I went to Vietnam a couple of years ago. Ho Chi Minh city had Uber. Getting around was a breeze.
In Hanoi, Uber didn't work. We had a taxi with a fiddled meter. They tried to charge me $40 US for a 2km journey.
In Hanoi, Uber didn't work. We had a taxi with a fiddled meter. They tried to charge me $40 US for a 2km journey.
Coming off a bus/train, you get swamped by drivers and you absolutely must know exactly where you're going and how to get there or you will be taken wherever the driver is being paid to take you.
Cartagena is a close second.
Interestingly, outside of major ports of call, Hanoi was lovely, some of the best food I've eaten anywhere and $10/night for a beautiful room. You get a lot of ding for your dong as long as you know how to miss the scams.
Some parts of thailand are pretty much like that too. Being screwed by Taxis if you are a tourist is the norm.
The only solution I see for this kind of abuse would be meter + "strictly follow GPS" rule.
That's some devaluing in the last decade.
One time after I begrudgingly accepted the lump sum, our cab got stuck in bad traffic and the supposedly 20 minute ride turned into a one and a half hour ride. At some point the driver half-jokingly suggested that maybe we should go by the meter after all.
For those looking to travel to Vietnam, use Grab or Be. Grab is the most popular choice, while Be is a local competitor.
Also, I’m pretty sure the meter didn’t display the same number of zeros as the currency. That is, the last 2 zeros were omitted on the meter. But the driver said there were three omitted. Something like that. Oh well.
Otherwise, I had a wonderful stay. Beautiful country, nice people. I can’t wait to go back.
What I recall is that the meter didn't cut off the last three zeros but rather just two. Maybe it was a faulty meter (or maybe it was me). I was just off the plane, it was middle of the night and I was exhausted.
I should note that it was me who suggested the wrong amount, and he just accepted. I don't think he set out to swindle me.
Overall I found the country to be mostly free of people trying to take advantage of foreigners - Unlike Thailand and (especially) Cambodia. I also felt very safe there.