A popular means of transportation in Miami is the taxi that you can use for transportation in the city. But you have to know that especially in Florida the car is still the most important means of transportation.
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Information about the cab in Miami
As a tourist, you need some form of transportation to get around the metropolis of Miami. In most of the biggest cities in the world like London, Paris or New York this is very important and it is used there very often. Of course, there are cabs in Miami and you can go everywhere with them.
But you will not find them as often as for example in a comparable other big city in the USA. If it is possible then you should rather rent a car and take it directly at Miami International Airport. Then you are very flexible and can go everywhere with this which is very practical. On this page you will learn everything you need to know if you want to use a cab. Basically this is possible. But you should not use this as your preferred means of transportation.
Where are they located at all
A very important question is of course where you can find a taxi in Miami. Usually you know that you stand on the street and then wave to a passing cab that you want to go. Normally this works there also in such a way, but it drives not very many around what one can imagine. But there is a central place at the Miami airport where there are cabs and you can take them to the booked hotel in Miami like the Biltmore.
So this is no problem if you don’t want to rent a car for example. Furthermore, you can always find cabs at the hotels in Miami and there are always many people who want to take a ride. If there is none available then you just go to the reception and tell the staff there that you need a cab. These then call the cab center and then you have to wait until this comes.
Use only official and licensed cabs
Very important for tourists is to use only an official cab in Miami. This means that you can always recognize them by the yellow color. Furthermore, there is also a license number on it where you can see that this is registered with the city. Another distinguishing feature is the inscription Taxi on the roof in yellow color. If this is not the case then you should not get in because there could be problems.
As soon as you get in, you should always check if the taximeter has been reset to zero. It may be that the driver increases the starting price if you want to leave the airport, for example. But at the taximeter you can always see how much you have to pay. When you arrive then you pay the ride best in cash. As a rule, you should give the driver a little tip if you were satisfied.
Prices for the ride with a taxi
It always depends on where exactly you want to go. As already mentioned, the starting price from the airport can be higher. But usually you pay about $2.95 for the first 1/6 mile. After that, you pay $0.40 for each additional mile, and the same amount applies to waiting at a traffic light, for example. But the maximum amount you have to pay is 24 US dollars per hour.
If you exceed this limit, you should immediately ask the driver about it. But you can always see exactly on the taximeter how much you have to pay. Furthermore it can be that you drive on a toll road and there the price for the ride increases. By the way, there are many of them in Miami. Especially when you drive over bridges.
What to do if you get in the wrong cab
First of all you should always check if there is a taximeter. If this is not the case you have to tell the driver where you want to go. After that, the driver has to name a price. But it can be that the driver wants to have more money. There you are not on the safe side and therefore you should rather avoid this.
How much does a ride from the airport
Many tourists need a cab after landing at the airport. For example, if you have booked a hotel around the airport then you will pay about $12 to $18 for the ride. But here it is better to use the free shuttle buses from the hotels. If you want to go to Coconut Grove, for example, it costs about 20 US dollars.
For Downtown Miami you have to calculate about 25 US dollars. But if the booked hotel is located in Miami Beach then you can easily pay up to 40 US dollars. But you have to know that parking is very expensive in the hotel and that costs at least 20 US dollars per day. So this is not so expensive again.
Is there also Uber in Miami
As in any major city in the U.S., there is in Miami also the driving service company Uber that you can use. There, the prices for a ride are of course much cheaper than the official cabs. The whole thing works via the app on the smartphone and it is very convenient. But you must always know that these are private providers and you do not know exactly who owns the car and whether this is insured at all. We recommend then but rather to use the licensed cabs if you have to spend a little more money you.
Our opinion
Basically it is possible to get around in Miami with a cab. But these are not very widespread as for example in New York City. You have to be lucky to get one. But at the airport and from the hotels you always have a very good chance. Our tip is to go to the reception of the hotel and they can request one.
