Read more about taxis in Tokyo here

If you want to get a taxi in Tokyo beware of the huge language barrier. The drivers are professionals, but normally they do not speak English so if you do not want to try your luck at speaking Japanese it may be a good idea to write down the address before hand in Japanese and hand it to the driver. Another good idea may be to get a business card form the places that you are going. It may also be helpful to have a map highlighted to show the driver where it is you what to go. The driver will be willing to help in any way that they can. This will make your visit much more pleasant.


Taxis are not the quickest way to get around because of the back to back traffic, but if you do not have any other choice do not be shocked if the price is higher than you might prepare to pay. The starting rate is from 660 yen, which will take you 2 km, and goes on from there. At night, however the prices increase by 20 percent between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

There are two ways that you can get a taxi. There are stations that have a rank or you can catch one from the roadside. On the taxi's appearance, there are three colors of lights that you need to be aware of. The red one means that it is vacant, yellow means that it is not vacant and green means that the night time rates are in affect.

When you approach the taxi do not attempt to open the doors for the doors open and close automatically by the driver so do not be alarmed. Enjoy having someone else open and close the door for you.

Read about taxis in Asia here

When you are planning to visit some of the most exotic locations then Malaysia should be no. 1 on your list. It has everything that would make it one of the most beautiful and memorable stay for you. The Kuala Lumpur is the major city of Malaysia and the travel to this city can be planned at any time of the year as the city has no regular weather patterns. The place is not affected by monsoon and has steady rain in the months of September to December. The city has a good day time temperature of 32°C with 75% of humidity and this is because the place lies close to the equator. But it would be better if you could manage a cheaper travel, here are a few tips:

Taxi fares and rules:
When you travel in Malaysia through taxi, the fares are calculated by the taximeters. The starting price of the taximeter is Rm3 and as you travel per meter charges would be 10 cents. If you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam, the waiting charges for first three minutes are Rm3 and for every 21 seconds 10 cents would be charged. If you have to go through the toll booths, you would have to pay Rm2 for the phone booking and an extra 50% would be charged if you travel after 12 am to morning 6 am. If you have third person with you then Rm1 is charged, and maximum four passengers are allowed, the same is charged for the luggage also.

Fixed rate taxis:
When the passenger sees that the taxi driver is stopping the taxi to pick up another party, then the passenger can disagree and disallow that from happening. In and around Malaysia the taxis would charge on regular rates as fixed by the government, depending on the distance.

When you get down from the plane at KLIA, avoid the touts and go to the prepaid coupon counter where you can avail better and safer taxi service, provided by Airport Limo.

Find out taxi fares in Bangkok, Thailand and other destinations in Asia here

When you travel to Asian countries, you should be careful about you belongings, because the place is new and it' easy to get misguided. You must be really watchful with taxi drivers, cabs, etc, since the taxi driver scams in Asia have rapidly increased in the recent times. There are different ways in which they operate and here is what you can do to prevent misfortunes:

1. Taxi driver scams in Asia may involve robbery, theft, misguidance, etc. The first rule is to never be in a hurry in Asian countries, and provide enough time to each decision that you make. Some drivers in Asia may use any opportunity to trick you; e.g. they might tell you that the taximeter is not working, even while it's ok! If this happens, wait for another one, no matter how nicely the driver talks and how ever cheap his offers are.

2. Do as the locals, who would have enough knowledge about the scams and learn from their preventive measures. Pick up taxis where they find their taxis, which is not necessarily outside the central stations and tourist hotels. The taxi driver scams in Asia might include cheating or overcharging, where they might charge you many times more the actual cost. Sometimes even locals get cheated, so watch out.

3. If the taxi driver informs you that the hotel or restaurant you are going to had a fire accident last week, or provides any other reason for not taking you to your destination, don't listen to him and persist to go to the destination anyway. At least you can know how much of truth he said.

4. The driver might try add to the tip by saying that they do not have the change. Don't accept this, and only give him the tip he deserves. Taxi drivers always have ways to find change, even it might be from colleagues, shops, etc.

5. One last tip: If you do not know the way then ask some local before you step in the taxi, or have a look at a map. Look and act as if you know the fastest and closest route to your destination. Taxi drivers in Asian countries such as India, Thailand, etc. might take you to a trip around the the entire city, adding to the taximeter. When you decide to travel to Asian countries always keep in mind that you must have sufficient local information.

These advice would help you to avoid the taxi driver scams in Asia.