The official Seville taxi is white with a yellow diagonal stripe across the back door. Using a taxi in Seville is a comfortable and fast option compared to other means of public transport, particularly if you are in a rush and need to be somewhere in a short time.
It’s also considerably more expensive than the bus, the Metro, and the bike, which is my preferred means of transportation around the city.
How can you catch a Seville taxi?
If the taxi is free it will display a green light on the roof.
To hail a taxi all you need to do is raise your hand. Unlike other European cities, there is no need to go to a taxi rank. The free taxi will stop right were you are.
There are also many taxi ranks around the city, indicated by a blue sign with a white letter ‘T’.
The only places where you must take a taxi from the corresponding ranks are railway (Santa Justa) and bus stations (Plaza de Armas and Prado de San Sebastián), and at the airport.
What are the Seville taxi fares?
Prices are based on the official rates as fixed by Seville City Hall and are generally updated every year (mid-December).
There is always an obligatory minimum fare of when the meter is switched on.
There are two rates of pay, depending on whether or not you are travelling during peak or off-peak times.
- Fare 1: Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 21:00.
- Fare 2:
- Monday to Thursday working from 21:00 to 7:00.
- Friday and holiday eves from 00:00 to 7:00 and from 21:00 to 22:00.
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 6:00 to 22:00.
- During Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, and during the April Fair, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 7:00 to 21:00.
- On December 24th and 31st, from 0:00 to 22:00.
- Fare 3:
- On Fridays and holiday eves from 22:00 to 0:00.
- On Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 0:00 to 6:00 and from 22:00 to 0:00.
- During Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and during the April Fair, from Tuesday to Sunday from 0:00 to 7:00 and from 21:00 to 0:00.
- Airport fixed rates.
- Fare 3: Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 21:00.
- Fare 4:
- Monday to Friday from 21:00 to 7:00.
- Saturday, Sunday and holidays, during Holy Week and the April Fair from 7:00 to 21:00.
- On December 24th and 31st, all day.
- Fare 5: During Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and during the April Fair, from Tuesday to Sunday from 21:00 to 7:00.
Are there any specific supplements?
Here is a complete list of the official supplements that you can pay.
- Picking up a taxi at Seville airport.
- Journeys beginning from a taxi rank at the railway station (Santa Justa) or approach road to.
- Each piece of luggage bigger than 55x40x20cm (hand luggage standard size) or heavier than 10kg (hand luggage standard weight).
There is no supplement for pets, wheelchairs and baby strollers.
If you wonder how much would a taxi cost to/from the airport, read more about
Or you may be interested in taking a taxi to/from the train station.
How can you pay for your Seville taxi ride?
Unfortunately, most taxis still don’t accept cards and other payment methods (e.g. your travel debit card, Apple Pay).
If you intend to pay with cash, taxi drivers are only required to make change for 20€ bills and smaller. So make sure you have small bills!
How can you book a Seville taxi in advance?
There is a myriad of services, websites and apps that offer this service.
But these are my favorites:
- Taxi Mercedes Sevilla. The most professional and reliable taxi service. All their cars are Mercedes and the drivers are incredibly polite and nice. They operate under the official rate system so you won’t be charged any additional fee despite their incredibly service.
- FreeNow (available on iOS and Android). It’s the largest taxi app in Spain and it operates in Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and all over Asturias.
What are the advantages of booking a Seville taxi through an app?
If you book a taxi through an app you will pay the exact same amount as if you stop in on the street. They apply the official fares for each city.
Here are some of the advantages of using an app like FreeNow:
- You know you’re calling a specific taxi. So you know the name, license number and car plate of the driver who is picking you up. Therefore, it’s a much safer service.
- You avoid being scammed being charged with ridiculous supplements.
- You have a platform to file any complaints.
- You can schedule a taxi for the next day without having to make any phone calls or without relying on third parties (such as the hotel reception).
- You can pay with cash, credit card or PayPal.
How do you communicate with the driver?
Many Seville taxi drivers speak a little English, but it’s always a good idea to have a pen and paper to write down the address. There are many similar sounding streets and you could wind up across town.
A good tip is to print out small slips of paper with the name of your hotel and the address (or your apartment address) before you leave home. That way if you are not confident in speaking Spanish, you can politely hand the driver one of the slips, with a “Vamos aquí, por favor” (“We are going here, please”).
And, please, don’t forget to be polite. Say “Hola” or “Buenos días” when you get in and “Gracias, adiós” when you leave.