CABs in Barcelona

[Eight is Enough]

Does anyone have any information on the cost of a Cab from the ship to Las Ramblas? We are 2 couples and were hoping to get a van but the prices are so high. We welcome any info.

[as19111]

It was less than 20 euros (maybe 17?) to go from the top of Las Rambla to the ship at about noontime. There was some traffic, but nothing of great consequence. There are some larger taxis. Your challenge is to fit four plus luggage in one taxi if you choose to share. Make sure you have the street address of your destination for the driver, in writing.

[Busybears]

I'm not sure if I missed this important information while doing my research prior to our cruise, so I thought I'd share - as I was not very happy about how this happened.

 

We got off the ship at about 7 a.m. last Saturday (6/27/09) and there were plenty taxis waiting. We went to the first one and hopped in. We had two luggages. The taxi driver took off after we provided the hotel address which is off La Rambla near Catalunya, but he did not turn on the meter. We asked right away how much, and he said 25 euro. It was outrageous! As all the infornation we gathered, indicated that it would be about 8-12 euros. We asked him to stop the car right away, but he wouldn't. My fiance tried to open the door while the car was moving and that was when the driver started the meter. When we got to the hotel, the meter said about 8 euro, but then, he punched in some numbers on the machine, and told us it is 17 euro. I was totally upset again, and since he wouldn't speak English, I ran inside the hotel and asked the counter clerk to see if the price was reasonable. The clerk told me that it was. She said that based on the time of the ride and the number of luggage, the amount was good. Well, so we had to pay him 17 euros. :mad:

 

I guess it's not that I don't have the money, it's just that I did not know I need to "bargain" before I got in a taxi. I thought all taxis were metered, straight and simple. By threatening to jump off the taxi saved us 8 euros (original he quoted 25 euro), but the whole thing just left a really bad taste in my mouth for a long time. Luckily Barcelona is such a lovely city, we later decided that even with the taxi rip-off, we still fell in love with Barcelona.

[bqkali]

We got off the ship at about 7 a.m. last Saturday (6/27/09) and there were plenty taxis waiting. We went to the first one and hopped in. We had two luggages. The taxi driver took off after we provided the hotel address which is off La Rambla near Catalunya, but he did not turn on the meter. We asked right away how much, and he said 25 euro. It was outrageous! As all the infornation we gathered, indicated that it would be about 8-12 euros. We asked him to stop the car right away, but he wouldn't. My fiance tried to open the door while the car was moving and that was when the driver started the meter. When we got to the hotel, the meter said about 8 euro, but then, he punched in some numbers on the machine, and told us it is 17 euro. I was totally upset again, and since he wouldn't speak English, I ran inside the hotel and asked the counter clerk to see if the price was reasonable. The clerk told me that it was. She said that based on the time of the ride and the number of luggage, the amount was good. Well, so we had to pay him 17 euros. :mad:

 

I guess it's not that I don't have the money, it's just that I did not know I need to "bargain" before I got in a taxi. I thought all taxis were metered, straight and simple. By threatening to jump off the taxi saved us 8 euros (original he quoted 25 euro), but the whole thing just left a really bad taste in my mouth for a long time. Luckily Barcelona is such a lovely city, we later decided that even with the taxi rip-off, we still fell in love with Barcelona.

 

A good rule of thumb in ANY city is to make sure the meter is on or to agree on a price before you or your luggage is even in the taxi. However, I believe 17 euro was probably about right. You would've had 4€ in cruise/luggage charges alone, plus there are surcharges for Saturdays and/or nights.

 

http://www.taxibarcelona.cat/tabid/3479/Default.aspx

 

Summary of charges:

2,00€ beginning meter

0,86€ per kilometer

18,60€ per hour of waiting time - red lights, traffic, etc. (works out to 0,31€ per minute)

2,10€ cruise port surcharge

3,10€ airport surcharge

1,00€ luggage surcharge (per piece)

[vivian02]

I am really amazed reading the provided information. I have sailed out of Barcelona on two separate cruises and Rome on two other cruises. The one thing I really like about Barcelona are the taxi drivers. These guys are great. Yes! they use a meter system and are amoung the most honest I have seen in my travels in Europe. Most European countries do charge extra for luggage usually around 1 to 1.5 euros per piece of luggage. The 17 Euros from the ship to Las Ramblas was a very honest price. A taxi from the ship to the Lower Diagonal area would have cost more. A taxi to the Airport would have been around 25 to 28 euros from the ship. There is a big question mark here......The Taxi driver charged a reasonable amount "did he get a tip"? The tourist was traveling in "Spain". The tourist said "he wouldn't speak English" Putting all this together sounds like the Taxi driver is the one who was short changed. By the way.....for anyone traveling in Italy the taxi drivers do not speak English, they speak "Italian". Do not trust the taxi drivers in Rome. Use the local transportation system. Tim

[paulita]

 

I guess it's not that I don't have the money, it's just that I did not know I need to "bargain" before I got in a taxi. I thought all taxis were metered, straight and simple. By threatening to jump off the taxi saved us 8 euros (original he quoted 25 euro), but the whole thing just left a really bad taste in my mouth for a long time. Luckily Barcelona is such a lovely city, we later decided that even with the taxi rip-off, we still fell in love with Barcelona.

