| Taxi services around the world range from the very | | | | Moscow |
| good to the hopelessly corrupt and downright | | | | In Moscow, there is a "gypsy cab" culture - if you |
| dangerous - if you've just landed at a foreign airport, | | | | stand by the road with your thumb out, pretty much |
| taxi trouble is the last thing you want. You're tired, | | | | anyone will pull over and give you a lift, looking to earn |
| weighed down with luggage, and you just want to get | | | | a little money as they drive through the city. However, |
| to your hotel without any hassle. The bad news for | | | | this service is completely unregulated, and can lead to |
| travellers is that at the airport taxi drivers are most | | | | arguments over fares. Unless your Russian is up to |
| likely to try and rip you off - they know you are tired, | | | | scratch, it's best to stick to the official taxis! |
| they know you are new to the country and they know | | | | Mexico City |
| that they have the chance to trick or pressure you into | | | | Sometimes taxi fares feel like daylight robbery, but in |
| paying more than you should. But forewarned is | | | | Mexico this is no exaggeration! The taxi fleet in Mexico |
| forearmed: here are five cities that are renowned for | | | | City is made up of white and green VW Beetles - |
| having some of the worst taxis in the world... | | | | they may look cute, but don't be fooled. There have |
| Cairo | | | | been persistent reports of passengers being driven to |
| Cairo is infamous as being one of the most infuriating | | | | an ATM and forced to withdraw large sums of |
| places to catch a cab. Whether you catch a cab on | | | | money. Using airport transfer services and only taking |
| the street or at the airport, taxi drivers in Cairo have a | | | | taxis that you have contacted in advance are the best |
| nasty tendency to be rude, aggressive and | | | | ways to avoid the problem. |
| consistently overcharge. Even if you've agreed on a | | | | Lagos |
| price before you start the trip, Cairo taxi drivers will | | | | The taxi drivers in this Nigerian city aren't the problem - |
| invariably ask for much more when it is time to pay. | | | | it's the thousand and one petty officials who will flag |
| Cairo veterans claim the best tactic is just to give | | | | your cab down looking for a bribe. "Official" |
| them what you think is fair and walk away without | | | | checkpoints pepper the roads, and travel through the |
| getting into an argument - it might just be worth getting | | | | city can rapidly become very tiresome, so catch a cab |
| a pre-booked airport taxi and saving yourself the | | | | in the street at your own risk! |
| hassle! | | | | By far the best way to avoid taxi trouble when you've |
| Caracas | | | | just arrived in a country is to get an airport transfer. In |
| The standard white cabs of Caracas are of a good | | | | many countries, the actual licensed cabs tend to be |
| enough quality, but there is a fleet of pirate cabs | | | | reliable and honest - it's the unlicensed ones who are |
| (usually nothing more than unmarked cars with a paper | | | | most likely to try and scam you. It may be tempting to |
| taxi sign stuck in the window) who are notoriously | | | | jump in the car of the first cab who offers to pick you |
| unreliable. When you arrive at the airport, your taxi | | | | up, but it is well worth sticking with the big licensed taxi |
| should be pre-booked through an airport shuttle | | | | companies and airport shuttle services when it comes |
| service, or you are liable to get more than you | | | | to finding your way around an unfamiliar city. |
| bargained for on a ride through the Venezuelan capital. | | | | |