TAXIS in Spain

I guess when you live in the UK getting a Taxi is just a matter of picking up the phone and dialing one up. I'm guessing there are lots to choose from, too. I'm only guessing as I haven't lived in the UK for 16 years but when I left, it was very easy to get a Taxi, absolutely anywhere. The only time a Taxi was a bit tricky to locate was after a nightclub finished and maybe New Years eve. I can actually remember having a really shit New Years Eve when I was 19, I expect I'd been dumped, I can't quite remember and failed to pull that night, probably because I would have had a face like a smacked arse that night! Then it took 2 hours standing in the freezing cold, with little flakes of snow, blowing in the icy wind, in my little white leather skirt with matching white leather jacket and I expect white stilettos and a bad, orange fake tan waiting for a sodding taxi, which cost 3 times the normal rate.

In Spain, getting a Taxi is a whole different ball game. Take the airport. There are loads of Taxis at the airport, getting a taxi there is no problem, that is unless you want to go further than Benidorm. If you do then you have to get a taxi to Benidorm then try and persuade a Benidorm taxi to take you on the remaining part of your journey, this may take some negotiating, as they are a bit reluctant to go our of their zone, maybe because of zone restrictions or maybe because of fear of not being paid, I'm not sure. I dread to think what the cost would be but the private (illegal) taxis cost around €130 one way so I'm thinking the taxis would be more.

So, local taxis!!! What local taxis???? Apparently most towns have one, yes one, but in my experience they don't like to go out after 9.00pm and as you may imagine, they get booked up. I found out the reason why we don't have taxis in our villages, the other day and its not the obvious, that everywhere is so remote and impossible to find, its because each town hall issues taxi licenses but only a few and at a cost of €80,000, yes!!!! €80,000!!! Then the taxi drivers have to give the town hall 42% of their earnings!!! Thats after buying their vehicle!

So, if you are visiting us in Spain don't rely on taxi's! You can hire a car from €42 a week. Its a no brainer. OK, it may seem daunting as you are driving on the other side of the road but there's hardly any traffic and even I can do it! Believe me when I tell you that you WILL need a car. All our villages and towns are very spread out and although there are buses, they may only run twice a day lol.