- No meter, no ride. Avoid cabs with no meter, or one that is “broken.” In Eastern Europe this may be difficult In these countries, and especially in Russia, almost anyone with a car is willing to negotiate a ride / for a fee. Just make sure you agree on the fee in advance; write it down if necessary. Again, if you can’t do this, then don’t take the ride. Be especially wary of taking taxis in Prague,where the industry is totally unregulated and cabbies charge anything they like for a ride, however short.

Find out what a cab ride should cost from someone who knows, if possible, and offer a bit less than this if the cabbie refuses to use the meter and you absolutely have to use his cab.

If you agree on a fare, and the cabbie tries to charge you more at the end of your ride, hand him or her the amount you agreed on and walk away. This is less likely to happen if you were firm and clear in stating the fare at the beginning.

Your average cabbie speaks bits and pieces of more languages than your average diplomat.

If s/he pretends not to be able to agree on a fare because of a lack of English, beware. If the taxis in an area seem a bit sleazy, don’t put anything in the trunk if you can avoid it. If you have to use the trunk, get your things ouC first, then pay the driver.