Taking a taxi in Recife
Recife is a tropical paradise set on Brazil’s northeast coast. As the greater city area is quite extended, a taxi in Recife is the fastest and most convenient way to get around without losing precious time. There are around 6,000 taxis available in Recife, which offer their services 24 hours a day. Taxis in the city center of Recife are all white with a blue strip down the door and the ‘Taxi Comum” (common taxi) logo on the side. If you take a Recife Airport taxi, these will be white with a red stripe down the door. All of the common Recife taxis must use a taximeter that has been officially collaborated by the local transit authority.
You can easily hail a taxi in the street, walk to one of the many taxi ranks, call a Recife taxi number, book through a ride-sharing app, or pre-book your rides in advance. With so many taxis available in Recife, it’s important to only take registered cars, by looking for the official logo, taxi color, driver’s ID in the window, and the calibrated taximeter.
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How much does a taxi cost?
| Taxi prices | Day time (05:00 - 24:00) | Night time (00:00 - 05:00) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| FROM RECIFE ANTIGO TO OLINDA | 5.50 € | 5.50 € | 20 MIN |
| FROM BOA VIAGEM TO RECIFE ANTIGO | 6 € | 6 € | 22 MIN |
| FROM RECIFE AIRPORT TO PORTO DE GALINHAS | 25 € | 25 € | 60 MIN |
| FROM RECIFE AIRPORT TO CITY | 10.50 € | 10.50 € | 20 MIN |
| FROM RECIFE AIRPORT TO OLD TOWN | 9 € | 9 € | 15 MIN |
| FROM RECIFE CENTER TO BOA VIAGEM | 7 € | 7 € | 25 MIN |
What's the price of a taxi in Recife?
Recife taxi rates will depend on the type of taxi you’re traveling with. For example, the Taxi Especial or Taxi Aeropuerto cars don’t use taximeters and offer fixed fares based on your destination. While the common taxis in the city center, Taxi Comum, must use officially calibrated taximeters to calculate the cost of your fare based on the distance you travel. If you take a Taxi Comum, your fare will be calculated as follows:
Base fare: €1 (BRL 5.60)
Rate per km: €0.49 (BRL 2.70)
If you’re using a Recife Taxi Especial or Aeropuerto, you will be charged average fares such as: €10.50 (BRL 70) for a ride from Recife Airport to the city center or €7.20 (BRL 40) to the popular beach town of Boa Viagem.
It’s important to note that there may be additional costs added to Recife taxi prices for extra passengers after the first 4, large luggage items that don’t fit in the trunk, and traveling during public holidays.
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How to Get a Taxi in Recife
Getting a taxi in Recife is easy as they roam the streets 24/7. All official taxis in Recife are white with a blue block down the side and the “Taxi Comum” logo on the front two doors. On some cars, there will also be a “TAXI” sign on top, with the name of the company that owns the car.
You can easily hail a taxi in the street, walk to a Recife taxi rank, call one of the phone dispatch taxi numbers, or use a taxi app in Recife. For important rides, such as your Recife Airport taxi, you can also pre-book with a private company to guarantee on-time pickups. You will find taxi ranks outside of most major attractions, large hotels, Recife Airport, and the main metro stations.
How to get a taxi from Recife Airport
Recife Airport is set out over three levels, with the Recife Airport taxi rank being located on the Ground Floor just outside of the Arrivals Hall. The rank is open 24 hours a day and only official “Taxi Especial” or “Taxi Aeropuerto” vehicles may use this rank. These vehicles are white with a red block down the front doors. Taxis from Recife Airport don’t use taximeters, instead, they offer fixed fees based on your destination. The cost of a taxi from Recife Airport to Old Town will be around €9 (BRL 50).
How to get a taxi from Recife Station
There’s a dedicated taxi stand located just outside of Recife Station. After exiting the main doors, you will see the line of “Taxi Cumum” cars waiting on São João next to the bus stops on the left-hand side of the station. The common taxis here use taximeters to calculate their fares based on the distance traveled.
How to get a taxi from the Mauriceia Park
The Mauriceia Park taxi rank is located just across the road from the email green. You will exit the park at the southeast exit and cross over Itaquice. You will then see a line of common taxis waiting along the Jean Emile Favre road. Taxis from this rank offer metered rides all over the city and beyond.
Using a taxi app in Recife
There are seasons when it might get a bit difficult to find a taxi in the street, due to large crowds flocking to the city, such as during the Carnaval. In those cases, from the comfort of your accommodation, you can order a ride using a taxi app in Recife. There are a few different apps to choose from, like TeleTaxi Recife, Uber and EasyTaxi.
Having said this, there can also be long waits for the Recife taxi app to assign you a driver, and prices spike during popular travel times. To avoid these uncertainties and price increases, you can pre-book your rides with a trusted company such as Welcome Pickups instead.
Useful Recife taxi number
If you’re in an area with spotty internet and don’t want to walk around in the hot, humid weather looking for a taxi in Recife, you can always call a Recife taxi number. There are a few phone dispatch companies available, with the most popular being:
Servitaxi: +55 (81) 2122 0202
Recife Taxi: +55 (81) 4101 0696
Gold Reef Taxi 24 Hours: +55 (81) 3423 7777
It’s important to remember that not all phone dispatch operators speak English, so you may wish to ask your hotel or restaurant to call a Recife taxi service on your behalf.
Booking your Recife taxi in advance
The first time in a foreign city can be stressful. Especially if you don’t speak the language, communication might become difficult. There is also a distinct shortage of common taxis operating in the city center, making wait times for a service extremely long and frustrating.
All of these issues are a thing of the past if you pre-book your taxi in Recife with a private company such as Welcome Pickups. You’ll get 5-star service from a professional, English-speaking driver at a competitive set-rate fare. Booking takes less than 60 seconds, and it will give you complete peace of mind, knowing your transport in Recife is already paid for and pickup times are guaranteed.
Recife taxi tips
- Before beginning your ride, ensure the driver has reset the meter to the base fare to avoid being overcharged.
- Paying for your Recife taxi by credit card isn’t common. We recommend bringing cash in the local currency of Brazilian Real with you when taking a taxi.
- It’s common to tip around 10% for your Recife taxi if your driver helped with luggage or you embarked on a long journey.
- Taxis from the airport don’t use meters, they give fixed fares that must be agreed upon before beginning your journey.
- It’s rare for Recife taxi drivers to speak English. To avoid any hassle and miscommunication, having your destination’s address written on a piece of paper or showing it on Google Maps will help.
- Pre-booking your taxi in Recife will give you the peace of mind of guaranteed on-time pickups, English-speaking drivers, competitive fixed-rate fares, and 24/7 customer support.
Wheelchair-accessible taxi in Recife
Most common Recife taxis can easily accommodate a folded wheelchair in the trunk. However, if your circumstances require more specialized equipment, such as a ramp or an electric lift, you will need to book your transfer in advance with a specialist company, such as Essence Cuidados (+55 (81) 98201 5275). It’s advisable to give at least 24 hour notice when booking a wheelchair-accessible taxi in Recife, to avoid disappointment.
Recife taxi safety and complaints
In general, taxis in Recife are safe and well-regulated. Having said this, one of the most common issues is tourists being overcharged. To avoid unpleasant surprises, make sure to use licensed taxis only, with the correct color stripe and city emblem on the side. If you want to report an incident, keep the vehicle’s details and contact the operator to escalate the issue.