Taxis in Amsterdam

Taking a taxi in Amsterdam is expensive and it’s polluting. Around the city there are special taxi stands where you can take a taxi. From the Amsterdam Airport there are long lines if you want to take a taxi to Amsterdam. It’s best to order a taxi online, take the train or the bus.

10 facts about taking a taxi in Amsterdam

1. Amsterdam taxis are the worst of Europe

In a German research comparing the quality of taxi service in 22 European cities, Amsterdam came out number 19. So Amsterdam taxis are among the the worst of Europe.

Researchers asked test persons to take taxis and to judge the chauffeur, the taxi, the route and the price. According to the test people, in Amsterdam, taxis drove through red lights, made unnecessary detours, messed with the bill or just refused to take the passenger on board entirely.

This is not uncommon. Because the distances are so short in Amsterdam, taxis are only interested in taking you if you want to travel a long way. Short distances don’t make much money so they will refuse to take you.

You can be cheated into taking an illegal taxi which can cost you a lot of money. Always remember that legal taxis have blue licence plates.

2. Taking a taxi from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is best done online

A taxi from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Central Station is between € 50 and € 60. Taking a taxi from the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to your hotel or accommodation in Amsterdam is a real hassle. Already inside the airpot the taxi drivers are hunting you. Most are illegal taxi driver who will super overcharge you. If you manage to bypass these ‘black taxi drivers’, you will have to stand in a line outside and still bargain the price.

It is best to order a taxi online before get on your flight. For example Airport Taxi Deluxe picks you up from the airport Schiphol with a sign with your name on it. They escort you to your taxi and store the luggage in the back of the car. You are directly taken to your hotel or accomodation. You will have to make the reservation at least two days in advance.

READ MORE: How to get from Amsterdam airport to Amsterdam.

3. Amsterdam taxis are the most expensive of Europe

Are taxis expensive in Amsterdam? Yes. Taxi drivers can set their own price list, but the government sets out a maximum fare price. All taxis in Amsterdam are obliged to have a taxi meter and to turn in on. You pay the price that’s on the taximeter.

How much is a taxi in Amsterdam?

The price of a 4-person taxi in Amsterdam is composed of three parts. For an official TCA Taxi this is:

– The start price = the amount you pay just to get into the taxi and to drive the first 2 kilometers: € 2,95.
–  The price per kilometer: max. € 2,17  The price per minute: max € 0,36.

You can calculate the total price on the website of TCA.

Make sure the taximeter inside the taxi is working. You can also agree on a fixed price in some taxis. You agree to the fixed prices before the car starts driving. If you don’t agree with the fixed price, you always have the choice of paying the tariff of the taxi meter. Even if you have agreed on the fixed price, the taximeter should always be running. If you arrive at your destination and the price on the meter is lower than the agreed fixed price, you pay the price on the meter. If the meter price is higher, you pay the agreed price.

4. Yes there is Uber in Amsterdam

Yes, Uber exists in Amsterdam. They are a lot cheaper, but the chauffers make very little money.

5. An Amsterdam taxi never takes more than four people

Most Amsterdam taxis don’t carry more than 4 people per taxi. Most taxi services from the airport don’t allow more than 3 people. Only minivan taxis in Amsterdam allow 5 people or more.

6. An Amsterdam taxi is 35 times more polluting than a normal car

Driving a car is the most air polluting act the average citizen commits. In Amsterdam, taking a cab, is even worse. To be exact, taking a Amsterdam taxi is 35 times more polluting than driving a regular car.

Taxi Electric

To change this, Taxi Electric started with a green taxi service in Amsterdam. These taxis are electric and so have no directly polluting emissions. Order a green taxi online on www.taxi-e.nl or call +31 88 – 1004444.

Taxi Electric has Wifi and a tablet-pc in the car. The driver is an official employee of the company, so they are more likely to take you to your destination via the shortest route available.

7. Taxis in Amsterdam are driven by independent chauffeurs

Amsterdam taxis are either independent or work with a taxi service company to get customers. The cars are of different brands and colours, so they are not recognizable in the street. Politics is talking about a more monotonous system like elsewhere in the world where taxis are of the same colour.

8. In Amsterdam, you can hail a cab in the street, go to a ‘taxi stand’, call, or order a taxi online

Wondering how to get a taxi in Amsterdam? Though it’s possible to ‘hail a cab’ in the street in Amsterdam, most customers call to a  taxi service company to order a taxi. Taxi Centrale Amsterdam (TCA) is the biggest taxi company in Amsterdam. They organise customers for the taxi drivers.

Phone number taxi service Amsterdam

The telephone number to call a taxi in Amsterdam via TCA is 020 777 7777 (7 x7) or call Taxi Electric for an evironment friendly cab in Amsterdam: +31 88 – 1004444.

Hailing a cab in Amsterdam

When hailing a taxi in the street, be aware taxis in Amsterdam cannot just halt anywhere. For instance they cannot stop at a bus- or tram stop. It’s better to go to the nearest ‘taxi stand’ (In Dutch: taxistandplaats). There are 50 stands in Amsterdam so there should be one nearby. You can recognize them by the blue sign that says: P-taxi.

8. The Amsterdam taxi war

TCA had a monopoly in Amsterdam, until a new taxi law entered in 1998. This law stated that everybody could start a taxi or a taxi company.

The result of this liberalization was strange to say the least: there were many more taxis in Amsterdam, prices rose sharply and less people took taxis. At weekends, at night, long lines formed at taxi stands. The atmosphere turned grim. Customers were intimidated in taking the first taxi in the line, taxi drivers, many of the ‘new, unattached drivers’ turned violent. In July 2009, a customer was beaten to death by a taxi driver because of a row at the taxi stand at Leidseplein.

The former monopoly of TCA taxi drivers were furious as well, because they had paid up to 100.000 to get a taxi license and now new taxi drivers could start their business without investing much.

Legal taxis in Amsterdam have a blue license plate, a drivers’ pass on the dashboard and price list visible inside and outside.

9. ‘Black-market’ taxis

So called black taxis or ‘snorders’ are illegal taxis. Especially in the Amsterdam South East area (Amsterdam Zuidoost or ‘Bijlmer‘) there are hundreds of these black taxis. They are difficult to fight, since customers are happy with them because hey don’t charge as much as legal taxis.

An official, legal taxi has a light blue license plate.

10. Getting a taxi is easy, except on holidays

Getting a cab is not difficult. Only during holidays, weekends and especially New Years Eve, getting a taxi is very, very difficult. Be sure to reserve a taxi in advance.

undefined