Will be in both Florence & Rome in a month, and when not walking (or at night) I'd like to call on a taxi app to get around. Have heard that Uber does exist in Florence but is mad expensive. Have also heard FREENOW is the app of choice in Rome but is not reliable.
Experiences, recommendations, warnings? Thanks!
In Rome I tried 4-5x to order a taxi on a recommended app (don't recall which one) during busy times between Christmas & NY, I never succeeded. We waited at taxi stands, where we eventually always got a taxi. I would suggest looking at where taxi stands are located, they seemed to be pretty convenient, we just used Google maps. Good luck!
We were in Rome a few months ago and had no problems ordering taxis using Freenow. We generally used them when coming back to the hotel after dinner outside of the center. Same trip, we met with a friend who has some mobility problems, so occasionally we also took taxis from sight to sight. In those cases usually just getting one at a taxi rank.
Yeah, I'm afraid that's what we'll end up doing. Not the worst thing. I figure from the Florence Peretola airport or Roma Termini station we'll be fine. One night in Rome we'll walk from Campo de' Fiori to a wine bar in Prati (~ 1 mile) owned by a distant cousin for drinks & small plates, but don't really want to be walking back late at night. So we may ask him to call us a taxi--I'm sure he does this all the time.
Uber only exists as Uber Black in Italy (to compare to the US products) Siince you are essentially reserving a car, not sure how immediate it might be, certainly not like regular Uber.
FreeNow is the most recommended app for Rome, but AppTaxi and ITTaxi are also available, and more recommended for Florence.
You are basically just using the app to call a regular taxi, with the added benefit that you will know what the ride will cost, and your location and destination are known in GPS.. They likely work fine when there is plenty of availability, but less so during off hours or busy times. Having someone call a taxi for you, or going to a taxi stand works as well.
I suspect with the apps, response may vary, since it makes the fare less "negotiable" for the driver. The fare though using an app will be a bit higher than going to a taxi stand since they add a service or call fee.
I've used AppTaxi with good success in several north Italian towns big and small, but haven't tried it in Florence or Rome. They claim coverage in both those cities but I can't speak from experience.
If it works for you it's convenient because you can pay in the app and they will even book future trips within 24 hours. I've only done that twice and it worked - they won't book it unless a local company responds back as taking the reservation.
=Tod
Freenow and ItTaxi app both work in Rome. ItTaxi (which is owned by the Italian Radio Taxi association) has an agreement with Uber, so you can actually summon a real taxi with the Uber app in Rome. Just know that both Uber and Freenow, add a fee to the ride (I think 3€ now). ItTaxi does not.
Florence taxi companies dropped ItTaxi app when it reached the agreement with Uber (they don’t like competition) so they use AppTaxi and TaxiMove (depending which of the two companies you use).
It is likely that you will use the taxi only from the airport or station to the hotel and back, because in all other circumstances you will probably walk, especially Florence, whose city center is only about one square mile.
Freenow and ItTaxi app both work in Rome. ItTaxi (which is owned by
the Italian Radio Taxi association) has an agreement with Uber, so you
can actually summon a real taxi with the Uber app in Rome. Just know
that both Uber and Freenow, add a fee to the ride (I think 3€ now).
ItTaxi does not.Florence taxi companies dropped ItTaxi app when it reached the
agreement with Uber (they don’t like competition) so they use AppTaxi
and TaxiMove (depending which of the two companies you use).It is likely that you will use the taxi only from the airport or
station to the hotel and back, because in all other circumstances you
will probably walk, especially Florence, whose city center is only
about one square mile.
Agreed, Roberto. Other than from Peretola airport to our AirBnB on Tornabuoni, we haven't planned on using taxis. But if we wanted to visit, it is quite a hike to the Michelangelo overlook across the river, no? It's an easy walk to a gelato place in the Oltrarno, where we'll be picked up to attend a cooking class in Chianti. And at the end of our stay, we'll walk to SMN for our train to Rome.
It's always more been Rome I'm concerned about logistically. But we'll get along fine with this great info.
