What Is The Best Taxi App
Indira Rossetto
I've read some anectdotal accounts of people feeling they were overcharged by their driver in Athens. Wondering if this is actually a valid concern, and if using the Freenow app or Uber would help avoid that?
We were in Athens last summer. During certain times of day it can be very hard to get a taxi using Freenow/Uber. And yes, the drivers do want to overcharge you. We were trying to get from Monastiraki back to our hotel in Petralona in the middle of the afternoon. We could get no response on Freenow even though there were taxis everywhere. When we flagged down a couple they quoted us double what Freenow quoted. Finally we got a bite on the app and traveled home for the offered price. Also, on a Sunday morning we had to wait a while (10-15 min) for a Freenow. Just make sure if you flag someone down you ask the price BEFORE getting in. And be prepared to be patient.
We had the same experience as cprothero twice with Freenow (at night), no taxi ever responded to my request. I abandoned these services and we take taxis like everyone else, old school style, by waving at them in the street. We have never been scammed and yet my Greek vocabulary is more than approximate!
This discussion is helpful. I'll be arriving to Athens airport around 9:30 pm. My air bnb host mentioned the BEAT App and said it is the equivalent of MYTAXI which I'm not familiar with. Anyone ever used or heard of this?
Also with Welcome Pickups is there a certain area of the airport you have to go to to find them?
thanks
The Dodge Grand Caravan is the most popular minivan in the United States. This is almost entirely due to its sales success with Enterprise Rent-a-Car, taxi drivers, and the occasional confused grandparent who swears he needs a minivan for when the grandkids come to visit.
I have really enjoyed reading over this thread. It exposes the very souls of the readers of your blog. 1. very minimal sensa Yuma. Not that there is anything wrong with Yuma.2. not the slightest clue as to what it might be like to actually run or operate a cab or limo service.3. mainly white collar salarymen who mostly use cabs and limos when they are on expense account4. a few NYC residents who are too weak to go into the Subway (dat's really weak folks) and too poor to afford cabs (pretty poor). Time for these losers to go back to Iowa where they came from.
Given America is such a big carmaker I feel any vehicle chosen should be American in make. I really don't understand the fact most of the suggestions are for foreign makes. Back in 1980's when the original Checker cab went out out of production the mayor of New York was looking for a good replacement. And one condition stuck out to me more than any other. It had to be American made. Now fast forward 30 years and the vehicle of choice is a Nissan of all things, despite the fact the Nissan is virtually identical to the ford transit connect. I don't believe either are evem made here. In Germany you see Mercedes taxis. In Japan you see Toyota taxis. In India you see Hindustan taxis. In England you see black cabs. Why couldn't a good US taxi be a US brand?I also disagree with the idea it doesn't matter what a taxi looks like. It all factors into the feel of a city. Often times when one thinks of a city its transportation is the first thing to come to mind. If you live in that city you want to keep your own culture. If you're an outsider you want to experience that culture. If I'm riding around in Japanese or Korean econo-cars I don't feel like I'm in New York.But yeah, in terms of taxis I'd really like to see a modern version of the old purpose-built checker marathons. I've seen a few pretty cool looking concept sketches for a new Checker cab that would be wheelchair accessible and spacious.Second would be the Lincoln Town car, mainly because of its durability, comfort and reliability. Even if its now a defunct model. If we're to go with a van I'd just say Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country. They're easy to fit with wheelchair lifts and they're reliable and pretty comfy. And unlike the Nissan they're built in North America.I do feel any taxi should ideally be body on frame, with easily interchangeable parts. And comfort should be pretty high priority as well. One huge advantage of the vic is that it is body on frame. In fact its the last sedan built that way, which is why it was so popular with police.
My name is GeorgeKokkotos. I am a taxi driver in Greece. Not anordinary taxi driver. I am the Best Taxi Driver inGreece. At least that is what people say and thatis what I am trying to be. Twenty five years ago I sold myrestaurant in New York to come back to Greecewhere my family was and my heart will always be. Ihad saved enough money to begin a new life but inGreece things are not so easy as in America and soI became a taxi driver to support my family. Beinga taxi driver in Athens is difficult. The faresare very low and gas is very expensive.
