Uber availability on Long Island
 

Since we're only going to need a car for the Long Island part of our trip over Labor Day weekend for very limited use and due to the fact that a rental that weekend is outrageous, we're thinking of just using Uber to get around. We'd have to spend $500 on Uber to reach the cost of a rental. How readily available is Uber on Long Island? I'm reading that it maybe isn't used much. I live in Seattle where you can always get one, but I realize my homeland of LI may be different.

Not aware of how Uber is available, but every train station has at least 1 or 2 local taxis available. The problem is that they may often take 30 minutes or so to show up since their main function is meeting trains.

If you know of specific long distance trips you might get a regular car service like Dial 7 scheduled in advance, but if you want to do a several hour visit and have a car the whole time it will be very pricey. If you just want a car to and then a car from several hours later it might make sense.

Will you be taking the LIRR from the airport out to where you family is?

ZipCar? I see them out on LI pretty often..never used them myself. I would think UBER would be easy.

ZipCar requires a membership fee, and it's really aimed at locals in Manhattan and Brooklyn, not visitors to the suburbs. Plus, I really doubt it's available widely in Long Island, where everyone has and drives a car.

I know Uber is available in the Hamptons and the resort areas of Long Island, but I can't tell you if it's available widely in the suburban sprawl of the island. But there are certainly cab companies, and they are expensive. However, this is a super-busy holiday weekend, so if Uber is available, expect surge charges to apply at some times (say when people want to go to or come back from the beach).

I have a home on the North Fork and I often see Zip Cars parked out here. One was parked next door last week. Beyond that I have no other info on them.

Test Uber. I'm assuming you have the app and are registered. Put in your addresses at a time similar to when you'll be traveling. That ought to easily show you what's available. That's not a promise that it will be exactly the same on the day you need it, but this methods works for me.

Our dinky city and neighborhoods are well served by Uber. I would imagine LI would be too.

You see Zip cars out on Long Island because people in Brooklyn and Manhattan rent them and drive out. You don't see them because they are based out there and can be used regularly. I see them upstate in Hudson almost every weekend I'm there, but there are absolutely no Zip cars in Hudson. They are used by people driving there from cities where they are rented.

Regardless, Zip requires a paid membership fee and is not really suitable for a one-time use.

We have always been able to find ZipCars on our travels. I assume LI would have them. There are always available near universities and colleges.

There are zip car offices in Hempstead and Stony Brook (presumably Hofstra and SUNY) if you are members. Have never used so have no idea of rates or availability. But don;t know if they would be any cheaper than regular car rentals on a holiday weekend.