Whether you are looking to use a taxi service to get to work, or if you will be using a taxi when you are on vacation, you might be worried about the cost of the fare. Cab fares can get expensive, but if you follow these tips, you're sure to save at least a few bucks.
Ask for the Shortest Route
Some taxi drivers will take you the long way in order to show you a more scenic route. Some tourists do prefer this, but it probably isn't what you're interested in if you visit the city frequently or are in a rush to get to where you are going. If this isn't something that you're interested in and if you want to save as much as possible, let you taxi driver know. If you tell him or her to take you on the shortest route, then you can often shave quite a bit off of your fare. Plus, as a bonus, you will arrive at your destination more quickly in most cases.
Pay With Cash
If you're like a lot of people, you might tend to pay for things with your debit card or credit card. Although many taxi services do accept credit or debit nowadays, many of them charge a higher rate for using them rather than paying in cash. The fee might be a percentage of your fare, or it could be a flat fee. Either way, chances are good that you will save money if you pay with cash instead, so take the time to withdraw cash if you know that you will be taking a cab ride.
Bring Change
Paying with cash is a good idea, but you should make sure that your bring along smaller bills so that you won't need change. Even though you will probably want to tip your taxi driver, you probably won't want to tip more than the standard rate, which is generally considered to be around 15 percent of your cab fare. If you don't have smaller bills, however, your taxi driver might not have change, which can leave you tipping more than you meant to.
As you can see, there are a few ways that you can spend less money when you are taking a taxi. Whether you only take a taxi like Union Taxi every now and then or if you use their services on a daily basis, these tips can help you save quite a bit.