Uber and taxis in Peru

Get around Lima without overpaying — Uber, Cabify and street taxis.

Lima has no metro for most expats — Uber, Cabify, InDriver and Beat dominate. Street taxis exist but always require negotiating the fare before you get in (they don't use meters).

Vocabulary

Spanish	English
el taxista / el chofer	the driver
esquina	corner
óvalo	roundabout
déjame aquí	drop me here
más adelante	further ahead
¿cuánto me cobra?	how much do you charge?
está caro, ¿lo deja en…?	that's expensive, can you do it for…?
tráfico	traffic
el malecón	the boardwalk (Miraflores)
vuelto	change (money back)

Real dialogues

Practice both sides out loud.

Negotiating with a street taxi

Outside a restaurant in Barranco, heading to Miraflores.

You
Buenas, ¿me lleva a Miraflores, al óvalo Gutiérrez?
Hi, can you take me to Miraflores, to the Gutiérrez roundabout?
Taxista
Veinticinco soles.
25 soles.
You
Está caro. ¿Lo deja en quince?
That's expensive. Can you do it for 15?
Taxista
Diecisiete y vamos.
17 and we go.
You
Ya, dale.
OK, let's go.

Uber driver calls about pickup

Driver can't find your apartment building.

Conductor
Aló, estoy en la dirección pero no veo el edificio.
Hello, I'm at the address but I don't see the building.
You
Estoy en la esquina de Schell con La Paz, al lado del Wong.
I'm at Schell and La Paz corner, next to the Wong supermarket.
Conductor
Ah ya, en dos minutos llego.
Got it, two minutes.

Peru local tips

Always agree the fare BEFORE getting in a street taxi

No meters. Asking after is a guaranteed gringo tax.

InDriver lets you bid

You name a price, drivers accept or counter. Great for short distances when Uber surges.

Avoid taking taxis from outside the Lima airport

Use Uber from arrivals, or the official 'Taxi Verde' counter inside. Outside-the-doors taxis overcharge wildly.

Practice prompts

01Negotiate a street taxi from 25 down to 17 soles.
02Tell an Uber driver your corner and a landmark.
03Ask the driver to drop you 'más adelante, en la esquina'.

FAQs

Are street taxis safe in Lima?

Generally yes during the day in central districts. At night, prefer Uber/Cabify with a tracked trip. Always avoid unmarked cars outside hotels and nightclubs.

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