Exagerated Prices???
 

Just received email from someone traveling in Italy. They claim that a "limo" in Italy costs 800 Euros for a few hours and that a hired cab runs 400 Euros for a couple of hours. Is she on the money or pulling our leg?

What's is someone in Italy even DOING hiring a limo?! That probably includes the cost of shipping one over from the US LOL.

Yes, depending on what is being paid for (guided tour, etc.) and in which locations these could easily cost this much. And, it is probably a Mercedes "limo" since the Geo or the Neon were a little small.

Of course not--that is crazy.
You can buy a driver all day for 300E.

Hi C,

There are drivers and drivers and limos and limos, but 800 for even a half day is rather high.

This doesn't mean that they didn't pay it. :)

((I))

Hi Ira - In fact I am referring to an email that I just received from my father's ...AHEM, goldigirlfriend. Yes, she has been hiring Mercedes Limos in Portofino, Livorno, Rome. Dad has trouble with his feet but, she insisted that he take her on this trip. I was just there last summer and taxi's were high, but not as high as she claims. Thanks all for the feed back.

Those prices are outrageous! Several times we hired a cab to take us for drives longer than an hour. I don't think we ever paid more than 120E.

I remember in Taormina we asked a driver how much it'd cost to take us to Milazzo the next morning. He said 110 Euro. The next morning we asked another driver how much it'd cost and he said "90 Euro" so we went.

These prices that she's quoting are nuts.

Yes - but sh'es not hiring a taxi - she's hiring a Mercedes Limo - and probably not looking for the best price. If she's willing to pay it - there will always be someone willing to charge her.

Of course - even if he has problems with his feet - the sensible thing is not to hire anything for the day - but just take cabs from point to point as needed - there's always a cafe handy for him to sit down if they need to wait for a cab.

If you are hiring a Mercedes and driver through an expensive hotel, then it is not impossible. It's not what most people would pay however.

I believe the original question was about whether or not these prices are "possible" and not if they are outrageous.

Recently in a trip report here, a woman reported paying around $825 for a daytrip from Venice to the town with all the mosaics (name escapes me at the moment). Although that included a tourguide, that seemed outrageous to me, but it is obviously possible.

Intrepid, I was responding to the "claim that a hired cab runs 400 Euros for a couple of hours". My response was based on that "claim" and my experience. I thought either her leg was being pulled or they were being "taken for a ride". Pun intended.

Oh, Calamari, you have coined a wonderful new word. I would shorten it to goldigfriend. Love it.

Calamari, it sounds like a classic scam is "afoot" so to speak. The young golddigger says it costs 800E, but it really costs 350E. The other 450E (minus a fee for the bogus bill)is placed in the dirty little lying, no-good, cheap sl..'s very expensive purse.

Glad you said it first, Degas!!!That was my first thought!

Degas!!!

You read my MIND! That is exactly what I told my brother! There is NO WAY their transport costs are that high. In fact, when we were in Italy last summer, taxi fare was one of the things I thought was reasonable considering the cost of gas and parking. When booked a private care our "limo" was a Mercedes Station Wagon and considering that we booked it for 5:00 AM in Rome, it was cheap and worth every euro for a family of four.

The only other explaination would be that they are having their cruise ship book all their private excursions. She claims that the ship charges a fee of 250 euros per person for their bused tours so in her mind it makes much more sense to pay 800 euros for a private Merc. Limo so that they can go at their own pace. What does she care? It is not her money...at least not YET!

Here come those chest pains again. Now I need to find a forum on how to do a goldigirlfriend exorcism.