Uber is a technology company from San Francisco offering mobility services such as ridesharing through its mobile platform. In Romania, Uber is headquartered in Bucharest and its app is available in numerous areas throughout the country.
What Is Uber?
Uber is one of the most popular mobility platforms in the world. It is basically a mobile app through which you can search and book mobility options such as ridesharing or a shared electric scooter to get you to your destination quickly, easily, and cheaply.
Uber Ridesharing
With the Uber app you can request a private ride from any location to your destination. The app will then search for an available driver nearby who will come and pick you up and drive you to your destination.
How Does Ridesharing With Uber Work?
If you’ve never used Uber anywhere in the world before, the first step is to download and install the app via the Apple or Google Play store. The next step is to create an account and add a payment method. Once set up, you enter the destination where you want to go, confirm the address and simply wait for the app to match you with an available driver. You can track the progress and see the live location of your driver and you’ll get a notification once your driver has arrived. At the end of the ride the app will ask you to rate the driver and you can determine if and how much you want to tip. The payment will be processed automatically through the app and the payment method you set up before. The app can also be used to schedule a ride up to 30 days upfront, for example if you want to be picked up from the airport or need a ride at a specific time. Be aware though, that the availability of a driver is never guaranteed as there might be times that demand is higher than the number of available drivers and traffic can also delay any ride.
Is Ridesharing With Uber Expensive In Romania?
Ridesharing with Uber is cheaper than a taxi, which is already relatively inexpensive in Romania. Before requesting a ride, you can use the in-app feature to estimate the fare for your ride and once booked, the actual fare is calculated upfront so there’s never a need to negotiate a price.
Is Ridesharing With Uber Safe?
Believe it or not, but many users actually mention that they feel safer using Uber than a taxi in Romania. All drivers are screened and need to keep their ratings high up in order be able to continue to offer their services. Rides are also tracked with GPS and because everything is done digitally via the app, you don’t have to negotiate about the price or even carry any cash at all. You can also contact Uber’s support through the app in case of any emergency.
Where Is Ridesharing With Uber Available In Romania?
Uber was the first ridesharing app available in Romania and after it first rolled out in Bucharest in 2015 it has become very popular around the country. Its presence has now grown to many cities, including Alba Iulia, Arad, Bacău, Baia Mare, Brașov, Bucharest, Buzău, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Galați, Hunedoara, Iași, Oradea, Pitești, Ploiești, Suceava, Târgu Mureș, Târgoviște, and Timișoara. A full list of cities where Uber is available can be found here.
Ridesharing is also available to and from the major airports in Romania, including Bucharest Airport, Cluj-Napoca Airport, Brașov Airport, Iași Airport, Craiova Airport, Timișoara Airport, Suceava Airport, Oradea Airport, and Arad Airport. At Bucharest Airport there is even a dedicated area for rideshare pickups on the upper level of the car park in front of the arrivals terminal.
Uber Electric Scooters
Uber has partnered with electric scooter rental company Lime to make their e-scooters available for booking and paying in the Uber app. For now, the joint service is only available in Bucharest. In the app you can find the nearest available e-scooters, book one, unlock it, and start your ride. You can park it back anywhere within the serviceable area (which is most of the city) and lock it again via the app. It is advisable to wear a helmet and be very careful in traffic.
