You can read this article also in : 日本語 (Japanese)
I recommend using a cab app when traveling in Poland!
If you use a cab app, you can get from Warsaw airport to the city center for
Lowest 600 yen
(20 zloty) from Warsaw Airport to the city center, and a 10-minute ride within the city center
Lowest price 300 yen
(10 zloty) for a 10-minute ride within the city.
(Prices vary depending on traffic conditions)
In this article, we will discuss FREE NOW (mytaxi ), one of the most recommended cab apps available in Poland.
- Comparison of Uber and FREE NOW
- Comparison between regular cab and FREE NOW
- How to register and use FREE NOW
- How to avoid getting ripped off
What is the “FREE NOW” cab app for Poland?
FREE NOW is a popular cab app available in over 100 European cities.
In Poland, it can be used in 9 major cities: Warsaw, Cracow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdynia, Sopot, Katowice, and Łódź.
- The location and destination of the ride can be specified on the app, so you don’t have to worry even if you don’t speak the language.
- App payment available, no cash required
There were no major changes to the rate plan or application usage, just a name change.
When I wrote this article, the Mytaxi was still in use, so some of the images are different, but I hope you don’t mind.
Comparing Poland’s 2 Major Taxi Apps FREE NOW and Uber
When it comes to smartphone cab apps, Uber is popular worldwide.
Uber usage is also high in Poland.
There are three major differences between the two. Each is briefly explained below.
Since the law changed in January 2020, the difference between FREE NOW and Uber has almost disappeared! Please see the explanation below for more details.
(1) Taxi license or not ⇒ Change
Uber in Poland is driven by drivers without a cab license.
On the other hand
FREE NOW (mytaxi) are all licensed cab drivers
are.
As of March 2020, many drivers are still unlicensed; the situation will change again as they will be taking steps to suspend the accounts of drivers who have not registered their licenses starting in April.
(2) Whether the car says “Taxi” or not => Change
Uber basically does not have “Taxi” on the body of the vehicle.
You will get into what is called an ordinary car. Sometimes there are cars with “Uber” written on the body.
I don’t mind it so much when I’m with someone else, but I still feel a little defensive when I’m a woman alone.
If it were daytime, I would still ride it;
On the other hand, FREE NOW looks like a regular cab, so you feel safe when you get in. (Once a regular car like an Uber came…)
But as of March 2020, very little is still attached. It is expected that the gray area will continue for some time.
(3) Fees
Rates are
Uber is cheaper.
are.However, it can be about the same if you choose the FREE NOW “Lite” plan, which will be explained later.
Prices are almost the same for both FREE NOW and Uber these days.
This is how I use FREE NOW and Uber.
Until now, I have used Uber inexpensively during the day and FREE NOW when riding alone at night, etc. depending on the situation at the time.
The law just changed in January 2020, and the gray period is likely to continue for some time.Airports are stepping up their crackdown on unlicensed drivers.
I don’t want to get into trouble, so for a while, I’ve been using FREE NOW for airport transfers.
Once the situation settles down, there will be no difference at all between FREE NOW and Uber, so I would go with the one with the lower price or shorter wait time.
Comparing FREE NOW and regular Taxi in Poland
There are three differences between FREE NOW (mytaxi) and a regular taxi
(1) Fees
Depending on the fare plan you choose. FREE NOW fares are cheaper than regular cabs.
For example, a regular cab ride from Warsaw Airport to downtown Warsaw costs about 40 zlotys.
On the other hand, the cheapest plan at FREE NOW (mytaxi) costs about 20 zlotys.
(2) Ease of use of the cab app
Each Polish cab company has its own dispatch app.
but
Many applications are quite difficult to use ^^;
In this regard, the FREE NOW (mytaxi) application is easy to use there.
(3) Attitude (laugh)
Let me preface this by saying that I am very biased. Polish cab drivers have a bad attitude!
I had a very bad experience once, and since then I have made up my mind never to take a regular cab.
FREE NOW (mytaxi) has a system where passengers rate the drivers, so there are many nice people.
Some drivers sometimes try to go the long way around, but you can counteract the rip-offs by choosing a price plan in advance.
Download it before you arrive in Poland! How to register the FREE NOW cab app
Here is an explanation of how to register for FREE NOW with pictures.
(1) First, download the FREE NOW application.
Iphone
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/free-now-mytaxi/id357852748
android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=taxi.android.client&hl=ja
Click on “FREE SIGN UP”.
(3) Select a membership registration method
This time we will use e-mail registration.
Fill in the required information.
Name in English.
(5) You will receive an SMS.
Click on the link to activate your account.
(6) Account registration is complete.
(7) Register your credit card through “Pay by App”.
Not required.
Once you register your credit card, you will be able to choose the cheapest Lite plan.
Use it in Poland! How to use the FREE NOW cab app (mytaxi)
Let’s take the case of going from Warsaw Airport to a hotel in the city as an example. We will explain how to use it with pictures!
1) First, open the Google Maps application, search for your destination, and click “Route”.
The search function of the FREE NOW app is not great. It is hard to use if you don’t know the area.
In this respect, Google Maps is recommended because it can be searched in Japanese and is easy to use even for travelers.
You can easily compare with other cab apps ^^.
Sometimes the app freezes when going through Google Maps. In such cases, please search directly from the FREE NOW app.
(2) You can see the approximate fare and waiting time for each cab application.
