Booking a didi for a fixed time (tomorrow) in Nanjing - advice

[杰.克]

Hi guys,

 

Im pretty sure i should be able to handle it (in terms of Chinese) but just wanting to sound out you guys. I need to get a taxi to the airport at 7.50 tomorrow in Nanjing, Im wanting to make sure the taxi comes (rather than just go catch one tomo) so am thinking of booking it in advance. Im fairly sure (although Ive not done it before) this is possible via didi chuxing. 

 

My query is, are there any pitfalls you can think may arise, or any tips of options i should select? do you think i should get a chuzuche? or one of the private hires (where its just some guy dirving round in his car). My main aim is to get a reliable servie to pick me up at 7.50 and go to the airport? 

 

Also i should say, im with parents witha  few cases. So to ensure a big car im thinking of choosing, 专车. Have you any experience of this option? or is there a way i can request a bigger car?

 

Cheers guys,

 

P.S in general what type of car do you get? I normally opt for a standard chuzuche ( the cities normal taxi company). Im not really sure what the differences tend to be though. EDIT- i found this article which answers my PS quite well. FOr anyone interested http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/article/how-to-use-didi-chuxing

[abcdefg]

Don't do it.

 

Trying to make a flight at the airport in a strange city when you are responsible for your parents as well as for yourself is not the best time to experiment with using Didi for the first time. A hundred things can go wrong.

 

This is a more suitable project for a later date at a non-critical time.

[grawrt]

I think it doesn't hurt to try if you already decided you can hail a cab worse case scenerio. I booked a taxi for the first time (in advance) using didi just a couple days ago. I booked it the night before for 5:30 AM, the taxi driver called me not long after i put in the booking to confirm my location and the time and my destination and then arrived the next day as confirmed. I actually got to him at 5:45 because the security guards would not let the cab driver in so my friend and I had to bike to the gate which took forever. He was nice enough to wait while we rushed to meet him  although honestly speaking, xiangan campus is so far from the city he would have gained nothing by driving back. 

 

I did have a bad experience back in Hangzhou with a kuaiche my airbnb host hired for the next morning that came something like 10 minutes earlier than he was supposed to and then drove off in a fury when we weren't there. We had to find another cab which was really difficult at such an early hour (4 AM)

 

 

[杰.克]

Appreciate the input chaps. abcdefg, ive factored in quite a bit (alot!) of sponge time. If he doesnt arrive, ill have to flag one anyhow, so the way I see it, it doesnt harm me to have a go!

 

Anyhow I opted for zhuanche. Ill report back how it all goes! (look forward to my tales of woe on missing the flight  )

[杰.克]

REPORT- Im happy i chose zhuanche. The chap gave me a call 30 mins before. Came and waited in the hotel lobby to collect us, lifted bags to car, my parents appreciated how he drove (more calmly then other rides weve taken) and the car was pretty nice. All in all very satisfied with it. It was more expensive, the apps estimate was 90 yuan for around a 35 min drive, and it ended up being 140 yuan (i had a discount of 50, i assume  this was why?). Obvs this is alot more expensive than the other options would have been, but id chose it again to go to the airport!

[abcdefg]

Glad that it worked out! How was Nanjing?

[杰.克]

Great, i visited both Sun Yat-sens mausoleum and the Nanjing museum massacre. Both brilliant in terms of visit experience! Although I have to say a hugeeeee amount of construction was going on in Nanjing. Every shop, building and road, in the city centre was seemingly being rebuilt. Not sure as to why? It was like nothing ive experienced in China before