How much should a cab cost from the beach to the cliffs (say Rockhouse)? How about mid-beach (alfreds) to town?
Printable View
How much should a cab cost from the beach to the cliffs (say Rockhouse)? How about mid-beach (alfreds) to town?
$200j per person in a route taxi. If you are going up for dinner a lot of places will pick you up for free as well.
Based on Feb 2011 prices--from mid- beach to Rockhouse should cost anywhere from 10 to 15 US$. You can take a route taxi to town for
200J per person. It was 100J pp to roundabout, then you pay another route taxi 100J to go to town or further into west end cliffs. You don't have to change taxis if you make a deal with first route taxi for 200J pp. I don't know if the price has gone up , because airport
transfers have gone up since then.
Rockhouse picks up until 7 PM for free.
$100J'sQuote:
Originally Posted by Charlie from Philly
$100J's from anywhere on the beach to the roundabout........Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie from Philly
from the roundabout to anywhere on the Cliffs is $100J's........
once in awhile a route taxi will do both the beach and cliffs.........
so it would be $200J's like the boardies are saying......
technically speaking you'll see the locals only paying $80J's cause that's the real price........
us tourist for some reason like to round it off to $100J's......guess dat is der tip......
plus trying to get back $20J's from the driver is a pain........
it wasn't too long ago that it was $50J's to do the beach or cliffs.......
actually it was that $50J's for years and years.....wi kinda got spoiled
never take a white plate auto if there are red plate taxis around........
if you are stranded then it is okay.........lol
Cool Runnings, Marko
The route taxi rate has gone up to j$90 - but in most cases, everyone pays j$100 since the drivers dont always have change. And with j$10 being about a dime us$, no one really gets too worked up about that amount.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marko
And...
It is NEVER OKAY to take an illegal taxi (white plated vehicle). You are not covered by the driver's insurance. White plate vehicles are not insured to carry paying passengers and should a serious accident occur, since you were participating in a crime (hiring an illegal taxi), you can be held liable for damages as is the driver. Suggesting otherwise is terrible advice and should never be done... period.
Absolutely great advice. You don't want to get involved with the Jamaican legal system if you're a visitor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
Sorry, 7milelover but I think you could do much better than $10-15 US. Isnt a red plate, private taxi approx $500J/$6 US?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7milelover
to clarify for a first-time visitor:
there are two types of taxi's. One is the private taxi, which takes you door-to-door, just for you as the only passenger. these will be higher fares and you negotiate the fare with driver before you get in.
the other is the "route taxi" system - which is somewhat equivalent to 'public transportation' - these taxi's go along a specified 'route', and stop along the way to fill up the taxi with as many passengers as they can fit; and the fare for these is a 'flat rate' of 90 $J, per person, per route. No need to negotiate the rate - just hand over the 100 $J bill when you get out. Along the beach road is one route, and along the cliffs is one route - so that means you can get in ANYWHERE on the beach, either close to town at say, Bar-b-Barn hotel, or all the out at the big A/I hotels on Bloody Bay - and still pay only that same flat rate of 100 $J to get downtown to the roundabout.
If you wish to go from the beach to cliffs, that is 'technically' two routes, so you are supposed to get out of the beach-route-taxi at the roundabout taxi-stnad, then get into another taxi that goes along the cliff route - but sometimes if you want to go all the way to the cliffs without changing cabs, the driver will sometimes just take you for the cost of two routes - 200 $J per person. (when they do this for me i give a lil extra, as a tip for the courtesy.)
Another thing to keep in mind is that at night, after i think 10 or maybe 11 PM, the flat-rate route fare doubles to $200 J per person, per route.
and for both types, you want to use the 'red-plate' cars since those are the ones that are licensed/insured for passengers, as has been mentioned above.
Thanks, I'll be flagging down taxis in 8 days!
we pay abt 800 ja for 2 people,soon come
I have a question... I always see comments such as 'always negotiate before you get in the cab'. I prefer the get in, look them in the eye & head nod method; like you already know what its going to cost; then you give them what you feel/know it costs followed by another 'respect nod'. Never any issues. Has anyone out ever run into a situation where the cab tried to charge more once you get there? Just wondering why people always say negotiate first. thanks
I have had a route cab driver attempt to negotiate the fare while we were riding, and express disappointment when I told him I was only paying the route cab fare plus tip ($150J total). I have also had people in my party ask to be dropped off at the grocery store and then end up with an unpleasant scene because the driver wanted extra money for leaving the route (like, by 30 yards). Neither was a big deal - in the second case, they ended up giving him $5. US for 2 people from Alfred's to the Value Master grocery store at the roundabout - but still, knowing the arrangements in advance can avoid unpleasantness or feeling cheated. You need to know that if the driver asks where you are going and offers to take you there, you need to negotiate the fare, not wait until you are there and find out that he expects to be paid extra.