On the road, it is relatively easy to slip into a comfort zone of guided tours and transfer para trancoso names and brands, which can almost defeat the purpose of travel in the first place. Local knowledge doesn't come easily, especially in very different cultures or in places where infrastructure and tour companies make it easy to exist in a parallel universe from the locals.

Many people go through holidays never quite getting a view of how the locals live. However, sources of relevant, up-to-date information can be found, and taxi drivers often represent the first opportunity to meet a local and get some insight into this new place.

The first concern for most travelers is accommodation. Asking taxi drivers about accommodation is a mixed bag, depending on the country or city. In some regions, people involved in the tourism industry have a vested interest in bringing you to specific hotels that drivers have deals with. While this can help when locating a room in a pinch, it can often result in a stay at lower quality hotels that rely on people driving guests to them.

Getting just out of the range of people familiar with tourists will often snare a better deal. Dealing with the local market means drivers who tend to open up and give a better picture of what is really happening there. With no agenda, they will be more likely to point out the best value in a destination and they will still be familiar with places commonly frequented by tourists.

After having procured a room, the stomach tends to start to growl, and drivers can provide excellent information in terms of local eateries. The right question, though, is not what the best restaurant in town is. The question is, "Where do you eat?" Often, taxis can point you to inexpensive places that only the locals know. Anywhere in the world, working people want good food with decent portions at a decent price.

Another idea for a visitor's initial taxi ride is to ask about local traffic conditions. This may seem a little odd at first, but who knows more about the ebbs and flows of traffic than a transportation professional who sees traffic every day? This can save hours of wasted time in traffic, even if taxis won't be the regular form of transport during the trip.