Berlin has three fixed taxi numbers, an officially regulated per-kilometre tariff — and now, with Uber, a second, dynamically priced way to order a vehicle. This article puts both systems side by side: what a phone call costs, what Uber charges, and when each one pays off.
How do you call a taxi in Berlin?
The fastest way to get a taxi in Berlin is through one of the three big radio dispatch centres: Taxi Berlin (030 202020), Würfelfunk (030 210101), or Funk Taxi Berlin (030 261026). All three are reachable around the clock by phone, app, or online — alternatively, you can hail one on the street or get in at a taxi rank.
If you like it simple, just call directly — dispatch operates 24 hours a day, including Sundays and public holidays. On the go, the taxi.eu app or the dispatch centre's own app works well, letting you plan rides in advance too. A Berlin taxi is recognisable by its cream-coloured paint, the illuminated roof sign, and the licence number in the rear window.
Which number do you call for a taxi?
The three relevant numbers are 030 202020 (Taxi Berlin), 030 210101 (Würfelfunk), and 030 261026 (Funk Taxi Berlin) — all dialable from a mobile with the 030 area code.
Taxi Berlin is the largest of the three dispatch centres: by its own account, more than 5,000 taxis and 10,500 drivers work for it across Berlin and Brandenburg, handling up to 600,000 dispatch orders a month. Würfelfunk and Funk Taxi Berlin are smaller but likewise offer round-the-clock availability, online booking, and in some cases fixed airport fares. For everyday use, one of the three numbers saved in your phone is usually enough.
To see what a specific journey costs, work it out in seconds: calculate your Berlin taxi fare.
What's cheaper in Berlin, a taxi or Uber?
There's no blanket winner: the Berlin taxi has a fixed, officially regulated tariff, while Uber works with dynamic prices that fluctuate with time of day, demand, and weather.
For the classic everyday ride, the taxi is predictable — the €29.40 for 10 km is fixed according to the Berlin Taxi Guild, regardless of time or demand. Uber, on the other hand, can be cheaper outside rush hour, but gets more expensive than the taxi tariff during high demand, for example after concerts or in the rain — a mechanism also described by German broadcaster ZDFheute in the debate around pricing and regulation. If you want certainty, you're better off with a taxi; if you want flexibility and are willing to check the price beforehand, you can save with Uber.
How much does a 10 km Uber ride cost?
Uber shows the price directly in the app before every ride — there's no fixed per-kilometre table like with a taxi, because the price is calculated dynamically.
The reason is Uber's pricing model, which factors in supply and demand in real time instead of a fixed per-kilometre rate. Uber itself explains that the fare is shown before booking, so users can compare it with the taxi tariff beforehand. As a rough guide: for a 10 km trip outside rush hour, user reports often put the price in the range of €15 to €20, but during high demand the price can be well above the taxi tariff's €29.40. The only reliable figure is the price shown directly in the app right before booking.
How much does an Uber Taxi cost in Berlin?
"Uber Taxi" isn't its own price class — it's booking a completely normal Berlin taxi through the Uber app, so the price matches the official taxi tariff.
Uber itself lists Uber Taxi as one of its vehicle categories in Berlin alongside UberX, UberXL, and Comfort. So the difference to UberX isn't in the price but in the vehicle: with Uber Taxi you get a regular, cream-coloured taxi with a taxameter, for which, according to the Berlin Taxi Guild, the same base fare of €4.30 plus the tiered per-kilometre rates apply as with a classically hailed ride. Anyone who specifically wants to order a normal taxi at the fixed official tariff through Uber simply selects the "Taxi" option in the app.
Why Uber and not a taxi?
Uber scores with price transparency before the ride, cashless payment, and the ability to see the driver and vehicle in the app beforehand — the taxi scores with a fixed tariff and constant availability on the street.
According to ZDFheute, both systems increasingly compete for the same passengers in Berlin, but serve different needs. Anyone who needs a vehicle spontaneously on the street is usually quicker with a taxi, since taxis are allowed to cruise and wait at ranks — something Uber vehicles are legally not permitted to do, due to the return-to-base requirement for hire cars. Anyone who'd rather plan a ride in advance, see the price beforehand, and pay cashless tends to reach for Uber more often.
One point that often gets overlooked when booking is vehicle size. Before booking in the app, take a moment to count how many people are actually riding along — order a UberX that only seats four when there are five of you, and you risk a cancellation or having to rebook on the spot. Checking the passenger count before confirming the vehicle class saves the most time in practice.
What's the legal difference between a taxi and an Uber in Berlin?
Taxis operate under a concession with a regulated tariff, compulsory passenger insurance, and an obligation to accept any ride within the city limits. Uber and similar services use hire-car licences that require the vehicle to return to base after each trip and don't guarantee a fixed fare — a real difference in reliability and consumer protection.
How can I order a taxi through Uber in Berlin?
Select "Taxi" among the vehicle options in the Uber app, confirm the pickup location, and request the ride — you'll then be assigned a regular, licensed Berlin taxi.
