Taxi & Rideshare Rules in Every Country

Taxis are metered, honest, and widely available, but expensive — use the Japan Taxi, S.RIDE, or Uber app to book.

Uber and Careem both operate in the UAE, and official metered taxis are widely available, honest, and affordable.

Grab is the dominant rideshare app in Thailand covering both cars and motorbikes, while metered taxis are widely available in cities — always insist on the meter.

Uber in Germany operates only with licensed taxis, not private drivers — expect the same metered fares as a regular cab.

Uber, Bolt, and Ola all operate across the UK; London's iconic black cabs are metered and trustworthy but expensive.

Uber and Bolt operate across France, and G7 and Taxis Bleus are Paris's official taxi companies — all taxis are metered and Uber from CDG airport is often cheaper than a taxi.

Uber dominates rideshare in Australia, with DiDi and Ola also available and typically cheaper than traditional taxis.

Grab is the dominant rideshare app in Singapore, with official metered taxis and Gojek also widely available.

Official white taxis with meters are reliable; use itTaxi or Uber to book safely and avoid unmarked touts, especially at major train stations.

Uber does not operate in Turkey — use BiTaksi or InDriver apps, or official metered yellow taxis in Istanbul.

Use Uber or InDriver exclusively in major cities — street taxis in Mexico City and other large cities carry a serious and documented express kidnapping risk.

Uber and Cabify both operate in Spain's major cities, and official metered taxis are reliable and regulated — always use the meter or agree a fare before departure.

Use Uber or local app 99 rather than hailing street taxis, especially in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo where unofficial taxis carry real safety risks.

Use Ola or Uber for safe, app-metered rides in all major cities, and always use prepaid taxi booths inside airports rather than touts outside.

Use the Didi app for rideshare — it is reliable, metered, and has an English interface; street taxis work but communicating your destination without Chinese is difficult.

Taxis in South Korea are metered, generally honest, and the Kakao T app (available in English) makes hailing one straightforward.

Grab is the essential app for all city transport — use it to avoid overcharging; Vinasun and Mai Linh are trusted metered taxi brands.

Taxis are metered and reliable; Uber and the Beat app operate in Athens using licensed taxi drivers.

Uber and Bolt are widely available in Lisbon and Porto and are generally reliable and fairly priced.

Uber and Bolt are widely available and reliable in Dutch cities; official TCA taxis in Amsterdam are legitimate but expensive — bikes and trams are often faster in the city centre.

Uber and Lyft operate in all major Canadian cities and are the most convenient option — taxis are available but often more expensive.

Gojek and Grab are the dominant and most reliable options; Blue Bird is the trusted metered taxi company; never use unmarked taxis.

Use Grab — street taxis in KL frequently refuse to use meters, while Grab offers fixed prices, GPS tracking, and is the dominant safe option.

Use Uber or Careem — they are safer, fairly priced, and remove the need to negotiate every fare.

Use petit taxis for city travel (always insist on the meter) and grand taxis for intercity routes; there is no Uber, and Careem operates only in Casablanca.

Uber and Careem are the best options for getting around Saudi cities — reliable, app-based, and available nationwide.

Karwa metered taxis and Uber are the main options; both are reliable, widely available, and generally honest.

Use Uber or Bolt — they are safe, metered, and reliable; never use minibus taxis; formal metered taxis available at airports and hotels.

Uber operates in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch; traditional taxis are metered and reliable; a rental car is essential outside major cities.

Use Grab for all city travel — many Manila taxis have tampered meters or refuse to use them; only use the official yellow fixed-rate taxis from NAIA airport.

Metered black-and-yellow taxis are reliable in Buenos Aires, and Uber operates well despite ongoing legal tension with taxi unions.

Always use ride-hailing apps (Uber, InDriver, Cabify) — never hail a street taxi, as unofficial cabs are linked to documented kidnapping crimes called 'paseo millonario'.

Uber is widely available and generally reliable in tourist areas; official red taxis must use the taxímetro meter, and orange taxis serve San José's airport.

Always use Uber, InDriver, or Cabify in Lima — never hail a street taxi — as express kidnapping by unofficial taxis is a documented, serious risk.

Taxis in Switzerland are among the world's most expensive — use public transport whenever possible; Uber operates in major cities and is somewhat cheaper.

Taxis are metered and reliable; Uber and Bolt operate in Vienna; for the airport, the CAT train or S-Bahn is far cheaper than any taxi.

Use Uber or Bolt in Czech Republic — Prague taxis have a long history of overcharging tourists.

Use Uber or Bolt for reliable, price-transparent travel in all major Polish cities; traditional taxis are legitimate but some overcharge tourists, especially at airports.

Always use app-based taxis or official metered services — avoid unmarked taxis, particularly at Arlanda Airport, where overcharging tourists is a well-documented scam.

Uber and Bolt operate in Oslo alongside metered official taxis — all are honest but expensive; outside Oslo, taxis generally need to be pre-booked.

Uber and Bolt operate in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik; use them to avoid overcharging by unmetered local taxis.

Use the Bolt app for all taxi needs in Hungary — Uber does not operate here, and unmetered street taxis have a long history of overcharging tourists.

Use Uber in Amman for metered, fair-priced travel — outside the capital, always agree a price with taxi drivers before you get in.

PickMe is the dominant local app; Uber also works in Colombo; tuk-tuks are everywhere but always negotiate the price before boarding.

Taxis in Kathmandu and Pokhara rarely use meters — use the Pathao or InDriver apps for transparent pricing or firmly negotiate a fare before getting in.

Hong Kong taxis are metered and honest, but accept cash or Octopus Card only — bring your destination written in Chinese characters.

There are no rideshare apps — in Malé taxis cover short distances, while speedboats and dhonis serve as inter-island transport.

Use Uber, Little Cab, or Bolt in Nairobi for safe and fairly priced transport; never hail random street taxis at night; negotiate fares in advance outside Nairobi.

Uber is not available in Tanzania; Bolt operates in Dar es Salaam, and everywhere else taxis require negotiating a firm price before you enter the vehicle.

Uber and Lyft operate in virtually every US city and are the default way to get around without a car — traditional taxis still operate mainly at airports and in NYC.