Taxi's in Shanghai
Taxis in Shanghai are plentiful and market competition has driven taxi fare down to affordable prices for the average resident. You will pay ¥11 for up to the first 3km during the day, with the base price being a little higher during the night time.
First things first, avoid anyone trying to get you to use their taxi, especially around the airport and train stations. These 'Black Cars' have fixed meters and will cost you. Trust taxi's with a light above the car. Most taxis are Volkswagon Santanas or similar looking Asian made vehicles.
With over 45,000 taxis you shouldn't have to wait too long for a taxi. Taxi drivers tend to know where they are needed, so they may find you before you actually need a taxi.
If your stay in Shanghai is over 3 days invest in a Transportation Card because it makes paying the taxi driver much easier, and it can be used for the Subway as well. If things progress like many other cities, the transportation card may soon be a form of cash at convenience stores and fast food restaurants.
Taxis do not have a set color in Shanghai. The largest company, Da Zhong, uses Turquoise taxis. Yellow (Qiang Sheng Taxi) and White (Jin Jiang) are not bad. Blue and Red Taxis are from smaller companies and should generally be avoided if you can help it.
If you know when you are going to need a taxi, reservations are possible for larger parties. 7-10 people. Call 021-62758800 (Jin Jiang Taxi) or 021-62580000 (Qiang Sheng Taxi). The cost of reservation is only 5 RMB. Da Zhong (82222) taxi company has 7 person taxis which are quite nice.
