What To Avoid When Taking Taxis At Palma Airport

Getting a taxi from Palma Airport to the city of Palma or other locations on the Spanish Balearic Island of Majorca can have many benefits. Among the advantages is that you won’t have to share the car with any strangers, you can rest assured that your luggage is safe in the trunk of the vehicle, and you’ll be driven to the front door of your hotel or other type of accommodation.

However, as with any type of service there are unfortunately some problematic taxi drivers and thieves operating at the airport at certain times. They may try any number of scams or other tricks to try and charge you more money for the taxi ride than you should be paying them.

Falling victim to any kind of taxi scam can be an upsetting part of any vacation, even if it’s only a few Euros, so keep reading to learn general tips about using taxis at Palma Airport.

Pickpockets in the Palma airport taxi queue

While you’re waiting in the line to get a taxi, one tactic that pickpockets will use is to have one person speak to you or otherwise create a diversion where you’re facing, and as you’re distracted their partner will try to steal your wallet, purse or other belongings. Stay vigilant and keep an eye on your bags and valuable possessions at all times around the airport.

Fake drivers approaching you

If you have prebooked your taxi pickup at Palma Airport, after your have collected your bags and have cleared security you’ll be looking for a driver that is holding a sign with your name on it. However, some drivers have started approaching arriving tourists in the terminal and claiming to be their taxi, and then taking them on a journey that results in a much more expensive fare.

Ignore offers of taxis at the airport

Similar to the previous trick, some unlicensed taxi drivers will approach passengers in the airport terminal and say they can provide a much cheaper fare than the official taxis waiting to pick up tourists outside. This is a lie and instead these unlicensed drivers will charge you a much higher rate than what you would have paid with a regular taxi. Just ignore these people if they come up to you in the airport, and walk to the official taxi pickup queue instead.

Check the taxi meter is working

Taxis from Palma Airport operate using distance-based meters, so the longer your journey, the more expensive the fare will be. But some drivers attempt to con more money out of passengers by claiming that their meter does not work, and instead offering what they claim is a good flat rate even though it would have been cheaper when using the meter. Before your journey starts, as the driver to show you that the meter is running, and don’t ride in a car with a broken meter.

Taking the long way to your destination

Because taxis that pick up visitors from the airport use meters that charge fares based on distance, some drivers might try to take you on an unnecessarily long route to your hotel or wherever else you’re heading on the island. To prevent this from happening you can research the quickest, most direct route from the airport to your destination and then demand that the taxi driver follow this path, because it will prevent them trying to take the long way round.

Not giving you the right change

Another time to be vigilant when on your taxi ride is at the end when you are paying the driver. If you are using Euros and you expect to get some change back from the fare then you must ensure that you have been giving the right amount of money back. Some drivers will try to confuse you and hand back fewer Euros than you are entitled to receive.

Demanding you tip a set amount

Tipping taxi drivers that pick up at Palma Airport is not required by law and you have every right to end the journey without giving your driver any tip, particularly if you believe that the ride was unsafe. However, some taxi drivers might try to claim that you are required to give them a tip at a set amount, often much higher than what would be reasonable for a tip. If this happens, refuse to pay them and warn the driver you can report them to the taxi authorities.