Uber describes the process as letting users choose between several vehicle categories after entering their start and destination, "Taxi" being one of them. After confirming, the assignment works just like the other categories: the app shows the driver's name, photo, licence plate, and estimated arrival time. Also important here: quickly check the group's headcount before confirming, and for more than four people go straight for "Taxi" or UberXL instead of UberX, to avoid a mismatched booking.
How do you use Uber?
Create an account, enter your destination, choose a vehicle category, confirm the ride, and track your assigned driver live on the map — payment then runs automatically through your saved payment method.
The process is identical across all categories: Uber explains the steps from entering a destination to driver assignment on its own information page. Before setting off, it's worth quickly matching the licence plate and vehicle model in the app against the car that actually pulls up.
Can I book an Uber ride without the app?
Yes — a ride can also be booked via the uber.com website on a computer or through the Google Maps integration, with no app installed at all.
The only requirement is an Uber account, which can also be created via the browser. For frequent travellers or trips without a smartphone, this is a practical alternative, even though the phone app remains more convenient overall, for example for live-tracking the vehicle.
How do you pay for Uber Taxi?
By default, cashless via credit card, PayPal, or Google Pay directly in the app — cash payment is possible if the driver has enabled it.
Uber lists credit card, PayPal, and other digital payment methods as standard options in Germany. Since 2019, drivers have additionally been able to allow cash payment, which is especially relevant for users without a saved card. A tip can optionally be added directly in the app right after the ride.
Do you have to pay per person with Uber?
No, Uber charges a fare per ride, not per person — only with the optional fare-splitting feature does a small extra fee per rider apply.
The base price applies to the whole vehicle, regardless of whether one or four people are riding. More important than the payment question here is vehicle size: since UberX in Berlin typically seats up to four people, you should know your group size before booking, and for five or more people go straight for UberXL or a taxi — that avoids delays from having to rebook afterward. Anyone who wants to split the fare can enable "fare split", where every participant needs the app and a small surcharge per person applies.
How do you recognise an Uber driver?
The app shows the driver's name, photo, rating, vehicle model, and licence plate — before getting in, you should match the licence plate against the car pulling up.
Uber explicitly advises, as part of its safety features, checking the driver and vehicle before the ride. An optional PIN code can also be agreed, which the driver must state before the ride starts. Through the Real-Time ID Check introduced at the end of 2019, Uber also regularly verifies drivers' identities via a selfie match, as Uber describes in its own announcement of the feature.
Who drives for Uber?
In Germany, Uber is driven exclusively by licensed taxi or private-hire drivers holding a valid passenger transport licence (Personenbeförderungsschein) — private drivers, as in the original US model, are not permitted here.
Legally, Uber in Germany is purely a broker with no vehicles or employed drivers of its own. Rides are handled through licensed partner companies, bundled since 2019 under the general contractor SafeDriver Ennoo. Central to this is the so-called return-to-base requirement for hire cars: unlike taxis, which may wait at ranks or pick up passengers hailing on the street, hire cars must return to their base after every ride unless they have a new booking. Germany's Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) confirmed this return-to-base requirement for hire cars booked via Uber X in a landmark ruling in June 2026, also dismissing constitutional doubts about the rule.
What criticism does Uber face?
The main criticism concerns Uber's past lobbying against regulation, at times precarious working conditions at subcontractors, and prices that are hard for users to predict during high demand.
In 2022, the so-called "Uber Files" came to light — a leak of around 124,000 documents from the years 2013 to 2017. German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported on how Uber, during that period, deliberately drew politicians and academics into its lobbying against regulation attempts. There have also been repeated reports of subcontractors where drivers are said to work below minimum wage. Dynamic pricing is also criticised, since fares can rise sharply during high demand. Legally, Uber has also had to repeatedly defend itself in Germany against lawsuits from the taxi trade — most recently, Germany's Federal Court of Justice confirmed in June 2026 that the return-to-base requirement for Uber hire cars was lawful. Uber itself, however, stresses that all German drivers are licensed, insured, and paid at least the minimum wage, as the company states on its official facts page.
Can I pay the Uber driver in cash?
Yes, cash payment has been possible since 2019, provided the driver has enabled it in the app. By default, though, payment runs cashless via credit card, PayPal, or Google Pay.
How far in advance can I book an Uber ride?
Rides can usually be scheduled 30 to 90 days in advance. This is particularly useful for airport transfers or appointments where punctuality matters.
Is Uber even legal in Berlin?
Yes, Uber operates legally in Germany, though not as in the US — exclusively through licensed taxi and private-hire partners. Germany's Federal Court of Justice confirmed the legal framework, in particular the return-to-base requirement for hire cars, in June 2026.
What do I do if I left something in the taxi or Uber?
With Uber, you can contact the driver directly through the ride's history in the app to ask about a forgotten item. With a classic taxi, calling the relevant dispatch centre helps — they can identify the vehicle based on the time and route.