Paseo Millonario - Article in English
In Colombia, taxis are the go-to solution for traveling in big to mid-sized towns and cities, especially for tourists. You can’t miss them, they are bright yellow and have their license plates painted on the sides. A lot of the taxis here in Colombia are connected to transportation apps like Uber and inDriver, so don’t be surprised if one shows up when using these apps. There are a few important things to know about taxis here in Colombia, especially when using them in the bigger cities.
The first is that you need to be cautious and use common sense. You should never take a taxi that pulls up to you and asks if you need a ride. You should be the one that hails down the random taxis of your choice if you choose to grab one on a street corner. Taxis are known to be used for committing “Paseos Millonarios” or millionaire trips, which means using a taxi to rob people. In short, they pick up an unsuspecting client, hold him at gunpoint and drive around to ATMs and withdraw all the money in their accounts, sometimes even making huge purchases with their credit cards online. To avoid this from happening to you, I would suggest downloading and using the apps as soon as you arrive in Colombia. If you have to or want to use the taxis in the street, then never let one pick you. These are usually ones that are parked alongside the road or that are driving slowly down the road looking for passengers. Always be the one to pick the taxi. Let a few taxis drive by and then hail one down that is driving down the street at a normal speed. There should be a big laminated card in the back seat with their information and fee prices. Taxis do have a taxi meter that will either show you the final price or a number that can be looked up on the laminated card.
The second one is vital and may seem trivial, the closing of the door. Cars in Colombia don’t have the strict safety manufacturing regulations that other countries have, meaning that a lot of the doors on the cars are lighter, especially on cheaper cars. So, after getting in or out, never slam the door shut, or you may get an earful or more. Many foreigners make this unconscious mistake, don’t let it be you.
The third helpful thing to know is that although tipping your taxi is acceptable, it’s not very common here in Colombia. Most Colombians do not tip or, if so, it’s less than 10%.
The final thing to know is that traveling in a taxi from 7pm until 4am has a surcharge that is added to the fare at the end of the ride. The price of that surcharge is on the laminated card.
Note: It’s common for car windows to be broken at stop lights by motorcycles looking to snatch a purse, cellphone or watch (especially in Bogota, Medellin and Cali) so I usually put my backpack on the floor board and don’t use my cellphone while in a taxi.
If you have any questions about traveling to Colombia please feel free to contact me or leave your questions here.
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