When traveling in a city, taking a taxi is the most direct way to get from point A to point B.  They can be more expensive, but a lot more efficient and time saving.  Taxis can also be dangerous, so make sure to be safe when traveling.  Follow our top safety tips for taxis to avoid getting into a dangerous or harmful situation.

20 ways to stay safe when taking a taxi:

1)     Look for taxi stands

2)     Make sure the taxis are similar looking

3)     Check the taxi’s phone numbers

4)     Look for a taxi meter/radio

5)     Know generally where you are going

6)     Keep your luggage close

7)     Be cautious of sharing a cab

8)     Know who to call in case of emergencies

9)     Travel in pairs or groups

10)     Look for someone who kind of speaks your language

11)     Learn a bit of the local language

12)     Split up where you keep your money so you don’t show them everything you have

13)     Watch how you dress (don’t dress like a target)

14)     Look for a driver/car in good condition

15)     Don’t hail off street, call a taxi in advance

16)     Keep the windows up

17)     Sit in back not the passenger’s seat

18)     If you are threatened do not resist

19)     Don’t accept food/water form your driver

20)    Try to not travel late at night/when its dark

Taking a taxi in a foreign place may be daunting, but as long as you are careful and cautious you should be fine.  If you are looking for a taxi service, use TalkLocal.  Simply enter a brief description of your service needs along with your location and availability, and TalkLocal will connect you to multiple high quality companies in your area.

Philadelphia does not have the greatest reputation when it comes to taxis, but there are a few reliable companies in the area that can help you. If you’re looking for the best taxi cabs in Philadelphia, consider the following reputable services—because nothing can ruin a trip like a rude driver.

If you just landed at Philadelphia International Airport and want to travel to Atlantic City, you count on the Atlantic City Airport Car Service’s daily routes. You can check the timetables here.

Capital Dispatch Inc. is one of the highest rated taxi services in the Philadelphia area on Yelp. For the most part, the drivers are punctual and friendly. One customer reported that his driver drove back to his home after 15 minutes to return a belonging he left in the cab.

All City Taxi has also been known to go above and beyond for customer service. One customer reported that the company returned her phone in the mail. Another customer reported that the driver offered to personally return his wallet at the end of his shift. On Yelp, All City Taxi’s page is sprinkled with a few bad experiences, but overall, the company is one of the best in Philadelphia.

Instead of waiting on the corner to hail a cab, use TalkLocal to find an available taxi service that can give you a ride immediately. Submit a request online or through the phone stating your location and when you need the service. TalkLocal will put you on the phone with a local taxi driver in minutes! TalkLocal uses social reputation, online rankings and reviews, and call analytics to connect you to the best taxi cabs in Philadelphia.

How much does a taxi cost in Washington DC?  Traveling in D.C. can be complicated, but knowing how much it will cost allows you to be prepared and have more control over your travel plans. Check out this Washington D.C. taxi calculator to calculate how much it costs to take a taxi in Washington D.C.

Updates:

As of April 21, 2012, Washington D.C. cab fares increased

– Cab fare – Increase from $1.50 to $2.16 per mile

– Wait time – Up from $15 to $25 per hour

– Luggage – additional fees apply

– Pets ($1) and personal service fees ($2), and gas surcharge ($1) – charges that are no longer in effect

Common costs:

Base Charge – $3.00

Cab Fare – $2.16 per mile

Related taxi costs:

Traffic wait time – $25.00 per hour

Luggage – $0.50 for each piece of luggage placed into the trunk. Small items such as purses, bags of groceries or briefcases are excluded from this charge.

Instead of calling around trying to find a taxi, use TalkLocal to be connected to a taxi service in your area within minutes. This quick, free service makes finding taxis much more efficient and easier.

Catching a taxicab in New York City is notoriously difficult, and whether you are a tourist trying to find your way around or a local trying to get home from work, you can end up stuck waiting for as long as an hour.  The next time you are in the big city and facing this issue, there a couple things you can do to cut down on the time it takes to successfully find a cab and get to where you are going.

