It is very important to know how the taxi fares work in Florence.
Check! I repeat Check! Check!
1) When you are in the city the taxi driver MUST utilize tariff 1 (you can see a small light under the button T1, if it is light under T2, T3, T4 is WRONG). Tariff 2 costs 216% of tariff 1 and can be used only OUTSIDE of the city. Tariff 4 only from the AIRPORT
2) When you call a taxi from a restaurant the taxi MUST start the meter when you are in the taxi and start the ride AND NOT before arriving or while waiting.
3) The supplement of "luggage" of 0.62euro, for a max of 2.48 can be used ONLY in presence of luggage!
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How to read the taxi meter in Florence
There are two screens. The main is the meter, the other is "charges". The meter will move during the ride, the other NO.
There is also a light for showing the tariff (that must be 1, or in some taxis T1). No T2, no T3. T4 only FROM the airport.
How much should you read in the meter in the beginning of the ride? 2.64: monday to saturday 06am til 10pm 4.48: sunday 06am til 10pm 5.70: everyday 10pm til 06am
NO OTHER POSSIBILITY, unless you are in the airport (they become 5.10 6.94 8.16 respectively)
how much should you read in the supplement? normally ZERO if you call a taxi on the phone: 1.84 if you have luggage: 0.62 per piece, max 2.48
NO OTHER POSSIBILITY
Check always that tariff is 1 (tariff 2 cost 216% of tariff 1)
I have been living in Florence for 20 years now, but no taxi driver ever attempted to cheat me in Florence.
Is it because I am Italian?
How common is it for foreigners to come across taxi drivers who try to cheat them, IN FLORENCE, be it successfully or unsuccessfully?
On the contrary, almost all taxi drivers tried to cheat me in Naples. Maybe because they could tell I was from a city other than Naples.
And when I found out, they didn't look like they felt guilty of anything: as if it were normal for them to "just give it a try". I guess they wouldn't try with somebody from Naples.
Of course we can't compare Florence with Naples...also because in Naples most of them don't even have a taxi license..!!! Anyway... I think the situation is not bad in Florence but...it's always important to know the basic rules explained by our friend Tonio, especially if you are a foreigners....
Anyway it's important to know for everybody that in Italy the price of a taxi ride is higher than in New York or London...there are in fact less taxies and these are considerably more expensive if compared with the major cities in the world....
Now the Law is changing (Italian Parliament is discussing in these days about new rules for the taxi sector that should lower the prices....) .
Florence is anyway wonderful especially if it's visited by feet or by bike!! So..if you can..avoid taxis...and enjoy the city at its best!!!!
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