Hailing a cab in Rome

I am looking into booking tours in Rome and none of them do hotel pick up or drop off, however they seem to start in a location within walking distance of our hotel.

Many of the tours end on the other side of town and I don't mind taking a cab back to our hotel however I am reading that hailing a cab in Rome is not easy. They only have certain taxi signs in select areas around Rome. Otherwise I would need to call a cab company every time. Has anyone experienced this in Rome?

Yes, it's true that cabs are not usually hailed on the street, you pick them up at designated taxi stands. There are taxi stands near key sites in Rome. Where do your tours end?

There are also buses and trams and the metro (which is somewhat less useful do to its limited reach).

We just got back from our cruise that started and ended in Rome, in the week we spent there we used taxis and had no problems hailing them.

If they zip up a narrow laneway don't worry they're just dodging traffic, they work off the meter and are quite friendly.

We had no problems hailing a taxi. Not all that much different than other big cities. You just have to have some patience but that is true of most places. You could always walk to a nearby hotel if you have problems getting a taxi.

Keith

I've had mixed results in trying to hail a cab - even had them yell out the window to me to go to a cab stand. I've found on the main streets for the most part they won't stop; however, there's usually a cab stand at every major tourist attraction. Additionally, at the end of most tours guides have asked if I need a cab, and they've offered to called one. Just keep in mind if you call for a cab the meters starts when they're dispatched, not when they pick you up. The only cab stand I absolutely refuse to use is the one in front of the Vatican - they want a flat fare which is normally twice the normal fare. They will use the meter if you insist, but I have a feeling they'll take the "long" way there and end up costing even more than stated flat fare. (No fact-just a feeling.)