Car service of choice in Rome? Uber?
 

I see the apartment we booked suggests Uber as the car service of choice in Rome. We would book from the airport to the apartment located near Piazza Navona. I have not used Uber but heard they are popular in the States. How are they in Rome in terms of reliability and safety? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

I think you're either an Uber user or you're not. I prefer taxis. Basically, I'm in favor of anything that helps limit the number of cars on the streets. Taxi licenses are limited, while Uber would seem to encourage more cars. Also, I don't know how Uber drivers deal with the ZTLs in Rome. If your apartment is within one of the ZTLs, would the driver be able to take you to the front door? Need to take a longer route to get there? You can follow the apartment owner's suggestion, but I'd verify the details if you choose Uber.

Why deprive someone of their livelihood by using Uber? It's bad enough B&Bs and small hotels suffering from Airbnb without Uber taking more legal, tax paying work from people.
Sorry, I'll get off my high horse now.:)

Blacklane Cars - https://www.blacklane.com/en

Great service. You can book on line. Reasonable price.

Thanks for the replies. I will look into the taxis and car service mentioned. I had no idea about Uber so appreciate the info. I don't want to take away someone's livelihood. I see another poster recently had a similar car service question and will look at those replies as well.

We used romeshuttlelimousine.com multiple times and were very happy with their service.

What is the rationale for using a car service? Do you think it will be faster? Cheaper? More convenient? It will have some better idea of the destination and its exact location?

Roman professional taxi drivers have their own app to rival Uber

http://www.thelocal.it/20140924/ital...-to-rival-uber


Certainly for Rome I would expect a professional taxi driver to be a better driver and safer than an unknown and unlicensed Uber driver, more likely to know where the exact location is, and thus get there more quickly. Whether or not Uber is cheaper is a crap shoot. If you come in at a time when Uber drivers are in demand, they price shoots up, and it may exceed the fixed price you were quoted by a professional driver when you booked the car.

Dukey- I only posted about the car service because the apartment owner said she could book a car service for us if we like. That was her recommendation. Then when I looked at the apartment info it had a link for Uber. As long as it's a safe ride then a car or taxi is fine for me. Will not be going the Uber route however due to the feedback above.

You guys cannot be serious. Uber has just as much right to exist as any taxi company. I use them ALL the time when I travel. Safe, cheaper than a taxi and the drivers are all much nicer!

Taxis are just used to having their business handed to them. There's a new model in town, for the good of consumers. Embrace it, don't try to impede progress! Sheesh

We used Rome Cabs and had great service.

No - often uber is more expensive than a taxi since they set their own rates. Recently there was a scandal in NY since Uber introduced what they call "surge pricing" meaning when it's busy they raise prices - perhaps double the normal rate. Wit a regulated taxi you know what amount you will be paying (fixed from airport) or what's on the meter.

Not sure about insurance issues in Italy - but there have been reports of some Uber drivers not having proper insurance for carrying passengers (not the same as individual car insurance).

Tiberlimo.com, based in Rome. Great service, excellent drivers. We've used them several times for transfers and trips all over Italy.

>>Embrace it, don't try to impede progress! Sheesh<<

You actually registered to top a year old thread about <i>uber</i>? What are you doing -- searching that interweb thingey looking for comments about uber?

LOTS of people use uber, LOTS don't. Isn't necessarily <i>progress

bookmarking

Janis,

I have a feeling that efalconer4 just may be an Uber driver.

Of course, that's not against the law, but it would make the post a commercial one, don't you think?

It's a little over the top to suggest someone has to be an Uber driver if they praise the service. He raises some good points, as competition often is better for the consumer.

And it's understandable that Uber drivers would likely be nicer and a little less likely to pull any tricks on you when they have to contend with the ratings system to stay on the road.

When I spoke to someone recently about their experiences with scams in Italy, they said the only problem they ran into was a shady taxi driver trying to run up the meter on them.

We like romashuttle limo service and have used them many times. We first learned about them from roninrome.com, which is a very informative website concerning Roma.

Buon viaggio,

Look, if you want to use Uber and increase the "competition" go right ahead. Perhaps one day we can actualy have an intelligent discussion abut whether or not those various rules and regulations which often cover taxi cab companies and servces are totally meaningless and they should be discarded.

Perhaps we can also ask the obvious quetion: would people use Uber if it cost EXACTLY THE SAME as using a cab company?

So what is REALLY driving this Uber using frenzy?

I've been using Uber recently on my business trips in the US. I do feel like Uber protects me better from dishonest drivers. On one occasion, a driver took a route that was MUCH longer than the shortest route. I contacted Uber and complained. They could see the route they had taken in their records and refunded me the difference.

I'm headed to Rome next week and am interested in Uber for the same reason. I keep reading "beware of crooked taxi drivers". Since I don't speak Italian, I feel vulnerable to that dishonesty. But if I used Uber, I can be more confident of not being taken for a ride, and the language barrier is almost nullified since they know what destination I want before they even pick me up.

A big disadvantage of Uber, as another poster pointed out above, is that Uber drivers typically don't know the area as well as taxi drivers. While the maps and routes that Uber provides them helps them with this, I still prefer a taxi when going to the airport since they know the ins and outs of the terminals and gates.

I don't understand the argument behind "depriving someone of their livelihood". Which ever choice I make, whether it be taxi drivers or Uber drivers, I'm supporting someone's livelihood. Competition is great. It truly does promote the best service in the end. (I've had uber drivers that were actually taxi drivers doing Uber occasionally).