Hiring a cab on the pier

[owl61]

We kept a car and driver all night long during Carnival. DH went to the car after midnight and slept. He HATED Carnival. IIRC, we paid the driver $150.00 for about 8 hours. It was arranged by our hotel.

I'm with Keith1010 on taxi use in SA. I DO NOT hail taxis off the street. So IF you are going someplace where you would be subject to finding a return taxi on your own, I would pay the money to keep the taxi waiting around.

BIG difference going from a hotel to a restaurant/bar/shop where they could call you a taxi that they know and trust. But going to Sugarloaf/Corcavado/beach in one taxi (presumably arranged by hotel/someone other than a street hail), dismissing your car when you get to your destination, then trying to hail a cab on the way back is just asking for trouble. Wrong time, wrong place could end up to be a TOTAL disaster.

 

greatam,

Sorry to hear your DH HATED carnaval. You may be sufficiently flush to pay a cab to keep it waiting for you while you sightsee, but notwithstanding the emphatic tone by which you inform that you DO NOT hail taxis off the street I must just as emphatically disagree. For the great majority it would be a totally unnecessary extravagance to pay a cab to wait while they sightsee or dine. Of course, it might be different if one were to utilize it as a sleeper car while others in the party did their thing, but that's not too common.

I have lived in Rio for most of the past 8 years. I do not speak fluent Portuguese. I do not own a car and take cabs all the time. I used to live in New York and San Francisco. IMHO it is no less safe to hail a cab off the street in Rio than it would be in any other metropolis. Moreover, they are plentiful and easy to hail. At the base of Sugarloaf and Cocovado there are literally dozens of cabs waiting to transport tourists to their next stop.

I'm a little unclear on your "IF" scenario about being somewhere where one "would be subject to finding a return taxi on [their] own." I can't imagine any place in Rio where a tourist would go that would not have oodles of safe, easily hailed cabs on the street and as you, yourself, mention, one could always ask management of a shop/hotel/restaurant to call one. Radio cabs are also easily accessible.

 

The only caveat in hailing a cab is the easily avoided possibility of being cheated by a driver who wants to set a fixed price (or less commonly a faulty meter or a circuitous route). The cabbies at the tourist spots, eg, Sugarloaf, Corcovado, airport, pier, know that the tourists know that the cabbies may try to overcharge. They are prepared to use the meter when asked. Being taking for a circuitous ride is very rare (hey, it happens at JFK and SFO) and can easily be avoided simply by knowing what it should cost to get from A to B. What overcharging that occurs, believe me, is on a small scale and is infrequent especially compared to other cities. It is definitely inconsequential in comparison to paying a cab to wait while you ascend Sugarloaf or shop.

 

At current exchange rates (R$ 2.4 = 1 $US) cabs are relatively inexpensive so R$50/hour is not a lot. However, it was R$ 1.6 = 1 $US a few months ago, a difference of 50%. Moreover, for those cruise passengers coming to Rio during carnaval I doubt that they will be able to get a pvt cab for 8 hours for US$150. You will likely be charged more at a hotel or the pier (subject to exchange rates). Whatever the cost is, the fact remains that only the most timid would incur the cost of a pvt car simply to avoid having to hail or call a cab.

[Keith1010]

owl161 this is one of those times where we need to all take a step back to agree to disagree.

 

There are some places in the world that I have visited that I do not think it is wise to just get a cab off the street. And South America is one of those places. I can name some other areas around the world where I would give the same recommendation.

 

Obviously you feel different about Rio.

 

So, in the end, each person will make the decision that they think works for them.

 

Keith

[barjolov]

Well we have just returned last week from a 18 day cruise to SA. Almost every port we were at, we just went off the ship and hired a cab. We talked to several each time to be able to get the best one and the best price. We went to Acapulco, Cabo, Nicaragua, Puntarenas,Costa Rica; Panama City, Manta, Lima, Coquimbo and Valparaiso. There was four of us and we made about 20 to 40 dollars per person for about 4 to 5 hours. In Valparaiso we took a tour with a local tour guide that we arranged by email before we left for the cruise. It was fantastic and the tourguide was English. The price was $76,000 chiliean pesos and was well worth it. He gave us an exceptional tour plus lunch at a very expensive place with wine tasting too and then we went to a winery (a very private tour and wine tasting). Then he also took us to the airport. His website is www.winetoursvalparaiso.cl I would highly recommend him. Most of the cab drivers spoke some english so it worked out well. Most of the time we already knew where we wanted to go and sometimes they would recommend some places and that always turned out great too. We always felt very safe. Everytime we came back to the ship and talked to others that had gone on the ships tour, we discovered that we saw all the things they did at about 1/2 the cost.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

Hi, I'm on the world cruise and haven't gotten anything planned for Manta yet. What did you see and do you recommend it?

