In The Sims and The Sims 2, Sims must call a taxicab (also called a taxi or cab) in order to travel to community lots. The only other ways to travel to other lots are A Hole in the Ground from The Sims: Makin' Magic, owning and driving your own vehicle from The Sims 2: Nightlife, and using the "Walk to lot..." interaction from Bon Voyage.
The Sims
Except for the holes in the ground which go to Magic Town lots, traveling to The Sims community areas is done by going to the phone and calling a cab. How much the ride will cost depends on where the Sim is and where they want to go. The ride home is always free, but going to another lot in the same community area may cost. Each community area has its own type of cab, and cabs cannot travel from one community area to another.
- Downtown: The cab is a yellow taxicab (resemble a Mercedes Benz W111). Going to a Downtown lot costs 50 simoleons, regardless of whether it's from home or from another Downtown lot.
- Vacation Island: The cab is a blue SUV (resemble a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser)with the Vacation Island logo. Going on vacation costs 500 simoleons, but travel from one Vacation Island lot to another is free. Unless the Sim is taking a date on vacation, the cab will not come unless all family members are home.
- Old Town: The cab resembles an old-style streetcar, and is free. Unless the Sim is taking a date to Old Town, it will not come unless all family members are home.
- Studio Town: For Sims who aren't on the Fame track, the cab is an orange-and-white striped tram with the Studio Town logo. Going to a Studio Town lot as a fan costs 50 simoleons, regardless of whether it's from home or from another Studio Town lot. Sims on the Fame track can call a car that will take them to Studio Town lots for free, but can only go to Studio Town once per day.
- Magic Town: The cab is a fanciful-looking balloon with MagiCo's top hat logo. Going to Magic Town in the Balloon Cab costs 50 simoleons, but going from one Magic Town lot to another is free. The Balloon Cab will not come unless all family members are home.
The Sims 2
Taxicab in The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, all taxis, except for the Bon Voyage vacation shuttles, are yellow Heaveola Landwhales, and they are free. If Bon Voyage is installed, the shuttles for trips to Takemizu Village, Twikkii Island, and Three Lakes will be a different color for each vacation destination. They wait outside the house honking their horn until the Sim(s) get in. If they don't get in, the taxi will eventually leave.
With two exceptions, 'normal' taxis take Sims anywhere the player wants them to go, even from one sub-neighborhood to another. If University is installed, only young adults can use them to go to a college sub-neighborhood. Also, they do not go to the Bon Voyage vacation destinations. They save your game, so when the Sim(s) come back, everything (including your family members) will be just the way you left them. Sims' wants and needs will change during trips to community lots. This also happens when using the cars in the Nightlife expansion pack.
A taxi will have a visible driver, but it is nearly impossible to play this Sim.
The Sims 3
Due to the "Open Neighborhood" concept of The Sims 3, cabs are no longer necessary to travel between lots, however, they still exist, and resemble the 4-door version of the Yomoshoto Evasion. A rumour was a quirky Easter egg would be that the drivers of cabs would be ducks, but this is not true. At the creator camp they had duck drivers because they had not designed the drivers yet. In the final version, Sims drove the cabs. Cabs are provided as a free service. With The Sims 3: World Adventures, just like The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, the cabs cannot take you to the vacation destinations, cabs also do not appear in the vacation destinations. Your sim is automatically given a Kenspa in Champs Les Sims and Al Simhara, and a bike in Shang Simla. Unless with a teen or adult family member is with them, children do not take cabs and instead ride bikes, even if they do not own one.