When planning a trip to New York , many people have on their “ to-do list ” to stand on one of the streets of New York like in their favorite film or series and casually order a taxi with a wave of their hands . This option is actually still in practice in New York , although the landscape of taxi providers has changed significantly. Because almost everyone now has 24-hour internet access , in addition to New York's classic yellow taxis, many online providers such as Uber and Lyft have become established, with which you can book reliable private transport using a corresponding app on your smartphone.
We have put together the best-known services for you below, whereby Uber and Lyft are already internationally established and well-known providers and we would also like to introduce you to Aroo, Curb, Juno and Via, which are currently offered more in America.
Attention : There are more different providers , but we won't go into them in this article because we haven't been able to test them all for you yet.
General tips for all apps for private transport:
No matter which service you choose, you always have to download the provider's corresponding app from your AppStore . You then have to enter your personal data and choose a payment method. This is where the first advantage to a “normal” taxi ride is, as with the apps you never have to pay in the taxi yourself, but the app automatically collects the price of the ride and you can then decide anonymously at the end how much Tip you want to give the driver.
Tips are significantly more important in America than in Europe and employees depend on them because their base salary is significantly lower. An average tip for a taxi ride in America is between 15% and 25% . However, this is not a mandatory payment.
The apps usually ask you for permission to locate you. This can be a bit difficult, especially with American apps, if you're not there yet and you have to be re-located when you arrive in New York .
If you want to order a taxi, all apps will show you where an available car is and how long it will take until it picks you up. So if a provider doesn't have any available cars at the moment, it's worth looking at another provider. The service works great, especially in Manhattan , and you usually don't have to wait longer than 5 to a maximum of 10 minutes (unless it's New Year's Eve). The providers can also sometimes differ in price. If you have ordered a driver via an app, you can track on your smartphone when the driver arrives and you have additional information such as the license plate , car make and color of the car so that you can recognize your taxi. The price for your trip is also displayed in advance, as you have to specify where you want to go when ordering.
Note: The apps need to be updated regularly. Make sure you do this appropriately so you don't have to wait for an update when you're about to call a taxi.
You can also find more information about the many providers in New York here:
Two very well-known taxi apps in America: Arro and Curb
These two apps look very similar and offer the same service in different cities in America. They both work with the public taxi providers in the respective cities. On the one hand, you can use this app to see how many free taxis are available nearby and order a specific taxi . On the other hand, you can also simply get into a taxi and then only use the app to pay . After all, your data is already stored and it is therefore very convenient instead of having to pay with cash or credit card in the taxi. The advantage here is that you can adjust your arrival destination again during the journey or incorporate several stops.
Curb now offers this service in 65 cities , while Arro is currently only available in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Houston . Otherwise, the two apps are identical and currently offer the highest price transparency and reliability because they work with the city's public providers. All drivers are officially registered, insured and have a valid driving license. That's why many Americans find these two providers to be the safest.
However, a promotional code or discounts are never offered with this variant and the official fees , which the city sets accordingly, always apply.
Tips for the other popular providers for a taxi ride:
All the apps we present below offer many different discounts and promotional codes . For example, you get a discount when you use this service for the first time or when you share the link on social networks or invite friends to the app. If you want to use a provider, it is worth checking the homepage beforehand to see whether there is currently a good discount campaign that you can take advantage of.
If you want to save some money , it's worth reading about what options are currently available. In some cases there are even free or significantly reduced costs. Just try out the different options in New York City. :)
One thing that can be a bit confusing and unsettling is that the car service does not offer any guarantees and a trip can sometimes be canceled at short notice or the waiting time stated is incorrect. However, both are very unlikely, but could happen, which is why we want to mention it here. It should also be noted that tips are not included . With some apps you will be asked to give feedback about the driver after the trip and you have the option to add a tip with a click. With other apps, this is not possible afterwards and you must have a tip available in cash if you want to give one. As already mentioned at the beginning, a tip in America is 15% to 25% . Some drivers offer you extra service and you will be provided with sweets, a soft drink or even a charging cable for your cell phone.
If you like this way of getting around better than public transportation in New York, we recommend installing several of these apps to get the best option when ordering a private transfer.
Above
Uber is one of the best-known private transportation providers . They operate in more than 630 cities and you can order the service here via the homepage or via the app. With Uber, there's usually always a car nearby, but they may not offer exactly the option you're thinking of. In New York you can choose between six different options for Uber:
UberX: a mid-range car with travel costs of $2.55 and $0.35 for each additional minute
UberXL: larger cars with travel costs of $3.85 and $0.50 for each additional minute
UberBlack: luxury car with travel costs of $7 and $0.65 for each additional minute
Uber SUV: SUV with travel costs of $14 and $0.80 for each additional minute
Uber Taxi: sends a taxi that is nearby (not particularly cheap)
Uber Pool: collects multiple guests in the same direction with travel costs of $2.55 and $0.35 for each additional minute, which is divided among the riders.
There is currently a special offer from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. You pay $5 per person to drive below 125th Street in Manhattan, no matter how far you want to go.
It should also be noted that the above prices may increase as demand for Uber taxis increases. It can even be up to 10 times more expensive than the basic price . So it can be very expensive, but you always see the price before you order an Uber and can then decide whether it's worth the ride for you.
Uber is the best-known and largest provider of private transportation . They are considered reliable and the drivers are very friendly, although they do not always know their way around the city particularly well and drive exactly as their navigation system tells them. Once you have set up the app on your smartphone, using it is very quick and easy. However, it should be noted that Uber is not always the cheapest option for a car trip.
Lyft
Lyft is now almost as famous and big as Uber when you consider the number of drivers and passengers. They have become major competition for Uber. The difference is that Lyft focuses its drivers more on Manhattan, which is why it is usually a little more difficult to get a Lyft car in the other parts of the city. It costs $2.50 basic fee and $0.35 for each additional minute. Sometimes there are additional fees that increase the price. The price for a trip is also displayed in advance .
At Lyft it is particularly worth checking the possibility of discount vouchers in advance, as there is always a lot on offer here.
Juno
This provider is still relatively new in New York. It recently acquired the well-known Gett company, which was known for offering rides in Manhattan for a fixed price of $10. Juno currently has significantly fewer cars in use than Uber, which is why waiting times can be significantly longer. However, Juno can compete with Lyft and Uber in terms of price. They are also very employee-oriented and pay their drivers better than the other two providers. And traveling with a happy driver certainly makes a tour even more enjoyable.
Just give Juno a try and give them a chance alongside Uber and Lyft. :)
Via
Lastly, we would like to introduce you to Via . This service is more comparable to a bus ride than a taxi ride. A maximum of 2 people will be picked up at a specific location and dropped off again as desired. However, meeting points are always arranged in the local area and you will not be picked up directly from your own front door . Via currently only offers its service in Manhattan below 125th Street and is not available 24 hours. From Monday to Friday you can use the service from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Once you have decided which provider you like, simply download the corresponding app. Make sure you write down important addresses and phone numbers somewhere in case of an emergency.
Have a good trip! :)
