- Taxis are one of the most-used ways for Brits to get around abroad, chosen by nearly two-thirds (65%) of travellers.
- Taxi experiences abroad are far from consistent, 1 in 4 (26%) have had a driver take a longer route to push up the fare, and 1 in 5 (20%) have been hit with unexpected fees.
- Uber is not the default everywhere, with local apps such as Grab (Thailand), GO (Japan) and Bolt (Budapest) often being cheaper and more reliable than hailing a street taxi.
- Confused.com has created an interactive global taxi guide, so travellers can see which apps work, typical airport costs and how to avoid overpaying before they go.
- Case study experience: Scott, from Cheshire, says he won't return to Hurghada, Egypt, after a taxi driver tripled his agreed fare and threatened to call the police. He now books through ride-hailing apps wherever he can.
With the cost of a holiday climbing, every extra expense adds up, yet when it comes to getting around, many Brits still choose comfort over cost. More than 3 in 5 (62%) say they will take a taxi abroad even when it costs more than public transport.
But that convenience can come at a price, with more than half (55%) believing they have been overcharged for a taxi overseas. That's according to new research from Confused.com travel insurance experts, of 2,000 UK adults who have ever travelled abroad. The research found that taxis are one of the most popular ways for Brits to get around overseas: nearly two-thirds (65%) of holidaygoers use them, and over half (53%) choose them to save time.
Yet the experience of taking a taxi abroad is far from consistent. Around 1 in 4 (26%) respondents say a driver has taken a longer route to bump up the fare. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 (20%) have been hit with unexpected fees, and 16% have had the fare change mid-journey.
To help holidaygoers get the best-value, properly licensed option if they plan to take a taxi abroad, Confused.com analysed how taxis work across 38 countries and territories popular with UK travellers. And it shows that how you book a taxi, what you pay and the rules you're subject to differ widely from place to place.
The catch is the app you rely on at home is not always the one that works best, or costs the least, abroad. Across the countries analysed, travellers have to navigate 20 different ride-hailing apps, many of them local brands that appear in only one country. The market leader also changes from one border to the next.
For instance, in Thailand, Grab rules the roads. Traditional taxis are meant to run a meter, but refusals and haggling are common around beaches and nightlife spots, so booking through an app is the safer bet for a clear price.
Spain, meanwhile, has its own big player in Cabify alongside Uber, though both work best in the cities and thin out across the Canary and Balearic Islands, where many Brits holiday. Similarly, in Greece, FREE NOW only books licensed taxis and barely operates beyond Athens.
Other destinations are more tightly controlled. In Dubai, Uber, Careem and the local Hala app all run under the same regulator, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), with strict licensing for drivers and vehicles.
And the fare itself can be just as unpredictable as which app to use. Across much of Europe, the meter is the law: France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal all require licensed taxis to run one, and Germany operates a similarly regulated system.
That consistency appears to pay off. When asked which destinations had the best taxis, meaning safest, fairest and easiest to use, around 1 in 7 (15%) Brits named the USA, where statewide rules and app tracking make fares easier to predict. Next came the well-regulated European favourites Spain (7%), Italy (4%) and Portugal (3%).
Even so, a meter is no guarantee of a fair price: overcharging is common enough in tourist areas that airports in Rome, Milan and Athens have brought in fixed fares to stop it. Meanwhile cities such as Istanbul warn visitors to insist on the meter.
Elsewhere, meters are often ignored or not used at all. That may help explain why Morocco was among the destinations Brits rated worst for taxis (3%), alongside Egypt (3%). In these markets, and across parts of Africa, including Tanzania and Mauritius, fares are frequently negotiated rather than metered, and the price is often simply whatever you agree with the driver before you set off. In Sweden, fares are deregulated, so the same journey can legally cost wildly different amounts depending on which company you flag down.
Here’s how getting a taxi compares across some of the destinations Brits visit most, from the cheapest and easiest to the ones worth doing your homework on first:
| Destination | Getting a taxi here |
|---|---|
|
Japan
|
In Tokyo, Uber mostly just books you a licensed cab, and locals rely on the GO app for faster pickups. A taxi from Narita airport can reach ¥35,000 (around £160), while the train does the same trip for far less.
|
|
Spain
|
Uber and Cabify work well in Madrid and Barcelona but are patchy or unavailable across the Canary and Balearic Islands, where many Brits holiday, so official taxi ranks are the main option. A ride into Barcelona costs around €35–50 (about £30–43).
|
|
Sweden
|
Nationwide, fares are completely deregulated, so 2 cabs at the same rank can legally charge very different prices for the same trip. Check the yellow fare sticker before getting in, or use an app. A taxi from Stockholm's Arlanda airport runs SEK 600–900 (about £47–70).
|
|
United States
|
The destination furthest ahead on driverless taxis, with Waymo now running self-driving rides in cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Austin. Uber and Lyft dominate elsewhere, and a JFK-to-Manhattan cab runs about US$70–120 (£50–90).
