GreeceTaxi (Athens) - Beware

[arnoldbd]

We just returned from a cruise that ended in Pireaus (Athens). We had previously made confirmed arrangements, by phone and email, with the owner, Nicolas, to be picked up at the pier, taken on a 5 1/2 hour tour of Athens, and dropped off at our hotel.

 

After disembarking the ship, we arrived early at the agreed pick-up location and waited for over an hour from the agreed pick-up time. During this time, the very considerate disembarkation staff made several phone calls to GreeceTaxi on our behalf. They spoke to the office staff and to Nicolas himself and got different excuses every time. GreeceTaxi never showed up and made no attempt to rectify the situation. We finally gave up and negotiated more costly arrangements with one of taxi drivers at the pier.

 

In my experience, GreeceTaxi is unreliable, untrustworthy and should be avoided at all costs.

[High C's]

Thanks for the heads up. Do you know if this is different from the company known as "GreekTaxi"? I've been dealing with a person named "Paul" who I believe to be the owner, and either he or his son Nick will be conducting our tour. I hope it is a different company!!!

[shmabbies]

Since there are so many Greek taxi companies in Athens with similar names, I think it is particularly important to include website and e-mail contact information for any driver you are speaking highly of, or warning others about. We used PAUL at www.***** twice in April when we stayed in Athens and I have booked family members with him for next year. Our friends were with us in April and loved Paul and used him again in July when they were in Athens with THEIR family.

 

Paul I think does have a son whose name MAY be Nick, but I don't think it is the Nicolas that owns the company that is being complained about, because that Nicolas describes himself as being 45 and I'm pretty sure Paul's son could not be that old. I don't think you have anything to worry about with Paul at admin@***** because he was WONDERFUL with us, as attested by the fact that we or our families will have used him four times in two years.

 

Hopefully the original poster will provide more information. His complaint sounds legitimate, I'd just like to see the correct company receive the slam and good companies receive praise!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We also used Paul at "*****" last year, and he was great, no problems at all, just FYI.

[High C's]

Thank you!!!!! Paul was so prompt and agreeable in his return e-mails, that I was hoping it was a different company. Unfortunately, the company the original poster is complaining about has probably named his company so similar in name in the hopes that people will confuse him with other companies who have good reputations.

[YAC]

I just returned from a Millie Cruise - used Paul at Greek Taxi and he was great! Our group of 8 was picked up in his brand new spacious Mercedes 14 passenger minibus at a cost of 450 E for an all day tour of Athens and Sounio. His smaller Mercedes C class car would have cost 250 E and a tight squeeze! It was well worth it. If you like to swim, he can take you to this lake fed by an underwater river - always 25 degrees C (~ 80 degrees) as a side trip on the way to Sounio! I believe his son, Nike is ~ 32years old. Happy cruising!

[arnoldbd]

[Hopefully the original poster will provide more information. His complaint sounds legitimate, I'd just like to see the correct company receive the slam and good companies receive praise!

 

This is an excellent point. I'm sorry I didn't provide the information at the start. The emeil of the company with which I was so dissatisfied is greektaxi@greecetaxi.gr

[ILoveMyDogs]

We contacted Paul at admin@***** website www.***** for our tour of Athens earlier this month while on the Brilliance of the Seas. He sent he cousin, Fotis. We were very pleased with his service. He was very knowledgable, patient and professional.Would highly recommend him. This may be a different company than what the original poster was referring to.

[shmabbies]

Arnold, Thanks for clarifying! I would have been astounded had it been Paul.

 

So - to recapitulate - www.greecetaxi.gr is the :mad: BAD guy :mad:

 

but www.***** is the :D GOOD guy :D

 

 

I'm sorry that you got stuck with the bad guy. Having been stood up by a guide in South America, I know just what you felt like.

[shmabbies]

Arnold, Thanks for clarifying! I would have been astounded had it been Paul.

 

So - to recapitulate - www.greecetaxi.gr is the :mad: BAD guy :mad:

 

but www.***** is the :D GOOD guy :D

 

 

I'm sorry that you got stuck with the bad guy. Having been stood up by a guide in South America, I know just what you felt like.

 

(sorry for the duplicate post - problems posting today)

[JFreshwater]

We were in Athens last month- had Paul one day and Nicholas (his son) the other. Both were fabulous. It really is confusing (most likely on purpose) that all the companies are similarly named.

[webecruzin2]

I have been corresponing with Paul for our cruise in May and he also goes by the website www.athenstaxi.org . Just in case you come across this one, too.

[Ms Understood]

Whew! I just booked Paul today and then saw this, so am very relieved to hear not the same company! Thanks for the clarification. Also thanks for the thumbs up for Paul, we are really looking forward to this trip and I am sure I would be blamed for any mishaps under the theory thst I listened to the folks on this board! ;-)

[gedam]

I booked Paul yesterday and have just looked up the other company, they are definately different companies.

[whale-watcher]

Momentary scare...but we are booked with Paul (Greek) and not Greece...thanks for the heads up; it is important to read the negative reviews, and not just the positive!

[rich_cathybrock]

We, too, used Paul and his son for transfers from the Airport to the Hilton Athens, and to the Prinsendam the next day in October of 2007.

 

The price was very fair, and these guys are pros! They managed to get our luggage (I travel with 90% of the contents of my house, then swear to pare dowen each year, then somehow don't) into the car, were prompt for both transfers, and are really a pleasure!

 

I sent a thank-you note to them both immediately after boarding, and would highly reocommend these gentlemen.

 

Not having dealt with transfers in Athens, and seeing how close the two names are, I am extremely grateful that we didn't accidentally end up with "Nick the bad guy" - seems after a few more posts, this driver will be forced to rethink his current employment and/or business plan...

 

These boards really are an education, are they not?

[sea-explorer]

 

These boards really are an education, are they not?

 

They are indeed. I have learnt a lot & it certainly has added to my travel experiences. A big thankyou to all.

 

What I'm curious about though is why this thread was suddenly resurrected yesterday from 2005...& is Nick the greek taxi still in business?

[ILoveScotland]

I booked Paul several months ahead of time for a tour of Athens last October. There were 8 or 10 of us on the tour.

 

The son showed up and was quite a disappointment to us. He either gave us misinformation or no information which was especially disheartening since my husband is in a wheelchair, and we got really bad info about him being able to go up to the Acropolis. He also did not tell us that people who are handicapped do not have to pay admission to the Acropolis. In the end my husband had to wait on the van.

 

Thankfully, for reasons none of us really understood Paul took over after the Acropolis, and he was better than his son. However, we'd had such a great private tour of Istanbul that I was disappointed.

[YAC]

We used Paul's company - the good one again last Sept. Paul wasn't available; but Peter was. He was just as iinformative and helpful in our morning pick up at the hotel, drive to Corinth Canal & Ancient Corinth before dropping us off with all of our luggage in Pireaus. We had 9 people via Cruisecritic and we all loved this part of the side trip and how to get our luggage to the ship as well!:D

[bxny]

We used Greektaxi for our Athens tour. Paul was the driver for our group of 12. He was very informative and gave a running commentary of all we saw. He used a mirophone in the van so that we could all hear. Highly recommend his services.