 

Regarding taxis, there are no laws set in stone. In some countries taxis don't have meters so you must negotiate the price with the driver before getting in the car. In others, there's a fixed rate depending on the distance to your destination (again, no meters). You just have to be aware of the different ways taxis operate in the country or city you're visiting (there might be more than one). With luggage in Barcelona, maybe 8-12 euros was a bit short. On the other hand, the driver probably wanted to make a few extra bucks with a couple of unsuspecting tourists. Anyhow, I think you came off well at 17 euros, even though it almost meant jumping off the car!!

[Busybears]

The whole point of my posting is simply to let people know about needing to have a set amount before hopping in a cab in Barcelona. I know about having to do so in some other cities (such as Dubrovnik and Santorini) as I have read about it either here or on travel guide books.

 

We did not short the driver. If he really thougt the deserved the 25 euro, he could have stop the cab right away as we asked him to. We are very generous towards all people who we receive services from; however, we don't want to be taken advantage of either.

[cadcruiser]

We took a taxi called by our hotel to the port in Barcelona and the driver wanted 5 euro each for our two bags and 10 euro for being dropped off at the port. This was an additional 20 euro above the rate on the meter. We got out of the cab and discussed the rates in front of other passengers and taxi drivers. The driver looked embarrassed and was willing to accept anything at that point.

[chipmaster]

Does anyone have any information on the cost of a Cab from the ship to Las Ramblas? We are 2 couples and were hoping to get a van but the prices are so high. We welcome any info.

 

 

Most of the cabs can hold 4 with limited luggage. We ended up securing 3 taxis for 11 people and our luggage. We got similar rates for all 3 cabs to a hotel at the end of Las Ramblas roughly 30 euros. It included surcharge for both passengers and luggage.

[CoralReef]

We took a taxi from the ship to La Sagrada Familia in May 2009. When we asked how much it would be (per advice from this board), the taxi driver was (politely) insulted. He explained that taxis in Barcelona are all metered, depending on distance and time of day and pieces of luggage, and that drivers don't just make up fares. He said, "You are in Europe, not the third world!"

 

The fare was 18 euros, just about what we'd been told to expect. I don't think it's necessary to set an amount in advance, when the taxis are metered.

[cruisingrus]

Anyone know roughly how much a taxi would cost from airport to my hotel ( Petit Palace Museum)which is 2 blocks north of Plaza Catalunya? And how much would a taxi be from this hotel to the ship Voyager of the Seas? Thanks!

[rosie#1]

Do they charge more if you reserve a taxi? I was quoted the rate of 45 euros for two people to go from the port to the airport. I wanted to reserve a taxi because my flight is at 10:30am.

[bqkali]

Do they charge more if you reserve a taxi? I was quoted the rate of 45 euros for two people to go from the port to the airport. I wanted to reserve a taxi because my flight is at 10:30am.

 

Yes, it is a 3 or 4 euro fee to call for a taxi (as opposed to just getting in one on the street).

 

Here is a summary of taxi charges (source: http://www.taxibarcelona.cat/Portals/0/pdfs/Tarifes%20Taxi%202009.pdf):

2,00€ Meter start

0,86€ per kilometer

0,31€ per waiting minute (based on 18,60€ per hour)

Prices jump to 1,10€ per kilometer and 18,80€ per waiting hour on nights (8pm-8am) and all day on Saturday.

**If you use a taxi for just a short trip, be aware there is a minimum 7,00€ fare and your fare will be rounded up even if you only go 1km.

**Also, there is a 20€ minimum fare for LEAVING the airport, but there is no minimum fare for GOING to the airport

 

Additional supplements that MAY apply:

2,00€ Weekend night supplement (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between midnight and 6am)

3,40€ reserve fee (to call for a taxi, instead of finding one on the street; changes to 4,20€ on nights and Saturdays)

3,10€ airport supplement

2,10€ cruise port supplement

2,10€ train station supplement

1,00€ per suitcase

[moody10000]

Question: Is it relatively easy to get a cab in front of the hotel (we are staying at Jazz, and sailing out next Sunday), or is it easier to just spend the few extra Euros, and have the hotel call a cab? Don't feel like standing around outside, waiting for a cab to come by. Do they tend to hang around outside hotels, much like in the States?