Taxis in Australia, and the apps to use

Uber is the default across Australian cities, and DiDi and Ola often undercut it, so it is worth having a couple installed to compare. For a traditional taxi, the 13cabs app (and similar state operators) books a metered cab.

Coverage is strong in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and beyond. In smaller towns, apps thin out and a phone booking or a rank is the norm.

An app is the easy option from the marked rideshare pickup zone at major airports. In Sydney, the Airport Link train runs straight into the city (with a station access fee built into the ticket). A metered taxi is reliable too, with an airport toll added.

In Melbourne, the SkyBus is the standard link from Tullamarine into the city, since there is no airport train yet, and Uber and taxis serve the marked zones.

Taxis are metered and regulated, and Australia is effectively cashless, so you tap a card or phone in the taxi or pay in the app. Expect a small card surcharge (often 1 to 2%, sometimes a flat fee), which is legal and disclosed up front, so it is normal to see it.

There is nothing to negotiate: the meter or the app sets the fare. Apps show the price before you book, which is usually the easiest way to know the cost.

Fares are metered in a taxi or set in the app, and paid by card or phone. Tipping is not expected in Australia, since drivers earn a proper wage, though rounding up for a particularly good trip is a welcome gesture.

For more, see tipping in Australia, cash or card in Australia, and the Australia money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

More on Australia

The little money things nobody warns you about.

• Driving in Australia: tolls, fees and the excessTwo things decide what driving in Australia costs you, and neither is the daily rate. One is how your rental company handles tolls, which varies more than almost anything else. The other is the excess buried in the agreement.
• Do I need cash in Australia, or can I use cards?Short answer: almost never. Australia is one of the most cashless countries anywhere, so you can tap for nearly everything. Here is how to handle it, including the card surcharge you may see.
• Tipping in AustraliaAustralia is not a tipping country. Staff earn a high minimum wage, so tipping is not expected anywhere, and you can relax about it. A small tip for exceptional service is optional. Here is what you actually owe.
• How do US citizens get an Australia ETA?Short answer: through the official app, and only the app. US citizens need an Australian ETA, it is cheap and usually instant, but the app-only process trips people up. Here is how it works and what it costs.
• Bringing your dog or cat to Australia.Australia has the strictest pet import process of any English-speaking country, and it is the most expensive move we cover. Two numbers frame it: a lead time of at least 6 to 7 months, set by a rabies test and a fixed 180-day wait, and an all-in cost that often reaches five figures. Here is the order, the official route, and where the money goes.
• Staying connected in Australia.Two things to sort here. The cost question, which an eSIM usually answers, and the distance question, because Australia is enormous and the coverage map has real holes in it once you leave the settled edge.