Taxi or your own car?
Driving yourself feels like the cheapest option because the costs are spread out and invisible. Parking in a Dutch city centre, however, is neither spread out nor invisible — and neither is the time spent looking for a space.
Here is how to compare the two honestly for the trip you have in mind.
What driving yourself really costs
- Paid parking in most Dutch city centres, often several euros per hour.
- Fuel or charging, plus wear and depreciation.
- Time spent finding a space and walking the last stretch.
- Environmental zones and one-way systems in older centres.
- No option to have a drink at dinner or an event.
When a taxi is the better call
- An evening out where someone would otherwise have to stay sober.
- A city centre visit where parking would cost more than the ride.
- A journey to an airport or station where the car would sit parked for days.
- Travelling as a group, so one car does the work of two.
- Bad weather, heavy luggage or an unfamiliar destination.
When your own car still wins
For everyday short trips, for journeys with many stops spread over a day, and for places with free parking at the door, your own car is hard to beat. The calculation usually flips when parking is expensive, the trip is one-way, or you would be leaving the car somewhere for more than a day.