Group travels in a city like Medellin can be a truly exciting experience. But this is only the case when done right. When done wrongly, you could have a truly awful experience on your hands, one that’d take all the fun out of the entire trip. 

Transportation is the first place things could go wrong with any group travel experience. The choice of transportation option could very easily make or break your entire group trip. In this article, we will be examining two of the most popular transportation options for group tours in Medellin, comparing their costs, and deciding which option is best for your group travels in Medellin.

Taxis or Private Transportation For Group Transportation — A Game of Cost vs Convenience

Taxi and private transportation services are two very different transportation options: the first is a public transport option designed with affordability in mind while the second is a private option designed for convenience and comfort. Although both are viable options for group travels in Medellin, the choice of what option to go for always ends up as a question between cost and convenience.

Generally, taxis are more affordable and often also readily available for short-distance trips. This makes them a great option for individuals and small groups looking to take a quick trip to nearby locations and save some money in the process. However, they are often not as convenient or even as comfortable as private transportation services. Private transport services, on the other hand, are typically more expensive but provide a ton of extra benefits like door-to-door transportation, more versatility, extra privacy, and so much more.

Typically, taxis are more affordable than private transport services. But group transportation can often be an exception. For short trips and small groups of 3 to 4 people, taxis are indisputably the more affordable option. For larger groups looking to travel longer distances, however, simply hiring a private van may cost a similar amount, if not less than hiring multiple taxis. 

A Brief Case Study

A group of 12 tourists needed transportation from Medellín to Guatapé and back. Taxis typically charge 400,000–450,000 COP (to and fro), but with taxis having a 4-passenger limit, the travelers would need three different taxis, raising the total cost of the whole trip to 1,200,000–1,350,000 COP. In contrast, with private transportation services, these travelers have the luxury of hiring a private 12-seater van, which, including the driver’s fee, would cost only 750,000 COP for a day trip; almost half the price. 

The same can be said for any other similar situation: the more taxis needed for the trip, and the longer the distance, the more expensive the transportation cost gets, so much so that oftentimes, simply hiring a private van becomes the more affordable option. 

Conclusion

So which is the best option for group trips in Medellin? Well, the answer to this question depends on a number of factors. For small groups of 3-4 people going on a short trip, taxis are the more affordable option. While they wouldn’t offer the same level of comfort or privacy as a private car, they will save you some money. If the trip will be a long one, however, then you might want to consider the cost of hiring a private car before committing to taking a taxi.

When it comes to larger groups where multiple taxis are required, choosing taxis becomes less affordable; the more taxis you need, the more expensive the trip becomes. For groups of more than 8 people where more than 2 taxis would be required, the cost of hiring taxis is usually as much, if not more than the cost of hiring a private van or bus; especially over longer distances.

So basically, if you are a small group that can fit into just one taxi and you are looking for the most affordable option, hiring a taxi would most likely be your best bet. If the trip would be a long one, however, a private car might be something worth considering if convenience and privacy are more important to you. For larger groups requiring multiple taxis, however, a private van or bus would probably be not just the more convenient option, but also the more affordable one.