|
|
Turkey
|
In Istanbul, Uber only connects you to licensed taxis, and the local app is BiTaksi. Fare disputes are common in tourist areas, so insist on the meter and follow the route on your phone. A typical ride into the city runs around TRY 900–1,500 (around £15–25).
|
|
Italy
|
Milan is one of Europe's priciest rides, with a licensed taxi from Malpensa into the city costing up to €110 (around £95).
|
|
Morocco
|
In Marrakesh, as across much of Morocco, agree the fare before setting off where the meter isn't used. Avoid unofficial drivers approaching tourists. The official airport queue into the city runs around MAD 200–300 (about £16–24).
|
|
Portugal
|
Lisbon is one of the easiest and cheapest cities to grab a cab, with Uber and Bolt usually cheaper and more transparent than street taxis, from around €10 (roughly £9).
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
In Dubai, one of the most tightly regulated and safest systems anywhere, Uber, Careem and the local Hala app all operate. A metered ride from the airport into the city costs about AED 70–120 (£15–25).
|
This variation helps explain why so many feel caught out, with a single taxi to or from the airport reaching £160 in Tokyo, more than the £91 Brits typically budget for taxis across an entire week away.
But it's not only money that makes travellers wary. Nearly half of women (49%) say they are cautious about taking a taxi by themselves abroad, compared with just 1 in 4 men (25%). A third (34%) of holidaymakers say they would happily pay more for a service they knew was reliable.
Taxis can add a steep cost to a holiday, yet they rarely make the pre-trip budgeting checklist, with fewer than 1 in 5 (17%) giving them any thought when planning a trip.
For one holidaygoer, a single taxi ride was enough to ruin a trip. Scott, from Cheshire, had visited Hurghada in Egypt twice before, but a taxi ride back from a nightclub on his last trip has put him off returning for good. Despite being warned by holiday reps to agree to a total fare before getting in, Scott and his friends, including one local, were hit with a per-person charge when they arrived back at their hotel, roughly tripling the price they had agreed.
"It was the strangest taxi journey I've ever experienced," said Scott. "We'd been told to always agree on a total price before getting in, so that's what we did. But partway back the driver pulled over and went off to get himself some food. When we finally got back to the hotel, he suddenly wanted us to pay per person. It felt like, these are tourists, we're going to rinse them."
The situation quickly escalated when the driver mentioned calling the police. Unable to speak the local language and unsure whose side the police would take, Scott focused on keeping things calm, and the group ended up paying more than they had agreed just to bring it to an end.
"My friend was getting really anxious, and all I could think was, if the police turn up, who are they going to believe?" he explained. "It ruined the whole holiday. You forget all the good bits, and that's the part that stays with you. Now I'd use Uber or a local app wherever I can, because you know the price before you get in. Having one guide or site that shows you which apps work in each destination and what an average fare looks like would give people that confidence before they even arrive."
It's experiences like Scott's that led Confused.com to create its interactive global taxi guide. Travellers can search any destination to see which apps to use, what a typical fare looks like and the local tips worth knowing before they set off.
Tom Vaughan, travel insurance expert at Confused.com, comments:
"Holidays are a big enough expense as it is, and taxis are one of those costs that can quietly add up, particularly on airport runs or in unfamiliar cities. Our research shows just how much the experience changes once you leave the UK, from the app you need to download to the price of a single ride, which can vary hugely from one country to the next.
"A few simple checks can save you a surprising amount. Knowing which app locals actually use and whether fares are metered or fixed can all make a real difference, as can having a rough idea of what a fair price looks like before you get in. It's also worth sticking to official ranks or booking through an app rather than accepting rides from drivers who approach you, as that's where most overcharging and safety issues tend to start.
"And it pays to plan ahead, because being overcharged or caught out by a local rule is not something travel insurance will cover. A few minutes of research before you travel can save you money and hassle later. Our global taxi guide is designed to help travellers do exactly that, wherever they land”.
-ENDS-
Unless otherwise stated, all research was carried out by OnePoll on behalf of Confused.com of 2,000 UK Adults who ever travelled abroad. This was conducted between 14th and 17th July 2026.
- Confused.com analysed how taxis operate across 38 countries and territories, chosen to reflect popular destinations for UK travellers, looking at app availability, taxi regulations, airport transfers, typical fares and official safety guidance. Fares are indicative ranges for a journey into the city centre and vary by time, traffic and operator. Currency conversions are approximate, correct as of August 2026.
Confused.com press office
chloe.walters@confused.com
katharine.adair@confused.com
pressoffice@confused.com
About Confused.com
Launched in 2002, Confused.com was the UK’s first digital marketplace for car insurance and is one of the leading brands in the sector, generating over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the years to include home insurance, van insurance, motorcycle insurance, and car finance comparison, as well as a number of tools designed to save consumers money.
Confused.com is not an insurance company or lender. It provides an objective and unbiased service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
cookie usage