My wife and I are planning our first trip to Piedmont in October, and I have some questions about getting around. I’ve gathered that transportation by car is pretty much required if you want to visit the villages of the area, but I’m not clear on what the taxi situation is there, especially in the smaller villages.
My preference would be to take a train to Alba, using that as a base. Then take taxis to La Morra, Barbaresco, etc. I know there are plenty of taxis in Alba, but would I be able to easily find or call for a taxi to take me back to Alba? Is it better to hire a driver for the whole day?
I could always rent a car for the Piedmont leg of our trip, but I would prefer leaving the driving to others, especially after a day of tasting.
Any advice is appreciated.
I’ve been to that region four times in the last five ish years and honestly, outside of Alba, I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a taxi. I’ve never tried Uber there but if you want to get out of Alba I think a car is pretty much required.
There definitely aren’t a lot of taxis in Alba and Uber is non-existent (only black car is available in Italy as well). You’ll need to drive yourself (and spit) or hire a driver.
Taxis stands at Alba, e.g. outside the train station, but elsewhere, it’s limited coverage of a handful of private drivers.
I would recommend focusing on Barbaresco, as that is close to Alba and the fares modest. Take a taxi there & grab their phone number. Spend the day in the village e.g. Barbaresco, or Treiso, or Neive, and phone for the taxi when you’re done. Whilst there, easy to walk from appointment to appointment (and to lunch).
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And of course, why not just spit at tastings?
Maybe it’s because I’ve been in this industry for so long and am just used to it, but I really don’t understand the apprehension that people have towards it.
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