Ground Transportation Options

Ever been in a new city and have no idea the best way to get from Point A to Point B?  It happens too often, and for so long only yellow taxis were readily available.  Well I’m happy to say that there are now numerous options for ground transportation, most of which can be accessed and hailed right from your phone.  I will always advocate walking first, but ground transportation will get you where you need to go and you need to know what’s available to you.  Please note that I discuss rail transportation in a separate article.  Below are some options that you have for ground transportation, and you’ll be able to keep some of that money you’d have spent if you just hailed a cab on the street.

Uber – Since coming on to the scene in 2009, Uber has pretty much become a household name, even for those who have never used it.  Uber is essentially a personal taxi service, but the pricing model is typically much cheaper than a regular taxi, and my favorite thing about it is that money never physically changes hands.  All you need to do is open up the Uber app, which recognizes your location by GPS, input your destination and Uber matches you up with a driver nearby.  From there, you’ll get the name and picture of your driver, what kind of car they drive, the license plate, their rating (1-5 stars), and how long it’ll be until they arrive.  An estimated fare also pops up, giving you an idea of what you’ll pay at the end.  If you’re riding with someone else that has the Uber app, you can choose to split the fare between you.  At the end of the ride, the money comes out of the credit card that you have on file, and no tip is required…unless, of course, you feel that the driver went above and beyond during your ride.  You’ll then have a chance to rate the driver and they will rate you.  It’s a great system, and it’s my go-to form of transportation wherever it’s available.  Speaking of which, Uber is available in over 60 countries and dozens of cities within the US, and it continues to expand.

Lyft – Lyft is an alternative to Uber, as they have a very similar business model.  One difference I’ve seen with Lyft is something called Lyft Line.  If you’re riding in a particular direction, let’s say from home to work during morning commute, and you don’t mind commuting with other passengers, Lyft Line will pick up others along the way and you all pay a discounted rate.  If you end up being the only one in the car, you’ll still only pay the discounted rate.  Lyft has a much smaller footprint than Uber, and for now it is only available in the US.

Curb – Formerly known as Taxi Magic, this app will connect you with local taxi companies.  It’s not as prevalent as Uber or Lyft, and when it says it’s available in 60 cities that’s technically correct, but whereas Uber and Lyft will include Arlington, Alexandria, and Silver Spring as part of DC, for example, Curb lists them all separately.  A nice feature about Curb is that if you have an early morning flight and you don’t want to chance Uber or Lyft not being immediately available, you can reserve a Curb up to 24 hours in advance.  Also, if you’re just not comfortable with the concept of Uber and Lyft, at least you know you’ll be riding with a local taxi company.

Easy Taxi – Similar to Curb, but this app will help to find you taxis when traveling outside of the US.  Currently, Easy Taxi is available in 420 cities across 30 countries, with an especially large footprint in Central and South America.

Limos.com – I’m not a big limo guy, but there is definitely utility in going this route.  Some of the reasons to consider limos.com (which is also an app) include weddings, proms, wine tours, and bachelor(ette) parties.  It’s also useful if you just want to hire a driver for the day to take you around to some of the major sights within a city.  Not every vehicle is your standard stretch limo, so you have to specify that if that’s what you want.

GroundLink – If you like to ride in style or if you want to impress your corporate client, GroundLink will hook you up.  This option won’t save you any money, but if you just need to have that black sedan pick you up, this site (and app) is for you.  GroundLink guarantees pickup within 5 minutes of scheduled pickup time or your next ride (up to $75) is free.  One interesting feature is if you enter your flight information, GroundLink will track your flight so that if you arrive early or late, your driver will be there on time.  It’s available across the US and 110 countries, so if you’re out of options, GroundLink may be able to help.

Local Buses – This one is a little tricky, because I have yet to come across a reliable app for bus transportation.  There are decent apps such as Metr0 and xtBus, but bus routes and stops constantly change, so it’s easy for information on these apps to become out of date quickly.  For bus travel your best bet is to either download a route map ahead of time or pick one up at a local tourism office and learn the routes.  Buses are not my preferred means of ground transportation, but they are a cheap option.

Hop On, Hop Off Bus – Many of you have probably seen the red double-decker Hop On, Hop Off buses.  They are available in lots of cities, particularly in the US and Europe, and they can be a great way to get to know a city.  For anywhere from $10-40, you can hop on and hop off this bus as many times as you’d like within a 24 hour period.  These buses follow routes that take you to and from the major sites within a city, so what I like to do is ride the entire route first, choose which sites I want to see later, and then go explore.

Bike Rentals – Another great way to discover a city is by bicycle.  Not only are you intimately exploring the city, but you’re getting a workout while doing so.  That’s my kind of combination!  Many major cities across the world will offer bike rentals or bike sharing in some capacity, and many cities across the world have taken great strides to accommodate cyclists on the roads.  In the US, for example, Washington DC has Capital Bikeshare, New York has Citi Bikes, and Boston has Hubway.  Internationally, London has Santander Cycles, Paris has Velib, and Amsterdam has…well, if you can’t find a bike in Amsterdam I can’t help you.  Most, if not all, of these bike sharing programs will have their own apps with bike station maps, pricing options, etc., so download the app ahead of time and get familiar with it.

Again, these are only some of the options available to you, but they are among the most noteworthy and reliable.  If you have used any others that you’d recommend, please share in the comments section and tell us why you’d recommend it.

Also, since you’ve made it this far, if you have not downloaded the Uber or Lyft apps before and would like a $20 credit, enter the following promotional codes once you’ve created an account (Uber: wrb8w, Lyft: RYAN047079).  Disclaimer: I get a $20 credit as well!