Select FREE NOW and click “Open App
The rates for the “Lite” plan, described next, are often lower than the amounts shown here.
(3) Once the FREE NOW app is launched, select a rate plan.
Rate plans are discussed in more detail in the next section.
Here, select “Lite”, the cheapest option. Click on “Order Lite now.
You cannot call on the arrival floor at Warsaw Airport. You must go one floor up to the departure floor to call. (Just go up the escalator, it takes only one minute.)
There are two exits on the departure floor, so specify which one to call.
(4) After a few seconds (if it is not easy to find a driver, it takes several tens of seconds), you will be informed that a driver has been selected.
(5) Real-time information on how far the driver has come
(6) Find a car by its license plate number.
You can signal by raising your hand lightly.
(7) Get into the car.
It is kind to tell them your name.
Hotel Polonia?” The driver will often ask you to confirm your destination, such as “Hotel Polonia?
(8) During the ride, the estimated time of arrival and current location are updated in real time there.
Upon arrival, the driver will proceed with the payment procedure using the terminal installed in the car. When the screen below appears, slide the “Slide to Pay” button to complete the payment. Slide the “Slide to Pay” button on the screen below to complete payment.
Tips can also be added at this time.
(11) When the screen below appears, payment is complete.
I thank him and get out of the car.
Evaluation is not required, but I try to evaluate as much as possible.
Cab App FREE NOW Pricing Plans
FREE NOW offers several pricing plans.
Some plans offer up to half price if you meet a few conditions!
The fee plan is not as complicated as the Japanese cell phone plans, but is simple to select on the application before boarding.
Let’s take a look at the details of each plan.
*Taxi and Lite plans are based on actual riding experience, while the rest are compiled from official descriptions.
(1) “Taxi” – ordinary cab plan
- Capacity of 4 persons
- Cash Payment or App Payment
- The rates shown are only a “guideline”. Amounts are determined by actual ride time and distance.
- Relatively quick from the time of call to arrival.
- You can ride without a destination in mind, or change it mid-ride.
(2) “Lite” – Recommended! Value-for-money plan
- Capacity of 4 persons
- App payment only
- Fixed rates
- Takes a little longer to arrive after you call.
- Destination changes and intermediate stops are not allowed.
Plus” – Fixed fee plan
- Capacity of 4 persons
- Cash Payment or App Payment
- Fixed rates
- Good quality of car
- Ride with other passengers
- Capacity 1~2 persons
- App payment only
- The maximum fee is fixed and cannot be higher.
- Area-specific plans
5) “Taxi XL” – for large groups
- Capacity 5~8 persons
- Cash Payment or App Payment
- The rates shown are only a “guideline”. Amounts are determined by actual ride time and distance.
- Impression of a small number of units
6) “Eco”: For those who want to choose an environmentally friendly car.
- Capacity of 4 persons
- Cash Payment or App Payment
- The rates shown are only a “guideline”. Amounts are determined by actual ride time and distance.
- Impression of a small number of units
A story about getting ripped off when using the FREE NOW app in a Polish port town and what to do about it.
As explained earlier.
For some rate plans, the rates shown on the application are estimates.
The final amount will be determined by the actual ride time and distance.
I got ripped off once with this…
That was when I went from Gdansk to Sopot.
Sopot is a well-known Polish resort town in the country.
I compared the rates of various cab apps on Google Maps, and found that FREE NOW offered a very low rate of “30~40 zloty”.
I immediately ordered it.
At that time, there was no Lite plan available yet, and we chose the regular Taxi plan.
We arrived at our destination safely, despite getting stuck in a bit of traffic on the way.
However, the driver was acting strangely.
He said the application was not working due to internet problems.
He then points to the meter on the cab and says, “80 zlotys.
I paid 80 zlotys in tears because it was kind of a hassle to have something to fuss about during a fun vacation.
Let this rip-off incident be a lesson to you. Since the fixed fee Lite plan was created, I always choose that option.
If you don’t want to do app payments, you may want to go with Plus, which has a fixed fee as well.
The fees are high, but I do not have to worry about being ripped off.
How to pay tips on cab apps and Polish tipping culture
If you choose the app payment option, you can select the amount of the tip and give it to the driver on the app.
Tipping is not mandatory in Poland.
If you think the service was good, give a tip.
I think that is the most difficult thing for Japanese people who do not have a tipping culture;
What I am looking for is safe driving lol.
Poland has a lot of rough and ornery drivers.
So. If I feel that this person was a safe driver, I always tip him.
This will also serve as a grass-roots effort to gradually increase the number of safe drivers;
I think everyone wants different services, so I think it’s a good idea to tip if they give you the service you are looking for.
For cash payments, please give the tip directly in cash, as you cannot select the tip on the application.
Notes on using the FREE NOW cab app in a WIFI environment
One thing to note for those who plan to travel only with public wifi in Poland.
With FREE NOW app payment, you must press the button on the app at the time of drop-off to complete payment.
It’s fine until you order in a public wifi environment, such as at the airport, and then get in the car.
If you go offline, you will not be able to make the final payment.
I think I would prefer to use Uber as a countermeasure. I am a little worried about the impact of the law change for a while….
You can also opt for cash settlement, although there is a small risk of being ripped off.
＼Prepare a pocket wifi or SIM for peace of mind/.
Travel in comfort in Poland by using the FREE NOW cab app.
How was it?
Do your best to use it and have a comfortable and smooth trip to Poland ^^.
＼”I want to read it in addition to the above.
