Pre Paid Taxi

Shark · Nov 2nd, 2005, 10:17

I will be arriving in Delhi in December at midday and staying in Paharganj. The hotel will do a pick up for 500 Rs. I will be travelling with wife and two children. Should we get a pre paid taxi from the airport to Paharganj or pay the extra and get the hotel to pick us up?

aadil · Nov 2nd, 2005, 11:57

The hotel pickup usually charges for the car to go and come back to the airport so it is always cheaper to go with the prepaid taxi from the airport and it is never that expensive if you take the government run taxi booth and not the private taxi operators who also charge a similar amount as your hotel charges for the hotel pick up. The only advantage with the hotel pick up is that you will not have to search for the hotel if you are on your own!!! Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Aadil.

davey · Nov 2nd, 2005, 12:02

we always take the Hotel taxi as it's hectic at the airport and you wont need hassels with kids along, all it will cost is about $1AUD more if that and someone wiull be there with a sighn with your name on it, much easier than the taxis outside who will be pushing to get the fare even at the pre paid its a mad house, where are you staying at?

divadino · Nov 2nd, 2005, 16:06

To be honest pre-ordering a hotel pick up does not guarantee anything. I had arranged that by not only email but by phone with a fairly good hotel (Hotel Good Times in Karol Bagh) and they still didn't show up. My first frustration on my first trip to India.

So the decision is yours - if you find that they are not there (probably in the early hours of the morning like my situation) - getting a pre-paid taxi from the government booth is very easy (and not letting any random person tell you they have a taxi - make sure you give your ticket to the right person and don't let anyone else carry your bags other than you - even if they try to grab your bag - say NO very firmly and ward them off). The difference in money between a hotel car and and a pre-paid at the airport is neither here nor there.

When in the taxi, don't give out too much information about your plans and make it very clear that your hotel is already booked and you have just called them and they are there (i.e. not closed down as the driver may want you to believe) and are expecting you to walk through their doors within the next hour! Also make them believe you are a regular visitor to India and you know exactly what you are doing (even if you don't!!!)

If you read the first day's entry in my travelogue you will see what happenned to me on the taxi mix-up on arriving at Delhi airport!

have fun!

Dinah

cyberhippie · Nov 2nd, 2005, 16:25

I can't speak for hotel Relax but I've used a pick up service 7 times now and have never been let down!!
It's a hassle free introduction to India and great to know that your bed is ready and waiting!!
Prepaid taxis are cheaper (understandably so, a Hotel taxi has to drive out there, pay the parking and perhaps spend a couple of hours cooling his heels waiting for you to appear!!) but you always run the risk of getting a bit of hassle from these guys wanting to earn by suggesting Hotels for you. Now this isn't serious and it's easily deflected, after all you hold the coupon, without this said driver doesn't get paid!! If you make it clear that the receipt stays in your pocket until you arrive at YOUR hotel of choice the problem usually sizzles out.
Personally I prefer the pick up these days I don't have to think about all this stuff.
I do wish Delhi police would clean the taxi situation up a bit at the Airport, these guys have to have Airport licenses if they are found to be scammimg tourists, then they should lose their license instantly after all there are hundred of honest taxi driver who fill their place!! While they're at it maybe they could get rid of the touts on the stairwell leading to the tourist cell in New Delhi Train Station.
These two things are a blight on tourist's experience of Delhi, which is after all a major gateway for tourist coming to India and it really is time the problems were dealt with!!

Nov 2nd, 2005, 10:17	#1
Shark Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Australia, New South Wales Posts: 158	Pre Paid Taxi I will be arriving in Delhi in December at midday and staying in Paharganj. The hotel will do a pick up for 500 Rs. I will be travelling with wife and two children. Should we get a pre paid taxi from the airport to Paharganj or pay the extra and get the hotel to pick us up?

Nov 2nd, 2005, 11:57	#2
aadil Aircraft Service Engineer, Astronomer & Traveller Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai, India. (Lat 18.967 N, Long 72.833 E, Alt 11 m) Posts: 1,829	The hotel pickup usually charges for the car to go and come back to the airport so it is always cheaper to go with the prepaid taxi from the airport and it is never that expensive if you take the government run taxi booth and not the private taxi operators who also charge a similar amount as your hotel charges for the hotel pick up. The only advantage with the hotel pick up is that you will not have to search for the hotel if you are on your own!!! Hope this helps. Cheers, Aadil. __________________ Climb high; climb far; Your goal, the sky, Your aim, the stars!!!

Nov 2nd, 2005, 16:06	#4
divadino Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London, UK Posts: 78	To be honest pre-ordering a hotel pick up does not guarantee anything. I had arranged that by not only email but by phone with a fairly good hotel (Hotel Good Times in Karol Bagh) and they still didn't show up. My first frustration on my first trip to India. So the decision is yours - if you find that they are not there (probably in the early hours of the morning like my situation) - getting a pre-paid taxi from the government booth is very easy (and not letting any random person tell you they have a taxi - make sure you give your ticket to the right person and don't let anyone else carry your bags other than you - even if they try to grab your bag - say NO very firmly and ward them off). The difference in money between a hotel car and and a pre-paid at the airport is neither here nor there. When in the taxi, don't give out too much information about your plans and make it very clear that your hotel is already booked and you have just called them and they are there (i.e. not closed down as the driver may want you to believe) and are expecting you to walk through their doors within the next hour! Also make them believe you are a regular visitor to India and you know exactly what you are doing (even if you don't!!!) If you read the first day's entry in my travelogue you will see what happenned to me on the taxi mix-up on arriving at Delhi airport! have fun! Dinah __________________ Dynamite Dinah writes on her amazing love affair with India in a 6 week travelogue http://www.travelpod.com/members/dynamite_dinah

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Nov 2nd, 2005, 12:02	#3
davey Grumpy Old fart Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Australia (Buderim) Posts: 536	we always take the Hotel taxi as it's hectic at the airport and you wont need hassels with kids along, all it will cost is about $1AUD more if that and someone wiull be there with a sighn with your name on it, much easier than the taxis outside who will be pushing to get the fare even at the pre paid its a mad house, where are you staying at?

Nov 2nd, 2005, 16:25	#5
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	I can't speak for hotel Relax but I've used a pick up service 7 times now and have never been let down!! It's a hassle free introduction to India and great to know that your bed is ready and waiting!! Prepaid taxis are cheaper (understandably so, a Hotel taxi has to drive out there, pay the parking and perhaps spend a couple of hours cooling his heels waiting for you to appear!!) but you always run the risk of getting a bit of hassle from these guys wanting to earn by suggesting Hotels for you. Now this isn't serious and it's easily deflected, after all you hold the coupon, without this said driver doesn't get paid!! If you make it clear that the receipt stays in your pocket until you arrive at YOUR hotel of choice the problem usually sizzles out. Personally I prefer the pick up these days I don't have to think about all this stuff. I do wish Delhi police would clean the taxi situation up a bit at the Airport, these guys have to have Airport licenses if they are found to be scammimg tourists, then they should lose their license instantly after all there are hundred of honest taxi driver who fill their place!! While they're at it maybe they could get rid of the touts on the stairwell leading to the tourist cell in New Delhi Train Station. These two things are a blight on tourist's experience of Delhi, which is after all a major gateway for tourist coming to India and it really is time the problems were dealt with!!

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