To Uber or Not to Uber…

Currently Uber is in 64 countries and taking over as the preferred mode of transportation in hundreds of mid to large size metropolitan areas.

The Uber app connects drivers and riders together and provides a quick, cashless ride. Everything is right at your fingertips – the estimate of your trip charge, and the driver’s phone number, picture and vehicle type. You can even split the fare with your friends riding with you and there’s no per-person charge as there is with taxicabs. Plus you have the opportunity to rate the drivers.

We weren’t Uber converts until our recent trip to New Orleans. We rented a car because we had a few trips that were outside of the downtown area and figured the cost of a cab to/from the airport and then a couple of trips out of downtown would make the car worth the cost – a mere $122 (lol). The car was convenient leaving the airport and the convenience stops there. Once we arrived at the hotel, we decided to valet park ($40 per night for a 3-night stay). So valet, once you add in taxes and fees, was more than the car.

With our hotel by the Superdome, we quickly learned the convenience of Uber as we prepared to go to dinner on Bourbon Street. We were too far to walk and parking on a Saturday night in the quarter – no thanks. So we left the car in valet and tried Uber for the first time. We were hooked … the car remained parked in the garage all except one day of our trip. The end result: the total cost for the rental car including parking charges at the hotel and in the city – $275. The cost of Uber (multiple rides each day – minimum of 4 to 6 per day) for all except one day of our trip) – $84 (our first ride was free)! If we had to rate our Uber experience in New Orleans, we would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Why not 5 stars? One car was a smoker – they tried to cover the smell – but you could still tell.

Uber is definitely convenient and starting to offer lots of cool options such as UberEvents, the ability to purchase rides for guests at your party, and UberEats, which is just as simple and cashless as requesting a ride (order food and have it delivered by Uber).

So next time you’re planning a vacation, hosting a party or thinking about ordering lunch for the office, think Uber.