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Taxi booking tips?

teuchter

teuchter

je suis teuchter
What are your most successful taxi-booking strategies, especially outside of urban areas?

Do you phone around companies that seem local?

Are comparison websites or apps that give you a quote "online" inevitably going to give you something more expensive, and are they any good at giving you a realistic estimate for a specific journey?

Does no-one actually phone a taxi in 2022, and just use uber instead?

The types of journeys that seem hardest to get a quick estimate for, are those between two relatively rural locations, where someone probably has to drive some distance just to get to the pick-up point.
 
Most taxi companies have apps nowadays, so I’d download the app of the largest company operating in that area. The estimates should be accurate unless there’s abnormal congestion etc.
 
teuchter said:
What are your most successful taxi-booking strategies, especially outside of urban areas?

Do you phone around companies that seem local?

Are comparison websites or apps that give you a quote "online" inevitably going to give you something more expensive, and are they any good at giving you a realistic estimate for a specific journey?

Does no-one actually phone a taxi in 2022, and just use uber instead?

The types of journeys that seem hardest to get a quick estimate for, are those between two relatively rural locations, where someone probably has to drive some distance just to get to the pick-up point.
Click to expand...
Don't bother with comparison apps anywhere that isn't covered by Uber. If it's genuinely rural they probably get very little work through the app and won't be arsed if they don't cover the job. Just have a ring round, people find it harder not to turn up when they've spoken to the customer.
 
Yes phone around first.
It’s not even the genuine sticks here where I am but taxis are very few, and you really need to not expect an Uber to be anywhere near you.
The the two (2) reasonably local companies that exist laid off people during Covid and are now operating with very few drivers so if it’s rural at all do try to book in advance by phone.
 
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I installed Uber on my phone sometime last year and since then have used them a grand total of three times, prior to that I haven't booked a taxi since the Before Times. I used to use a local taxi firm whose number I could remember (still can)
My most successful strategy has been to get one of the kids to run me but that isn't one you can duplicate I would imagine.
 
platinumsage said:
Most taxi companies have apps nowadays, so I’d download the app of the largest company operating in that area. The estimates should be accurate unless there’s abnormal congestion etc.
Click to expand...
A typical scenario is needing to get somewhere with no pubic transport where I might have a choice of the 2 or 3 nearest train stations in different directions. I need to get between one of those train station and the destination. And I want to quickly judge which is the best option. Each of those stations might be in some place which has a taxi firm that seems to be based there - and they might be some distance from each other. And then it's not really obvious what the largest company operating in "that area" is.
 
Never used an uber. When i need a train from the station i call and say it’s me - first name only. They know where I’m going.

#countrylife
 
Yep you will need to phone them, the little companies, plus probably exert yourself to be nice on the phone as well.
It was a shock, the completely different taxi landscape here. One time I called from a pub soon after moving here and was told an hour or so to wait, you don’t really get that in cities. How this infrastructure problem relates to people seemingly drink driving quite regularly out here I wouldn’t want to speculate .
 
MickiQ said:
Many train stations have taxi ranks outside them why not just get in one of those taxis?
Click to expand...
If I was going to somewhere big enough to know there would be a taxi rank with taxis available then I'd do that.

But my question is more about scenarios where you can't rely on taxis just being there and therefore have to book.

Plus, as I explained above, when trying to suss out the best of a number of route options, and wanting to get a rough idea of the relative cost of the taxi component of each.
 
I just use Ubwr these days. I know I shouldn't but I'm anti-social and it means I don't have to talk to a human being on the phone.
 
emanymton said:
I just use Ubwr these days. I know I shouldn't but I'm anti-social and it means I don't have to talk to a human being on the phone.
Click to expand...
Not much good outside of urban areas though.

On this occasion, I have found someone who can do what we need after attempting to contact 16 different companies.
 
I speak to the father and son who run a cab and a minibus and live down the end of my street. They always give me a great deal and never let me down.

I acknowledge that this may be of limited use to others.
 
You could always get a bus which is what I did when I turned up Horsham and expected to find a cab. I waited 5 minutes for the bus which took me to within a few minutes walk of my destination and took maybe 30 minutes to get there.
 
I prefer not to use the taxis at the local station. Last time I tried they called me a "fucking English prick." I'd rather use a bus than the taxi company.

Anyway, there's a local chauffer company which is far better and a very similar price to the taxi.

I'd suggest trying them if you've one locally. Service is so much better than taxis.
 
dessiato said:
I prefer not to use the taxis at the local station. Last time I tried they called me a "fucking English prick." I'd rather use a bus than the taxi company.

Anyway, there's a local chauffer company which is far better and a very similar price to the taxi.

I'd suggest trying them if you've one locally. Service is so much better than taxis.
Click to expand...
Your reputation proceeds you.
 
hash tag said:
You could always get a bus which is what I did when I turned up Horsham and expected to find a cab. I waited 5 minutes for the bus which took me to within a few minutes walk of my destination and took maybe 30 minutes to get there.
Click to expand...
I would always take a bus when it's an option. If I'm looking for a taxi it means it's not.
 
teuchter said:
Does no-one actually phone a taxi in 2022, and just use uber instead?
Click to expand...

Just been to Derry airport. My niece was freaked out there was no Uber in Derry.

Top tip if arriving there. Book a cab ahead. There are not enough taxis interested to wait for the handful of planes a day and on Sunday there are no buses into the City.
 
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