 

Thanks!

Michelle

[greatam]

Hi, I'm on the world cruise and haven't gotten anything planned for Manta yet. What did you see and do you recommend it?

 

Thanks!

Michelle

 

Go to Montecristi for Panama hats and the market. Montecristi is the home of REAL Panama hats (they are NOT made in Panama). IMHO,Manta is a dirty little port town. There is supposed to be a nice beach there but I have never found it. There are also some ruins outside of town.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

Thanks, that is one of the ships tours. I guess I'll have to sign up for it. I've copied the description below. It's so hard to tell how enjoyable a tour is from the description. Could you relate what you found to be the best parts?

 

Manta & Montecristi

Take in the sights of this small port and its museum featuring quality artifacts and colorful dioramas; travel through the countryside to visit the home of the Panama hat; plus have time to browse for the perfect memento of your visit to Ecuador. WHAT YOU VISIT

Montecristi - Founded in the early 1600s, this small colonial town is noted for its weaving and wicker work, and is the birthplace of the Panama hat.

 

Archaeological Museum ? This small museum in Manta's Central Bank features an excellent collection of pre-Columbian artifacts ranging from the ancient Valdevivas Culture (circa 1800 B.C.) to the later Manta culture, from which the city takes its name.

 

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Montecristi - The main square boasts murals, fine colonial buildings and a cathedral.

 

SHOPPING

Take a break to shop for ceramics, wicker work and Panama hats in the artisan's market in Montecristi's main square.

 

WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY

Travel down Manta's chief promenade to Montecristi, passing unspoiled beaches, small fishing villages and a tropical dry - not rainforest.

[tigergirl2]

We were on the NCL Sun from December 7-21, and took cabs in a few ports.

 

Ushuaia to Glacier Martial was ~$6 USD each way. There are plenty of people doing this when the ships are in town, so finding a cab back was no problem. About half the drivers were hired by people who had paid them to stay there, but I'd say there were 4-5 cabs that were available. We were offered a tour by another cabbie of the national park for $100 USD for ~2 hours, but declined since we were interested in hiking. No idea if this is a normal, going rate or not. In Punta Arenas, we took a cab to the Cerro Mirador ski lift, paying $10 USD each way. We did ask the cab driver to come back for us in 2 hours (which he did - a very sweet elderly gentleman), and gave him extra $$ for his troubles. There were 2 other cabs there when we came back down looking for fares, but by this time, it was around 4pm. Too much longer and we would have been hoofing it down a long way ourselves.

 

In Puerto Montt, we did rent a car through Avis. You can reserve it online, and it cost ~$85 USD in total for the day. There is another car rental agency with a station at the port, but I didn't look to see how much they charged.

 

I do speak enough Spanish to get by (directions and food), but I'm not fluent by any means. That being said, I never used a taxi for a 'tour' but rather as a means to get from point A to point B. Some drivers did provide a bit of narrative, which I was able to translate to my husband and son, but it was pretty basic stuff. The only taxi drivers that I noticed in which several spoke English was in Ushuaia. Hope that helps.

[debsjc]

tigergirl2 - Thank you very much for the information. How did you enjoy the Cerro Mirador ski lift? I think we might like to do this.

 

I believe the chair lift is open in their summer, and that there is a cafe at the top? Are there some walks/hikes that are not too difficult, and were the views good?

Also how long did the taxi ride take please?

[Masik]

We just came back last week from our cruise (Norwegian Sun from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso) We used taxi in Montevideo and Ushuaia.

In Montevideo we walked to the central square downtown. We went to the Radisson hotel and asked them about city tour. They recommended a taxi driver who knew English and the city. We consider ourselves very lucky as the tour turned out to be a highlight of the cruise. He spent all day with the 4 of us. The price was a fraction of the NCL City Tour ($100 for four people). We saw Montevideo and the surrounding beaches, neighbourhoods, etc.

 

He arranged a guided tour of the inside of the Uruguayan Parliament buildings (for $3 each). The guide's English and knowledge of the art and history of the building were excellent. The tour lasted 40 minutes. This building is constructed of over 30 different types of native Uruguayan granite and marble. The carving, sculpture, woodwork etc is beautiful. It was well worth seeing.

His name is Ricardo Leguizamon Wall ( wall.ric1 AT hotmail.com or cel. 099 582 958). We would recommend him to anyone.

 

In Ushuaia, we took a taxi from those waiting at the port. Went to the Tierra del Fuego national park, the railway at the end of the world, etc. Cost was $100 for 4 people for 5 hours. Taxi driver did not speak English and did not take US dollars. We stopped at the bank to get pesos. Most North American bank cards can be used in bank machines (cajero automatico) in South America. If you plan to do this, make sure that your bank knows. Some will refuse requests from outside of your country unless you make previous arrangements. We had a map and the Rough Guide to Chile. Taxi driver was pleasant and tried to accommodate us in every way.

