Transportation experience in Constanta

The old city of Tomis as the Greeks named it, Constanța, is a growing place that changed many things especially since the Americans settled their operations around the international airport, Mihail Kogălniceanu (aka MK Base). 


Unfortunately, the services - especially transportation - raised their prices to the point of costing 10% for a one-way trip from the train station to the airport (a distance of 30 min ride - 40 km/ 25 miles) from the overall value of a rental car for three (3) weeks. 

Conversations with taxi drivers:

Taxi 1: "It will cost you 200 RON ($50)."

Taxi 2: "It will cost you 100 RON ($25) but if you want a receipt, it's 70 RON; however, I will still charge you 100 RON."

Taxi 3: "I have no vignette to drive outside the city, I would have taken you, I'm sorry."

Taxi 4: I apologized but can't drive in this guy's ash tray. 

Mom and I headed out back to the train station where we found a decent, non-smoker taxi driver who would not charge us an arm and a leg to the destination. We arrived there just to find out that the entire airport was closed: no flights, no service, no shops being opened. A good business model but if you're late like I was, no car either. Who would have thought that Hertz has a closed office at 1430 on a Saturday in the middle of high season? Nowhere in my agreement wrote that I should be there within an hour from the rental time (set up by default at 1000), or contact the agency (no phone number listed either). They made no effort to reach out to me because allegedly there was no contact information there; my agent, Bookingcars.com didn't share my email nor phone. Hertz also didn't bother to contact the agent to transmit the important details. 

So, here I was stuck with mom who was wearing a heavy boot and wrist casts due to the bone fractures from the previous week in a torrid day outside the city; an experience to remember. 

The good news is that though I lost a day of car rental (penalty to cancel the contract is 3 days but the problem is still not resolved), Hertz representative came to my hotel the next day to give me the car. 

Note to foreigners: Don't assume that cars here have Bluetooth or rear bumper obstacle sensors or cameras! Or even a car manual. Ask up front what kind of gas to use. By the way, this Firefly contract (a new name to me) requires me to turn in the car with an empty tank (unless I want to lose more money); they'll charge me a whopping €72 for a full tank of a compact Hyundai. Boo!

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