Then I began to take people on excursions around Athens, to theParthenon, the museums, shopping trips (I havesaved many people money by being able to bargainfor them), and to places like the lovely temple of Poseidon atCape Sounion(photo) where you can see some of the mostbeautiful sunsets in a dramatic setting and have lunch at one of the small fish tavernas on the beach below or along the coastal road from Athens. Then Istarted taking people to places like Delphi withits famous Oracle, Meteora and the monasteries ontop of those big rocks, and to the Peleponessostoo. I take people on day trips to historicNafplion, the former capital of Greece, Mycenaeand its impressive ruins, Corinth with the canaland the fortress above the city and many otherplaces. On all the excursions we stop at beaches,quiet taverns, remote churches and monasteriesbecause when you see Greece like this you have thefreedom to see everything and to stop and look atanything that captures your interest.Be sure to visit George's New Website which lists all his tours and services at GeorgesTaxi.com
Lately people have hired me for tours of Athens and the surrounding area between flights and ferries. So if you arrive in the morning and you have a few (or many) hours before your ferry to the islands we can put your bags in the trunk, visit beaches, ancient sites, have a nice meal in a seaside taverna, and then I will take you right to your ferry. Or back to the airport if you are continuing by plane. When Matt Barrett arrives in Greece we go straight to a nearby beach for his firstofficial swim (no matter how cold it is) and then to a taverna, have a lunch and for Matt to have his first official ouzo of the summer(I don't drink when I work). Then I drive him to his hotel so he can recover from his flight (and lunch).
Ihave taken people on long trips around themainland and to the islands. I have even takenpeople to some of the best restaurants in andaround Athens that would be very difficult to findon their own. I take people to out of the waybeaches that most tourists will never see. Sometravelers hire me to be there when their boatarrives from the island. They get off the boat and find methere ready to take them to their hotel, theairport or wherever they want to go. Some hire meto make sure they get to that early ferry orflight. Some want me to be at the airport to takethem to their hotel because you feel a lot betterabout arriving in a new place when you knowsomeone is waiting for you who speaks English andknows where you are going. I even help you tocheck in just in case there are any problems andif there are I won't leave you until they areresolved.I can also find out for you the exact ferry times for those who have trouble understanding the Greek ferry schedules so you can make the most of your time between the hotel, flights and ferries.
I have also takenGreek-Americans who are searching for their lostroots (like the TV show), to their ancestralvillages where I was able to translate and locatefamily members and witness many happy reunions.
I have a brand new Mercedes Taxi. Fully air-conditioned and very comfortable with leather interior. I drive very carefully and I do not smoke. In my car I carry the latest guidebooks and brochures for all the sites we visit so that if you get tired of looking at the beautiful countryside you can read about where we are going and ask me questions about what we will see. I can promise you that if you take a journey with me, whether it is a half day trip in Athens or a week long excursion around the country you will come back with an understanding of Greece that you will treasure and you will have perhaps the best vacation of your life. You will eat the best food and be treated like a guest of my country and when we say goodbye at the airport you will be saying goodbye to a friend you will always remember and hope to see again. That is why I say I am The Best Taxi Driver in Greece.
If you require limo service in luxury cars please contact Dennis at limo...@yahoo.com
E-mail is so unreliable these days that if you have an alternate e-mail address that George can cc his reply this is helpful.
OPERATION HOURS : Please mind the time difference between your city and Athens. You may send an e-mail anytime however please only call between 8am till 10pm (Greece time) so we can get some sleep. In case you already have a reservation and need to reach us urgently,please use the numbers that have been given to you on your confirmation letter.
You can also read the Reviews from my customers For those with infants I do have a have a car seat for the purpose of transporting your child in safety.
For groups too large for a taxi we now have a limo and bus available too.
Keep in mind also that we are not licensed tour guides, nor is any private taxi. That means by law we can not take you into the sites and give you a guided tour. We can tell you everything we know about the sites up until you enter the site but Greek archaeological sites and museums are very strict about using only licensed guides within the sites themselves. We can arrange for you to have a guide if you think it is necessary for you to have a full understandingof what youare seeing and there are guides available at mostof the sites that you can hire.
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