Book a taxi in advance — in short:
- You can book a taxi in advance in the DodoGo app: route first, then pickup day and time.
- You can pick a day about two weeks ahead. Time is set in 5-minute steps.
- A driver is assigned shortly before pickup. You get a notification when a driver accepts the order.
- If your plans change, cancel the pre-booking with the button on the ride screen.
- Pre-book rides where you cannot be late: an early start, a doctor, an important meeting.
Tomorrow at 7:40 you have a doctor’s appointment in Curepipe. In the morning there will be no time for your phone: breakfast, getting ready, rain on the plateau again. It is easier to book a taxi in advance, in the evening, while things are calm. Below are the steps in DodoGo, what happens after you confirm and how to cancel a ride.
What a pre-booked taxi is
A pre-booking is a ride arranged ahead for a specific day and hour. You choose the route just as you would for a regular ride with our taxi app in Mauritius. Only one step differs: instead of a pickup right now, you set a date and time.
Once you confirm, the booking is saved in the app. A counter on the map shows one order.
How to book a taxi in advance: three steps
It takes three actions: route, day and time, confirmation.
1. Route. Enter where you are going from and to. You can drop a pin on the map for the pickup point instead of typing an address. Straight away, the app shows the route, distance and travel time.
2. Day and time. A scheduling window opens with three wheels. First comes the day: today, tomorrow, then calendar dates. Second is the hour. Third is the minutes, in 5-minute steps. Available times are highlighted, so pick the nearest one that suits you.
3. Confirmation. Tap the button to confirm the schedule. A status appears: your pre-booking is confirmed, and a driver will be assigned before pickup. Below it sits a card with the date, time and route from start to finish.
Leaving right now? Skip the pre-booking: a regular request looks for a driver straight away, as our guide to taxi near me in Mauritius explains.
What happens after you confirm
The pre-booking screen says a driver will be assigned shortly before pickup, and you will be notified once one accepts. So you see who is coming nearer the time.
Three tips:
- Keep app notifications on. That is how the message about your driver reaches you.
- Charge your phone for the morning. Once a driver is assigned, you can watch the taxi approach on the map.
- Be at the pickup point on time. Especially if it is a junction or an entrance rather than your front door.
How to cancel a pre-booking
Tap the cancel pre-booking button on the ride screen. The app asks for a reason. Confirm, and the pre-booking is removed.
Cancel as soon as your plans change. Appointment moved, flight delayed, meeting pushed to the evening? Do not wait until morning.
In advance or right now: it depends
Book ahead when the departure time is fixed and being late would ruin your plans. Request a ride now when you leave in minutes or do not know when you will be free:
| Situation | How to book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving before dawn | In advance, the evening before | Nothing to arrange in the morning, the booking is already waiting |
| Doctor’s appointment, fasting blood test | In advance | Appointment time is fixed, so travel time is built in at once |
| Weekday morning meeting in Port Louis | In advance, with time to spare | Roads around the capital are slower than usual at rush hour |
| Wedding, family celebration | In advance | Guests do not have to hunt for a taxi at the last minute |
| Back from a restaurant or a concert | Now | You cannot know ahead when you will be free |
| Shops, a nearby beach, a spontaneous trip | Now | A regular request looks for a driver straight away |
For an early flight, see our separate guide to the airport taxi in Mauritius.
How to choose a pickup time
Leave a margin for the road. Your app shows the travel time, and at rush hour or in rain you add extra on top.
Roads around Port Louis are slowest on weekday mornings and late afternoons. How long trips between resorts take, and how much rush hour adds, is covered in our guide to driving times in Mauritius.
Add time in two more cases:
- rain on the plateau (Curepipe, Floréal, Vacoas): wet roads, slower traffic;
- public holidays and weekends, when many people head to the same place.
A simple rule: decide when you need to arrive. Subtract the app’s travel time and a margin for the road. Set the time you get in your pre-booking.
FAQ
How far ahead can I pre-book a taxi?
About two weeks. In the scheduling window, the DodoGo app shows today, tomorrow and then calendar dates.
When will I know which driver is coming?
Shortly before pickup. After you pre-book in DodoGo, a driver is assigned closer to the ride time. You get a notification once a driver accepts the order.
Can I pre-book a taxi for 5 a.m.?
Yes. DodoGo runs 24/7 across Mauritius, so an early start is easy to pre-book the evening before. In the scheduling window, you pick the time in 5-minute steps.
How do I cancel a pre-booked taxi?
With the cancel pre-booking button on the ride screen in the app. It asks for a reason and then for confirmation.
How is a pre-booking different from a regular request?
The pickup time. A regular request looks for a driver straight away. A pre-booking is set for the day and hour you choose, and a driver is assigned shortly before pickup.
Install DodoGo for iPhone or for Android. Next time you can book a taxi in advance the evening before, in three steps.
