Taxi Services in Berlin
Ordering a taxi in Berlin is fun. And we really mean it in a non-sarcastic way.
Taxi services in Berlin are so incredibly cheap especially compared to other European capitals.
Surprisingly you will not need to call a cab too often in Berlin as the public transport is very reliable – except for in winters – and even runs almost around the clock.
A couple of years ago all you could do was call one of the local Taxizentralen (a central number who will then take your name and location and find the closest Taxi to you) and wait for your Taxi to arrive.
Nowadays there are so many more convenient options available.
MyTaxi was the first company in Germany that took that job online – just use their App and they will find the nearest available Taxi to you.
Another great alternative is Uber – which is available in almost all countries worldwide.
This is amazing especially if you travel a lot and can use the same app in all countries.
Uber*
One of the most controversial companies nowadays – Uber has really disrupted the Taxi business and made a lot of enemies on the way.
But from a user side there is almost nothing more convenient than using a Uber driver instead of a normal local taxi service.
First of all you can use Uber not only here in Berlin but probably worldwide in around 95% of countries you will travel to.
Secondly all Uber drivers are ranked by their ratings – which means they go the extra mile to make sure you are arriving without unnecessary detours and are usually really friendly.
And furthermore Uber rides are usually cheaper than normal Taxi services.
Free Now
As with so many other things you can also book your taxi online or via a app on your smartphone.
The most famous Taxi app in Germany is called Free Now (used to be called Mytaxi).
The Free Now app is actually quite a cool thing as you can see on a map the nearest taxi to your current location.
Also you can save your payment details and pay just via the app instead of having to carry cash all the time.
And best of all if you keep your eyes open you might find some Free Now promotions and even save a few Euros on your next cab ride.
Most important Taxi numbers in Berlin
In case you want order a taxi in Berlin there are several taxi companies that offer their services.
The most common way would be to call their operater and tell them your name, address of pick up location and time and they will send the taxi there.
It usually takes a maximum of 5 mins at any location within the Ringbahn for a taxi to arrive.
If you are planning to bring a dog or more than 4 people make sure to mention this to the operator as not all taxi drivers in Berlin will take animals or have space for more than 4 guests.
The most famous taxi companies in Berlin and their telephone numbers are:
- Taxi Berlin: 030 – 20 20 20
- Würfelfunk: 030 – 21 01 01
- TaxiFunk Berlin: 030 – 44 33 22
- Quality Taxi: 030 – 26 300 0
- City-Funk Berlin: 030 – 21 02 02
- Funk Taxi Berlin: 030 – 26 10 26
Berlin Taxi drivers
There is a rumour going on that taxi drivers in Berlin are the unfriendliest taxi drivers in Germany.
Don’t worry this stereotype is far from being true. If you happen to drive with a native Berliner just keep in mind that the ‘Berliner Schnauze‘ (the way Berliners talk) sounds harsher than it is meant to sound.
So far the worst thing that happened to us was that the drivers thought they are Michael Schumacher and drove a bit faster than they should have.
Carsharing as an alternative to Taxis
Just in the last couple of years many carsharing companies have started to operate in Berlin.
By far the 2 most famous ones are Drivenow and Car2go with a coverage well outside of the Ringbahn area.
If you feel comfortable with driving in Berlin we advise you to head over to our Carsharing in Berlin section.