Hopping into a taxi – or even finding one – in a foreign country can be a daunting experience. Once inside you never know if you’ll see a working meter or have a sweet talking cabbie who knows how to extend your route just up to a price you’re not likely to argue about. Belgrade, Serbia, where Uber isn’t available, can be particularly tricky since there are a number of taxi companies with intentionally similar logos that confuse even locals.
There is a simple method (that isn’t very well advertised) English speakers can use to call a taxi with a working meter at any hour plus be fairly confident the driver is taking the most efficient route.
The Right Numbers To Call
For travelers using non-Serbian mobile numbers or calling using Skype To Go (here’s information for getting online at Belgrade Airport) you want to Beogradski Taxi, which charges set rates you can find on their website.
Getting a local SIM card is fairly easy in Serbia and if you have one, you can call Beogradski Taxi by dialing 19801.
Why This Is Worth Posting
It might seem finding a taxi number in a European city would be straightforward but after trying out a number of recommendations given to me by locals, I found Beogradski Taxi was the only one with dedicated English-speaking staff. Most taxi drivers in Belgrade don’t speak English so having the phone operator translate your directions is very helpful. (Especially if you’re going somewhere non-touristy, like jiu-jitsu class.)
Beogradski Taxi also operate 24 hours a day, something you’ll be thankful for if you’re flying in or out of Belgrade as most international flights take-off and land in the very early morning hours. You are no doubt paying a slightly higher rate for a ride but consider it an exchange for peace of mind.
Despite my best efforts to not make this sound like an advertisement you might be wondering if I got paid to write all of this? To answer your question: no, I didn’t. I just found Beogradski Taxi a service that saved me time and headache, I hope it does the same for you during your visit as well.
Of course if you have any other recommendations on how to get around Belgrade, I’m happy to hear them in the comments below!