I will be in Florence, Rome & Lisbon with my wife in a couple of weeks.

I've never used Uber but willing to start if there's a good reason.

I don't think Uber operates in Florence.

For Rome we'll have to get from Termini to our hotel, from our hotel to the airport and a couple of rides within Rome.

For Lisbon we'll have to get from and to the airport and possibly a couple of rides within the city.

We have no problem using airport shuttles if necessary. We've used them before.

I'm just wondering what experiences other people have had in Rome and Lisbon with Uber.

Uber operates in Rome, Florence, Milan and Genoa, but not in Lisbon.

Haven't used Uber in Europe (and if you don't mine me high jacking your thread), will soon be in Amsterdam, and understand they operate there as well.

Do you have to have a European credit card set up, or can you use a US card, just as you can for other purchases? Is there an option to have the transaction completed in English when setting up your ride?

We've used Uber locally (ride home from airport) with great success! In conversation with our driver, turns out she and I attended the same high school, although not at the same time! Small world indeed!

We found the taxis cheap and reliable in Lisbon. The ride airport downtown was in the 20 euros.

Same here n Firenze we took cabs.

There is excellent public transport in Lisbon, including both bus and metro to/from the airport, but the taxis are cheap.

There a number of protests that can spring up against UBER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RqEwR6Lvwc

In Amsterdam they are illegal
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-amsterdam.cfm

It is only quite recently that Uber wone a court case in Rome to operate, but the system remains much despised & and is undermining the livelihood or Rome's licensed taxi drivers, who provide an irreplaceable service to local residents. There is no good reason for affluent tourists to come to Italy to use Uber at the expense of a community that needs local taxi drivers to stay in business for the elderly, the mobility imparied, etc. Please use traditional taxis.

What massimop said. In other words, no "good reason" to use them.

Gee, I figured those Uber drivers in Italy were Italian. Do they come from Ubervania?

I understand taxi drivers aren't pleased with Uber.

And I'm not pleased with a taxi where the A/C doesn't work, the inside is filthy and the driver is looking for ways (or has several) to rip you off.

I can go on but that's not the purpose of my question.

I just want to know of experiences using Uber in Rome & Lisbon.

I also prefer to not be in a line outside a train station with 100 people in front of me.

I'm funny that way.

We used Uber (and cabs) in Lisbon last December. Both were very convenient - Uber a little cheaper.

We have never used Uber from an airport as the pick up location is variable but we have used it to return to an airport.

"Uber operates in Rome, Florence, Milan and Genoa, but not in Lisbon."

Another example of reality change? Uber is in Lisbon for some years, and there are other same type of services around.

There are obviously good reasons to use uber (mainly: you will never travel to "longer" routes), but i'm not going into debate this. To each his own.

"The ride airport downtown was in the 20 euros."

See what i mean? This reminds the most recent proposal of the single fare from Airport taxis into anywhere up to 14,8 km's, 20€ exactly, either you travel 500m or 10km. It dates from 2015.

As far as i know, this proposal was NOT accepted by the Portuguese Competition Authority in January 2016.

I've searched everywhere and i didn't find ANY official document proving otherwise. Therefore, the official fares are the ones that existed in 2015, prior to the proposal.

So, in other words, you were robbed, unless you were in a large group with many objects to bring along. You should have paid around 50% of that, max. 15€, unless there was terrible road traffic.

To answer Debs question, you can just use the Uber app on your phone exactly as you use it at home. The transaction has been in English when I have used it in Europe. In some cities only UberBlack is allowed so the cost is a bit more. On the plus side of that you get a very professional driver and usually a Mercedes.

Myer,

You asked if there was a good reason to start using it. No, there isn't. That IS the answer to your question.

Boolanger,

The issue isn't ethno-nationalism. Of course not all the drivers are Italian, but that is also true of the licensed drivers in Rome.

Also, Myer:

It is not the "drivers" who are not pleased with Uber. It is the people who live in Italy who depend on the drivers to take them to the doctor, to pick up their grocerieis, to take them to the airport at a fixed price, to accept parcels for them when they are not home, to pick up their children from school, to take their pets to the vet.

The relationship between taxi drivers in Europe & and the communities they serve is not the same as it is where you live in America. That is why Uber has faced (and still faces) legal issues in Europe.

You're hearing this from me and other people in Europe who use taxis, not from drivers. We are not happy with Uber. It's destructive to our needs. We politely ask you not to use it. (or litter while you are in Italy, or eat food sitting on the monuments, or refuse to pay for water, etc etc)

In Massimop's opinion, there's no good reason. Not true in my opinion. Your results may vary.

The idea that Uber nets you a better car or driver in Italy is fiction.

So is the notion that you will be waiting in a line of 100 people in a train station.

But honestly, however "funny" you are what you are being told about the destructive practices of Uber isn't fiction, and I'm sure as a tourist you've previously been open to learning new facts about local culture so as not to be destructive to your host country. The undermining of guaranteed taxi service in Italy is a serious real world issue for many communities. Please care.

Just another example of Silicon Valley's so-called "sharing economy" destroying something of value to local communities.

massimop,

I have been in lines at Termini and other train stations and airports with many people ahead of me. It's not fiction.

I don't sit on monuments eating food (leaving my garbage behind). I'm a long time national park hiker (in North America) where nothing is left behind unless there happens to be a secure garbage can.

Just out of curiosity I went to Uber's web site and ran an estimate from my house to the airport. The last time I took a taxi was at least 5 years ago (my children and their families live here so we usually take each other) and the cost was over $50. It's 13 miles. A shared shuttle for two is now $45.

Uber's estimate is around $15. I don't know how accurate that is but even if it's 50% more or even double that it's still a lot less.

I think somebody above referred to "affluent tourists". I don't know who is affluent but we're both retired. We enjoy travel so we make our choices.

@Myer - the issue is not whether Uber makes sense in your home town, the issue is whether there is "good reason" to use it in Italy. And I, personally, would use Lyft and not Uber.