will know in advance what price you will have to pay, as well as approximately how long the trip will last. Surely you know the Uber taxi aggregator? So, in Moscow, Yandex Taxi, Gett or City Mobile are more popular. All of these companies work great through a mobile app for Android or iPhone.
I sincerely advise you to use apps for ordering a taxi! Indeed, in this case, first of all, you will be able to pay for your trip with a card directly in the application. Secondly, you can be sure that the driver is tested before the start of the working day, he is well trained in driving and in general has the right to drive the car. Well, and the best part: you can choose the category of the trip: from economy to premium. If you prefer to drive a BMW or Mercedes, then choose a business class trip.
We wish you a pleasant trip in Moscow! If you need help organizing a party with one of our models, please contact our manager. We will be happy to find you a pleasant companion for the evening, and we can also book a restaurant for you, suggest the best club in Moscow and order a taxi. These services are free for you 😇
