How to Take a Taxi in Shanghai

Visiting Shanghai, China, can be a wonderful experience. Up until that first moment you get into the wrong taxi. You won't be robbed or kidnapped, but you can be taken for a ride. And no one wants to face a hostile taxi driver. So here's how to make the experience a pleasant one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Address of where you want to go, in Chinese
• Cash, or a mass transit card

1. Call ahead henever possible. Trying to hail a cab on the street works fine if it's a reasonable hour and a main street. Otherwise you could have a long wait for the next taxi to turn down your road.
2. Choose your cab company carefully. Not all taxi companies are created equally. In Shanghai, the companies are color-coded, which makes it easier. The light blue taxis are the best, but if you don't have one of those, opt for yellow, then green or white.
3. Give the cab driver your directions in Chinese. Most of them don't speak English. If you have a map from your hotel, or better yet something with the address written down in Chinese, give it to the driver.
4. If you get into a cab facing the wrong way, make sure the driver doesn't start the meter until you're pointed in the right direction. It helps to know where you're going for this, but the reputable taxi companies in Shanghai will do this for you.
5. Make sure the taxi driver stops the meter where you want to get off, and doesn't drive around half of Shanghai looking for a parking place trying to squeeze that extra coin out of you.
6. Get a receipt. Sometimes you can reimburse them for business expenses, but more importantly, should you leave something behind in the taxi, a receipt is the only way to get it back, especially in Shanghai.

Tips & Warnings

• Knowing a few basic phrases in Chinese, such as "go left (or right)," "straight ahead," or "stop here" can be very beneficial.
• Even if you don't speak much Chinese, the driver may pantomime whether he (occasionally she) should stay on the surface roads or take the elevated highway. The choice it yours, but often it comes down to what time of day it is and how fast you want to get home.
• You don't need to tip. No one tips in Shanghai except the tourists who don't know any better.
• Never get into a red taxi. These are almost always extremely local drivers who most likely don't know the larger city all that well, and they're much more likely to take you anyplace but where you want to go.

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