How to call a taxi in Rome (Italian phrases that work)
By the Travel's Calling team · Updated October 30, 2026
Rome's taxis are easy once you know the routine, but the phone call to the dispatcher is quick and all business. This guide covers when to call instead of hailing, the official numbers, the exact Italian you'll need, and the reply most travelers miss: the car code.
Hail, walk to a stand, or call?
In Rome you can flag down a free taxi on the street, but not within about 100 meters of a taxi stand where cabs or people are waiting. Free cabs can be hard to find while moving, so the city recommends going to a taxi stand or calling one. Official Rome taxis are white, with "TAXI" on the roof and the Roma Capitale symbol and license number on the front doors.
Calling is the best option when you're at a hotel or restaurant away from a stand, when it's raining, or when you need a car at a set time, like an early ride to the airport.
Useful Rome taxi numbers
- 06 0609: ChiamaTaxi, the city's own number (Roma Capitale). It's an automated line: you say the street and house number and it connects you to the nearest taxi.
- 06 3570: Radiotaxi 3570, the largest cooperative, with a staffed switchboard.
- 06 6645: Pronto Taxi.
- 06 5551: Samarcanda.
From a US cell phone, dial +39 first (for example +39 06 3570). Numbers and services can change, so double-check them before your trip.
What the operator will ask
The operator usually asks "Indirizzo?" (address) and sometimes "A che nome?" (under what name?). Then they give you the car's code and the wait time, for example "Roma 23, in cinque minuti" (car Roma 23, in five minutes). Write the code down. It's how you recognize your taxi when it pulls up, and it's the part nervous callers most often miss.
If they speak too fast, "Può ripetere più lentamente?" is polite and normal. Numbers come quickly in Italian, so practice hearing them before you go.
Airport fixed fares
Know the fixed fares before you call. Under Rome's current fare schedule (Council resolution 157 of May 2026), Fiumicino airport to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls is €55 per car, and Ciampino airport to the same area is €40, luggage included. Saying "Tariffa fissa, giusto?" (fixed fare, right?) is perfectly normal. For ordinary metered rides, a radio-taxi call supplement can be added to the meter total, so a booked ride may cost a little more than one from a stand.
Pronunciation in one minute
Italian is spelled the way it sounds. "C" before e or i is "ch" (cena = CHEH-nah), "ch" is a hard "k" (chiamo = KYAH-moh), and "gn" is like the "ny" in canyon (cognome = koh-NYOH-meh). Practice your street name and house number out loud. Those are the words the dispatcher must understand.
Tips that matter more than vocabulary
- Write your address, destination and name on a card before you dial.
- Open with "Buongiorno" (or "Buonasera" from mid-afternoon). Skipping the greeting sounds abrupt.
- Listen for the car code and the minutes, and repeat them back.
- Fillers like "allora…" buy you a second when you freeze.
- Practice out loud with someone who answers back. Reading phrases isn't the same as hearing "Indirizzo?" fired at you.
Phrase table
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno, vorrei un taxi. | bwohn-JOR-noh, vor-RAY oon TAHK-see | Hello, I'd like a taxi. |
| In Via dei Coronari, numero dieci. | een VEE-ah day koh-roh-NAH-ree, NOO-meh-roh DYEH-chee | At Via dei Coronari, number ten. |
| Per l'aeroporto di Fiumicino. | pehr lah-eh-roh-POR-toh dee fyoo-mee-CHEE-noh | To Fiumicino airport. |
| A nome di Smith. | ah NOH-meh dee Smith | Under the name Smith. |
| Tra quanti minuti? | trah KWAHN-tee mee-NOO-tee | In how many minutes? |
| Qual è il codice del taxi? | kwahl EH eel KOH-dee-cheh del TAHK-see | What's the taxi's code? |
| Tariffa fissa, giusto? | tah-REEF-fah FEES-sah, JOO-stoh | Fixed fare, right? |
| Può ripetere più lentamente? | pwoh ree-PEH-teh-reh pyoo len-tah-MEN-teh | Can you repeat more slowly? |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah | Can I pay by card? |
Practice this call before you go
Travel's Calling turns your own trip into practice phone calls. Pick your destination, upload your itinerary or type a few plans, choose your level, and take a voice call in your browser with an AI character who answers in the local language. After each call you get a short trip report. It works for destinations around the world, so you can rehearse this call in Italian.
Start practicing on Travel's Calling →Quick answers
- Can you hail a taxi on the street in Rome?
- Yes, you can flag down a free taxi, but not within about 100 meters of a taxi stand where cabs or people are waiting. The city recommends using a stand or calling.
- How much is a taxi from Fiumicino to central Rome?
- Under Rome's current fare schedule, Fiumicino to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls is a fixed €55 per car, luggage included. Ciampino to the same area is €40.
- What does the dispatcher say after I give my address?
- They usually give the car's code and the wait time, for example "Roma 23, in cinque minuti." Write the code down so you can recognize your taxi.