The taxi drivers throughout Peru are quite friendly. From the time you step in each cab, you are almost guaranteed to get a pretty regular script that will go like this (but in Spanish):
Taxi: Where are you from?
You: ___________
Taxi: How many days in Peru?
You:____
Taxi: Where are you travelling in Peru?
You: ________
Taxi: Have you been to Cusco already? It's very beautiful.
You:____________
Taxi: Do you like the Peruvian food? Cebiche? Chicharrones?
You:___________
Taxi: Did you go to the clubs/discotech?
You:______________
Taxi: Do you like the salsa, merengue and cumbia?
You: ____________
They are very very friendly.
Here are some phrases you must know for the cab:
I would like to go to ___________________ in (town).
Cuantos?
How much?
Caro! Menos por favor.
That's expensive. Charge a little less please.
Cuantos minutos a ____(destination)____?
How many minutes until ____(destination)____?
Tienes telefono? Tengo numero de telefono de mi hospedaje/hotel.
Do you have a phone? I have the number of my hostel/hotel.
*I recommend always having the number of your hostel or hotel in case the taxi driver can't find the place or the locals don't know it either. If you have already been to the hostel/hotel, pick up their card and take it with you in case you or the taxi driver gets lost when you're coming back home.
DANGER
Here are a few basic tips to stick to:
1. Only take taxi's that have that lit up taxi sign on top
1. Only take taxi's that have that lit up taxi sign on top
2. Take a taxi with the sign on top that just let someone out, so you know it's safe
3. Leave your suitcase or luggage in the trunk, so if you get stuck up by a civilian at a stop sign or something, they can't get access to whatever you might have had in your suitcase
4. If you have a purse or bag, leave it on the ground so people can't quickly open your door and grab it off the seat or your lap
5. Stand beside police or security guards when flagging down a taxi. Once when I was beside a policeman and was flagging down a taxi, the taxi driver stopped but seemed in a hurry to get me in and kept looking at the police man, like he wanted to me to get in before the police saw, so I told the taxi driver "No it's okay"
6. Do not rely on taxi's that have an oval taxi sticker on the windshield, like in the photo below. It's a fake. They are not safe and valid taxi's. The drivers pull off the sticker once you jump in, or around security and police.