 

Here you can find more about our trip :

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=17519179&posted=1#post17519179

[debsjc]

Masik- Was the taxi you took at Ushuaia $100 in total (not per person) Did you make any stops where you could do some short hikes with good views? Thanks

[marazul]

Masik,

in Ushuaia, did you ride the train? If so, was the price included in the $100? (I assume US$ not AR$) Can you give us a few more details on how the excursion went?

Thanks!

Marazul

[Masik]

Masik,

in Ushuaia, did you ride the train? If so, was the price included in the $100? (I assume US$ not AR$) Can you give us a few more details on how the excursion went?

Thanks!

Marazul

The price was around $100 for all 4 of us. I say around because we had to pay in Pesos (280 pesos). We were so impressed with his services that we gave him a tip (50 pesos). So the total was 330 Argentinean pesos.

 

He drove us to all of the places that were included in a few of the cruise ship excursions. We were in no rush and were able to stop wherever we wanted for as long as we wanted. We had a great hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park and while we were there, the buses from the ship showed up and left. Some of the roads are narrow and under construction. There was a time advantage in being in a relatively smaller vehicle. We also stopped at beginning and the end of the railway to the end of the world.

 

We did not ride the train. The price seemed too high (I think about $30 US each) and the seats looked too uncomfortable. It is only a 7 km (4.5 mile) ride. Your driver could drop you at the train and pick you up at the other end. We simply felt that it was not a good use of time or money.

 

We also toured the city and got some great shots of the harbour from the hillside.

[debsjc]

Thanks for the information, that sounds like a great tour.

 

Inside the national park are their facilities such as a cafe to buy soda/water and bathrooms?

[Masik]

Thanks for the information, that sounds like a great tour.

 

Inside the national park are their facilities such as a cafe to buy soda/water and bathrooms?

Yes.

[debsjc]

Thank you

[seashells]

Good grief, We took busses at times.

 

In Puerto Chacabuco there were few taxies and we hopped on a bus to the downtown area $1.00 pp then got on another one to go through the Andes $5.00 pp arriving at Coyhaique where we hired a guide at the bus terminal. We passed and mingled at times in town with the ships tours but had a lot more fun. The drive is such a scenic area that you wont see anywhere else. The Andes meets the sea.

 

We had a great time with the locals. Your either a tourist or a traveler.

[DGF]

When in doubt, ask on Cruise Critic.

 

I guess my biggest question about hiring a cab on the pier to take us around for a few hours in which ever of the ports we visit is "What is the going rate?" We have never just gotten off the ship and hopped in a cabfor a few hours of touring and I would just like to learn more about how to do it, especially the negotiation process.

 

I don't want to be taken advantage of by paying too much but at the same time, I don't want to insult anyone by offering too little.

 

Do I need to have a plan or can I ask the driver for suggestions?

 

We are stopping Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt and Valparaiso.

 

Whatever help you can give would sure be appreciated.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Just returned from a cruise on board the Oceania Insignia, flying into Santiago, Chile Jan 1, 09, embarking Jan 5, 09 in Valparaiso, on to Rio on the first leg, and return to Buenos Aries on the second leg; followed by two nights at Iguazu Falls; the latter a must see

 

For those looking for tour guides and a brief rundown of the hotels, tours etc, created a thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=908754

 

Will have to fill in the second leg when get the time

 

We had no problems hiring cabs at the dock. Rates are normally fixed and vary port by port. Caveat- Make sure you end up with an English speaking driver

 

Have a great cruise

[debsjc]

We have just returned and we took taxis in Rio, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Ushuaia and Punta Arenas. Overall everything went very well, and I wouldn't hesitate to skip the ships tours, and use taxis again.

 

We only had 2 minor problems, which considering how many cabs we took isn't bad

1- Montevideo, 1 of the 3 cabs we took tried to rip us off, by putting the meter onto a highter 'evening' tariff. It was only an extra $3 but the fact he did was still annoying.

 

2- Punta Arenas - the driver dropped us in the wrong place, which was a genuine mistake because we hasn't even paid him yet (it was a round trip, and he didn't want any money until later) anyway it's a bit of a long story, but we managed to sort it out.

 

 

Rio - The taxis in Rio were excellent, BUT write down where you are going in Portugese to make your life easier (we did this just by getting a local map from the hotel, and writing the name from the map on a piece of paper)

Also carry your hotel name and address with you - the taxi drivers do not know the location of even the most popular hotels, you will need the address.

 

Language - if you can speak a little of the language it helps so much. I don't speak any Portugese, but I do speak a tiny bit of Spanish and felt much more confident checking with the driver that the meter was on etc in the Spanish speaking countries.