Hail a Cab in Moscow
Knowing how to negotiate with a taxi driver in Moscow will help you get to your destination at a reasonable price as well as help you get there safely. The following is a guide on how to hail a cab in Moscow.
Steps
- Extend your arm at waist level.
- For best results, stand at a busy intersection.
- Tell the driver(s) where you want to go.
- Several drivers may pull over.
- Keep in mind that there are only 4,000 professional taxi drivers in Moscow while there are 40,000 non-professional drivers that offer rides for a fee. Chances are that you will deal with more non-professional taxi drivers than professional taxi drivers.
- Negotiate a price.
- If more than one driver pulls over, negotiate with each driver.
- Offer a low fare at first and gradually increase it, if necessary. It is common for the passenger to make the first offer.
- The fare for travel within the Sadovaya Koltso area should be no more than 200 rubles. Travel outside of the Sadovaya Koltso area should not cost more than 300 rubles for a trip across the entire city.
- At times when mass transit is not available, expect to pay as much as 500 rubles.
- Choose the driver with the best price.
Tips
- Make sure that you are able to speak enough Russian to communicate with taxi drivers.
- There are several professional taxi services that operate in Moscow. The most notable is Novoye Zholtoye Taxi. The cars they use are yellow Ford or Volga models.
- If you speak English, several English-speaking companies operate in Moscow. One of them is Lentaxi.
Warnings
- Do not accept a beverage from the driver under any circumstances. Some drivers in Moscow have been known to inject sleeping agents into unopened beer containers and rob their customers.
- While it is common to use non-professional taxi-drivers in Moscow, be aware that they are often associated with organized crime. It is best to avoid such drivers whenever possible.
