Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

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oneleaf
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Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by oneleaf »

Before Covid, I was in the habit of using Uber or Lyft instead of renting a car if most of our activities are not far. We haven't traveled since Covid, but I have used Uber/Lyft in town and noticed that it is taking a bit longer to get a car these days.

Anyone have any experience with San Diego these days? Are Ubers and Lyfts plentiful, and fares reasonable for a 2-3 short trips a day? I don't mind paying more for fares vs renting a car unless it is much harder to get a ride these days.

Thanks!
Yefuy.Goje
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by Yefuy.Goje »

oneleaf wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:04 pm Before Covid, I was in the habit of using Uber or Lyft instead of renting a car if most of our activities are not far. We haven't traveled since Covid, but I have used Uber/Lyft in town and noticed that it is taking a bit longer to get a car these days.

Anyone have any experience with San Diego these days? Are Ubers and Lyfts plentiful, and fares reasonable for a 2-3 short trips a day? I don't mind paying more for fares vs renting a car unless it is much harder to get a ride these days.

Thanks!
I strongly recommend a car rental over Uber/Lyft. I just came back from a weekend vacation and was contemplating about the same question. I am glad I rented a car.
bob60014
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by bob60014 »

When we were there recently on vacation, we thought we would use Uber/Lyft often. It turns out, and pleasantly surprised, between the rail lines and busses they got us to where we wanted to go without any problems. We only used ride share to and from the airport. IIRC, the wait was 5 minutes at the airport and 10 minutes at the hotel.
Last edited by bob60014 on Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rob
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by rob »

Why not try at similar times to you trip, opening the app and changing the pickup & drop off to SD locations.... see how long your waiting and if there is surge stuff.... I would be tempted to not rent because it's expensive recently but you then have car you have to park.
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
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quantAndHold
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by quantAndHold »

Where are you staying when you’re in San Diego? If you’re staying downtown and most of your activities are going to be nearby, Uber/Lyft should be fine. But San Diego is pretty spread out. If you’re not right downtown or right at the beach, you might want to have a car.
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oneleaf
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by oneleaf »

Thank you for the responses!
rob wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:29 pm Why not try at similar times to you trip, opening the app and changing the pickup & drop off to SD locations.... see how long your waiting and if there is surge stuff.... I would be tempted to not rent because it's expensive recently but you then have car you have to park.
Good call, I'll try it over the next week to see how it looks.
quantAndHold wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 6:58 pm Where are you staying when you’re in San Diego? If you’re staying downtown and most of your activities are going to be nearby, Uber/Lyft should be fine. But San Diego is pretty spread out. If you’re not right downtown or right at the beach, you might want to have a car.
We'll mostly be between downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, and La Jolla,
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quantAndHold
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by quantAndHold »

oneleaf wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:31 pm We'll mostly be between downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, and La Jolla,
If you’re staying downtown and have to pay for parking, you might be better off with Uber/Lyft. If you’re staying somewhere with free parking, it could go either way. La Jolla is kind of a trek, but the rest is either walkable or taxiable.

If you’re staying in Mission Valley, get a car. It’s possible to get around without one especially if you’re focused on locations the Trolley goes to, but you’ll wish you had a car.
djheini
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Re: Uber/Lyft vs Car Rental for vacation (San Diego)

Post by djheini »

Have you looked at rental car prices? I know for my upcoming trips, the rental car prices have also increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic
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