When figuring out the best place to catch a taxi, the first thing to do is to get on the side of the street that has traffic going in the direction you want to go.  This will make it easier and faster for any cab you see to pick you up.  You will generally want to wait on a street corner, rather than the side of a single street. Street corners have twice as many cars driving by so you are much more likely to see a taxi passing at any one time.  In general, more heavily trafficked corners will have more cabs around.  Where the traffic is concentrated is always changing, depending on the time and day of the week, but you can usually decrease your wait time by walking a few blocks to a more major street.  Try looking at a map of your part of the city and moving to the biggest street that you are close to.

If you have a smartphone, there is an even more sophisticated way to find the best place to catch a taxi.  The new free app called CabSense uses a huge database with information about past cab trips that was collected by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission to analyze traffic patterns and locate the best nearby corner to hail a cab.  The app takes the day of the week and the time of day into account in addition to the user’s location, and displays a rating of one through five stars for each of the best nearby corners.  If you download and use this app you should have no more trouble figuring out where to go to hail a taxi, but if you don’t feel like waiting at all then you should call ahead to arrange a pick-up.  You can use TalkLocal to find taxi services in your area.  All you need to do is enter your name, contact info, and a description of your needs and you will be automatically connected to a company that wants your business.

If you have ever lost your cell phone in a taxi, you know how incredibly difficult it is to get back.  Most of the time, it depends on the taxi driver and whether he/she is kind enough to track you down.  Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of things you can do other than hope the taxi driver turns in your phone to the local police station or the garage (these are places you should call if possible).

The following tips will help prevent you from losing your phone again, and facilitate the return process if you do. In Philadelphia, for instance, you can call 215-683-9440 to retrieve lost items.

Check your belongings before you leave

While this may be the obvious thing to do, you should always check the back seat and floor before you exit the taxi, as well as check your own belongings.  Make sure that all your devices are there and you haven’t left anything behind.  Try to avoid being distracted by talking on the cell phone or otherwise preoccupied so you don’t forget to check.

Get a receipt

Make sure to get a taxi receipt for your fare every single time.  This receipt will contain both the taxi driver’s name and the cab number, which will make it much easier to track down your cell phone or device if you do leave it behind.

Offer a reward

You’ll get much better response rates if you offer a monetary reward. Keep in mind that in order to return your phone, taxi drivers would be giving up potential fares, so you’ll definitely want to tip and reward them accordingly.

Communicate with the phone

Constantly sending text messages to the phone and calling it periodically will force whoever currently has the phone to take notice.  If all goes well, they may even answer the phone and potentially offer to return it, so being in constant communication will raise your chances of finding your phone.

Check the cab websites

If you lost your phone is a larger metro area such as New York City, they’ll often has online postings of lost/found properties, which may lead to greater success than going to the local police precinct or garage.  Check their websites and see whether or not they have property listings and a claim process as well.

If you’re ever looking for a taxi service, you should use TalkLocal to find the highest quality taxi services near you.  The higher the quality, the more likely they’ll be willing to go the extra mile to return your phone to you if you ever lose it.  You’ll be in good hands!

Taxi cabs can be a pain to deal with, especially when you’re worried about having enough cash to cover the fare. Each city and cab service has different rates, so read up on the specifics when choosing the right cab service.

Cabs in Baltimore:

How much does a taxi cost in Baltimore?  This depends on a number of things.  As for every taxi fare, it varies depending on where you are, how far you are going, and how long the trip lasts.  Additional factors come into play, such as inclement weather or particularly bad traffic conditions.

Tip percentages:

The expected tip percentage also varies depending on the city, and in some countries tipping might even offend the taxi driver.  It’s hard to give a fixed estimate for a taxi ride, but as a general estimate, the initial cost of a taxi in Baltimore is $1.80 and each additional mile is $2.20 extra.  For more accurate estimates of taxi fares, use TaxiFareFinder to get a fare estimate that takes into account characteristics of individual cities.

If you’re tired of calling numerous taxi companies and ended up still stranded, try using TalkLocal for free to find a reliable taxi company that will also give you their specific rates.