Which Taxi App is right for you when visiting Athens Greece?
Almost everyone who comes to Athens has a taxi story. Tales of beaten up old cars with holes in the flooring, no seatbelts and drivers who think they could have rivalled Michael Schumacher. Stories about being taken on the scenic route and being charged for mysterious holiday bonuses or being refused a ride completely for a myriad of reasons.
Luckily, thanks to social proof via reviews on apps and social media, things are getting better. Taxi drivers in Athens who know they are being reviewed make a real effort to ensure your experience is an enjoyable one.
So which Taxi app is best for Athens?
Welcome Pickups
No matter how much money the tourism board spends on getting you to visit a city like Athens, all that money can be wasted if you don’t get a good first impression. Often, the first local you will meet will be the taxi driver who takes you from the airport (or port) to your hotel or accommodation.
You can try lucky dip at the rank at the airport, or your can book your Athens airport transfer in advance using the Welcome Pickups app.
Welcome Pickups hand-pick their drivers who speak English and who will meet you in the terminal so you don’t have to queue. And the ratings speak for themselves. Welcome Pickups is rated 4.9 on Trustpilot, 4.9 on Tripadvisor and 4.9 on Google.
Pre-Book Your Athens Airport & Port Transfers
Maybe you are coming to Athens by ferry into the port of Piraeus. Imagine – hundreds of people disembarking from a ferry, all running to try and get one of 5-10 taxis with everyone thinking they are more important or deserving. Add to that the drivers fighting among themselves as to who gets which fare and trust us… booking your transfer from Piraeus to your Athens accommodation in advance is the way to go.
Once you have spent a few days in Athens, you might be heading off to the islands. Make sure you check which port your boat leaves from. Piraeus is accessible from Athens by Metro and train, but Rafina is about 40km (25 Miles) from the centre and there are no public transfer options. Top tip – Book your transfers between Rafina and Athens in advance using Welcome Pickups.
They have your back at the other end of the ferry ride too. Welcome Pickups operate in Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, Mykonos, Santorini and more…
Uber
Whether you love or hate Uber, this taxi app is great for getting around Athens for shorter journeys. You can also use Uber to order a regular Athens taxi and pay the same fare that you would pay if you hailed a cab on the street.
The advantages of using Uber is that you will pay the correct fare. No excuses like ‘the meter doesn’t work’. You don’t have to worry about having small change in local currency and you have a record of the driver and car in case you leave something behind or have a problem.
Uber taxi drivers in Athens deliver a better level of service because they are being rated and reviewed. A taxi that you pick up off the street doesn’t have an incentive like Uber drivers do. The standard of car, cleanliness and attitude is all better with Uber taxi drivers in Athens.
The downside? There are not as many taxis signed up to Uber and there can be a wait to get one. Uber drivers occasionally cancel the ride for no apparent reason.
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Free Now (Formerly Beat)
A few years ago, the taxi app formerly known as Beat would have been at the top of the list. Beat was the only taxi app available in Athens and was the first to introduce the rating and review system which changed they way taxis in Athens behaved.
Beat was consumed by Free Now, which bills itself as a ‘mobility super app’.
The changeover from Beat to Free Now was not good for customers. The Beat app had no investment and became full of bugs and delays. The company created a 2-tier system where the better cars and drivers were assigned to a B2B product exclusively for high end hotels and VIPS.
There is no English support for this app. While the app itself has an English language mode, complaints are answered in Greek via email.
In 2022, Beat / Free Now added a fixed rate surcharge to every ride to compensate drivers for higher fuel prices. For short taxi rides in Athens, the charge could have been the equivalent of 30% to 50% of the fare.
Now that Beat is Free Now, it is trying to everything to everyone. It offers access to eBikes, eScooters and eMopeds where available.
Maybe Free Now will iron out the kinks in the transition, but for now, Uber is a better option for shorter rides around Athens.
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