What should a cab tour for the day cost for 4 people

[ctbrehm]

Hi, I've been reading some of the threads and it appears that most cabs charge $20 - $25 US$ per person, yet when checking on http://www.roatanisland.net/tourist_tips.htm this appears to be excessive. This is a direct quote from the site... "During cruise ship port call days, some taxies have been trying to rip of customers with outlandish fares! Taxis can be hired for an island tour at a basic rate of about $20 to 30/day for the taxi (not per person). You must negotiate the daily rate."

Can anyone provide first hand experience at hiring a cab in Roatan for the day and what it should really cost.

Thanks.

Chris

[DEL67]

Prices definitely go up on days cruise ships are in port. After refusing several higher fares, my daughter and a friend were able to get a cab for $50 for the day. The driver did not speak English, but he brought along a boy who did. They took them everywhere they wanted to go and even though my daughter speaks some Spanish, the boy accompanied them when they went in places to make sure that they did not have any difficulty.

[jlines]

We didn't mind paying $20 per person at all - when you realize that this is generally their only source of income, that not that many ships visit Roatan, the price of gas is very costly, and they live very humble lifestyles (especially compared to us) I don't think many would mind either. We looked at it as helping their economy - and they were willing to work for it whereas I know we unwilling give much more here at home to those who aren't!

[happytogoing]

$20-25 US per person doesn't seem unreasonable to me either for a full day of touring around an island wherever you want to go.......... still much cheaper than a cruise tour, and I agree, why not support those who are doing that job, another 10-20 bucks for us is one thing, for them, it might be quite another........ if indeed it is a little more than you could bargain them down for, why not just consider it a good samaritan act and then don't even worry about it - you're still getting a great deal - long as it's safe and you get back to the ship on time of course! I have heard that you should pay at the END of the day!!!! :rolleyes:

[Cary T]

I agree with the last two posts. Rather than living in luxury on a cruise ship then turning our noses up at the locals and being tightwads we should make our trip an opportunity to brighten the lives of people who wait for us to come and help put food on their tables. We paid our driver $80. for the four of us and that was only because that was all the cash we had on us, otherwise, it would have been more. We even stopped at his house to meet his children!

[ctbrehm]

Thanks Del67. Really appreciate the input. To the others, I was looking for was some info on taxi rates, not insults and a lecture on helping the local economy. If you were charged $40 for trip that should have been $10 in NYC or a $300 taxi ride from JFK to the city, I’m sure you all would have been the first to put in a compliant w/the department of Consumer Affairs. There’s a lot of folks in the good old USA that don’t live the in the lap of luxury.

[Cary T]

Sorry, didn't mean to preach .It seems that the price you pay at any of these Cental American ports for almost anything seems to depend on your ability to bargain. At Cancun the taxi drivers started at $40.00 US and by the time we got to the last one (we were trying to get to the ships bus) the guy said $5.00 for three of us.

[drawoh]

Hi,

George will take you around the island and to several beaches in Roatan for the entire day very cheap. He can pick you up at the docs when your boat arrives. He has a child that is in very bad condition at the hospital and I promised to help him find work so he can pay some doctor bills and that is why I have posted here. I have used George as a tour guide 4 times already and he will take you just about anywhere you want to go in Roatan for $18/person for the day or $50/Max for 4 people. He speaks perfect English and has a jeep that holds 4 people plus room for some diving gear. His wheels are almost brand new so it's a nice ride. I believe he posts on that new Roatan Forums board at www.roatanforums.com. Check out the Roatan Cruise Ship Visitors section or the Roatan Scuba Diving or Roatan Transportation sections and make a post that you are looking for George. When he contacts you PLEASE tell him RICHARD told you about the $18 price with the $50 max for the day:) . I assume it is the same price because I used his services around 3 weeks ago.

 

Richard

[FloridaAdGuy]

One thing not often mentioned is the CONFUSION you'll first face when docking at Roatan and attempting to find a cab for the day or to take you to a specific location. When you first disembark your ship you'll arrive in a dirt parking lot with cabs and vans parked on either side and people hustling about soliciting their services...it's a rather bewildering experience.

 

My advice is to walk past this confusion to the end of the lot and go through the gate on the right side near the road. You'll notice MANY more dispatchers and tour guides BUT look for representatives wearing burgundy polo shirts that say ENGLISH TAXI DRIVERS. If you'd like a cab for the day you can probably negotiate a rate of $40 total (they started as high as $40 each BUT will quickly drop their price the second you suggest you'll speak to one of the other guides who will be hovering around). Ask that your driver be ANTONI if he's available as he's a kind, HONEST, funny, hard-working driver with a Toyota Corolla-style cab with WORKING air conditioning! He is also a GUIDE (some cab drivers will drive you around and not tell you much either cuz they can't speak English, don't know much about the area, or don't really care...they may even bring a guide with them that is NOT included in the price and you'll feel obligated to tip/pay them extra). Antoni will give you a full tour, take you shopping, take you to a great area for beach time and/or to a restaurant for a fabulous meal, and will show you the highlights and views of the island.

 

Antoni has lived there all his life and is married with eight kids and really knows Roatan, its culture, and her people. He was the highlight of our cruise, making sure we saw and went everywhere we wanted to go (and we did as we were there the FULL day from 8:30A till 5:15P. We're planning a week stay in Roatan next year and will definitely use him again.

 

When you meet him, tell him Jenny and Lee say hi!