Using Uber

Positano

We used Uber for the first time in Rome when we were leaving the  train station to go to our next scheduled stop in Positano.  It was a hot day, and, although the station wasn’t far from our apartment, we had some heavy luggage to carry so we decided to try it.  I didn’t know the difference between Uber Black and the other choice, Lux?  So I chose Uber Black.  A few minutes later a polite and helpful driver showed up named Massimo in a black BMW with air conditioning.  It was definitely a comfortable ride and  not too expensive. 

In Positano we tried to call another Uber car but none were available.  I am not sure if some cities don’t ban them.  We ended up taking the bus.

On our way home from Boston’s Logan airport we again called for an Uber to take us back to the South Shore.  This time only Uber Black was available, again the ride was comfortable and the driver arrived in a fairly short time.  But the charge to my credit card was over $137 for a 35  minute ride. A taxi would have been cheaper.

We had mixed success with taxis.  We had just dragged our luggage up several hundred steps from the waterfront in Positano to where cars were and were walking down the street somewhat lost when a taxi stopped and picked us up.  He took us up to Montepertuso, he knew exactly where it was from one word from me.  He spoke no English.  The charge, as he took care to show me on his meter, was 37 Euros for a 15 minute ride which he and I both knew was highway robbery, but we had no choice and paid it. 

We used taxis twice in Florence with pretty good results.

The key to using either taxis or Uber is to have an alternative and also to have an idea of what they will charge before you get in.  One tour driver advised us to always put the charge on the meter if it was a taxi because if you ask how much to get to a place the driver is likely to high ball it.  This did happen to us once in Rome when we took a taxi home one night and I readily paid what he said it would be.  Another night, we did the same thing on the meter and it was much lower.  That however did not hold true in Positano.