Good morning everyone, I’m here in Munich, Germany, today and flying to Venice, Italy, this evening. I’ve had a few chances to use Uber in Europe (UberX both times) and wanted to share my thoughts. Unfortunately, Uber is not as widespread as it is in the United States and is only available in a few European cities. I have only taken UberX rides in Nice, France, and Munich, Germany.
UberX is always cheaper than traditional taxis (excluding surge pricing) and it can sometimes be cheaper than public transportation (buses and trains). For short trips with multiple people, I would use UberX every chance I can. Unfortunately, you need WiFi/data to access the Uber app. I don’t have an international data plan, but I can connect to various free WiFi hotspots in airports, hotels, and cafes. As long as you can request an Uber pickup, you do not need WiFi/data for the duration of the trip. Your credit card will automatically be charged when your ride is over and you will receive an emailed receipt, like the one below.
The Chase Freedom Credit Card has Uber, Lyft, and other public transportation methods as the 5x categories for Q1 (January 1 to March 31). I can report that my Uber rides in Europe earned 5x, but I was also charged a foreign transaction fee of 3%. The total cost of my recent UberX ride was $6.72 and I earned 33 Chase Ultimate Reward (UR) Points, or 4.91 UR Points / dollar.
There are a few other credit cards that would work better for international Uber and Lyft rides. The Discover It Credit Card offers 5% cash back for Uber, Lyft and other public transportation methods during Q1 and does not charge any foreign transaction fees. I have not tested whether international Uber or Lyft rides count toward the 5% categories, but I believe they would.
Lastly, if you have a Citi Premier or Prestige Credit Card, you can earn 3x Citi Thank You Points for all transportation purchases year round, including Uber and Lyft. There are no foreign transaction fees for either of those 2 Citi credit cards. I haven’t tested whether international Uber or Lyft rides count as 3x, but I believe they would.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Have a great day everyone!
Unfortunately uber is not available any longer in Frankfurt or Berlin and most of Germany due to court ruling
http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/02/uber-retrenches-in-germany/
Alternative is taxi.de app. Still taxi pricing but does allow use of credit card including Amex for payment in a secure manner
Ahh, that’s unfortunate. I was talking to my UberX driver and he told me about the tumultuous journey to get and keep Uber in Munich. Tough roads ahead for Uber.
“Lastly, if you have a Citi Premier or Prestige Credit Card, you can earn 3x Citi Thank You Points for all transportation purchases year round, including Uber and Lyft. ”
Is that true? Does Citi categorize these purchases as “Travel”?
I am pretty sure they do. Can anyone verify that Uber/Lyft earns 3x?
I have an old Cap One card that I converted to a QuickSilver. The 20% discount plus 1.5% cashback (& no forex) over the last year has rivaled some CC signup bonuses for me.
Gotcha, that’s a pretty good deal. You must use Uber a lot :)
Public transpo options usually aren’t much better when you have a party of 2 and some luggage, so we just Uber almost everywhere we go. Most cities are $50 each way from the airport to the city center. I guess it would be a different story if I was on my own and only had a carry-on bag.
That’s true. Plus you can get a price quote on Uber so you know how much to expect.
In some countries, Uber converts the currency for you and charges your card in USD. I’ve had that happen in Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, and Chile.
I see, that’s pretty cool. I guess Europe charges in Euros from what I’ve seen.