Taxi

In St. Petersburg there are several major services (official taxi) using their own vehicles for passenger’s transportation. Also there are small private enterprises and private cars used as taxi. Usually you can recognize official and private taxi by bar on the rooftop and “TAXI” signs on the sides of a car. Sometimes the name of the company is the same as their phone number. Private cars being used as taxi can be unidentified.

The best way to take a taxi in St. Petersburg is to order it by phone or online.

While ordering it is necessary to appoint time for taxi arrival, to name initial and final points of the route and to leave your contact number. The fare is calculated by an operator; based on a company rates and distance, it is announced to you immediately. You don’t need to negotiate with a driver or pay more than the operator told you; tips are not expected but usually welcomed. Usually a taxi arrives within 15-20 minutes and you will be notified of its arrival (your contact number is needed just for this). If you book a taxi online, you should fill in all the same information, and the cost will be reported to you before you confirm the trip. Some taxi companies have their websites in English. If you don’t speak Russian, you can do it through your hotel or travel agency.

The prices for taxi in Saint Petersburg are quite reasonable, so we do not recommend you to hire a private car just in the city streets at lower fare. At the railway stations, airports and usual tourist spots you can find VACANT taxies but in such places drivers usually ask for a higher fare, especially when charging foreign tourists. Often you will be able to catch a taxi at a reasonable fare just going a few meters away from a station square or a hotel.

Negotiating with a driver remember that fare depends on the time of day and a district of St. Petersburg. If you know approximate cost of a trip, you may assign fare by yourself and there is always a chance that someone will agree with it (in case it’s reasonable, of course).

We would recommend you “068”, “6 000 000”, “Taksovichkoff”, “BMW-taxi”, “Taxity” companies, “Taxi Rossiya” for airport transfers or just contact us for a transfer!