Uber/Lyft from Tampa to Orlando?

[ghtx]

I am combining a business trip to Tampa with a vacation to Orlando in November. I am thinking of just taking an Uber or Lyft to get from Tampa to Orlando.

Has anyone done this? It looks like it would cost about $80-$100 and take about 1 1/2 hours. Plus I would probably leave a $10 or $20 tip. That doesn't seem too outrageous. I am a little worried that no driver would be willing to do it!

I have read that another option is to rent a car just for the day and the one-way drive. To me that seems not worth the hassle even if it's a bit cheaper. I'd have to get from my hotel to the car rental place (probably the airport), which would cost a cab ride, then check in, and shuttle out to the lot, then return the car, etc. If I can just pay for a direct drive via Uber I think that's my best option, but I'm interested in hearing some other advice or opinions.

 

[nkereina]

I'm curious too. I've often wondered how willing Uber drivers are to take on drives that are an hour or longer. I'm not sure how it works once they accept your fare and you get in the car - do they *have* to take you to your destination or can they reject your fare at that point?

Also wanted to suggest Tony Hinds - if you google him, you'll find his contact info and web site easily. He transported us in a private van from Orlando to Port Canaveral (and back), which from my understanding is only slightly shorter distance-wise from Tampa to Orlando. I would guess he'd be willing to do a Tampa drive as well, and probably has.

 

[JimMIA]

Great questions. And like most great questions, the answer is..."it depends."

For any driver transporting you for pay, there are two big negatives to a one-way trip. One is that the driver's trip takes twice as long as your ride. And the other is that it involves dead miles returning home with no paying customer. In addition, the driver has to weigh the revenue from a long ride against the opportunities lost -- in other words, the income they would have made at home without the long trip.

(BTW -- this question is getting to be an "issue" for rideshare drivers -- to the point that Uber is now testing "Long Trip" warnings in a few markets to alert drivers before they accept a trip more than 60 minutes.)

Tampa airport to Disney Springs is about 80 miles, and with either Uber or Lyft, would cost about $80, maybe slightly more. The drive would take about 1.5 hours each way, maybe longer depending on time of day and traffic. The driver would make about $60...$80, with a $20 tip.

I have to tell you, I would NOT take that trip! I can make more, with less wear and tear on my car, staying at home and driving local passengers. But I'm not in Tampa, so what I would do is irrelevant.

Would some driver take that trip? Oh sure, somebody will take it. You might have to kiss a few frogs...but someone will drive you.

One thing you might try is Uzurv. Uzurv is a prior-reservation service that connects drivers and passengers for a nominal fee. You can list your starting point and destination, as well as what kind of "incentive" you will pay, and drivers will indicate their interest. You can then look at driver profiles, see what kind of vehicle they drive, and select the one you want to use. All trips are done on the Uber/Lyft apps, so you are fully insured and the driver is not violating Florida's ridesharing law.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm not sure how it works once they accept your fare and you get in the car - do they *have* to take you to your destination or can they reject your fare at that point?

The problem is that the driver does not know your destination until they arrive, pick you up, and start the ride. We don't see the destination until we actually initiate the ride on our driver app.

You can, however, contact the driver en route and give them a heads-up. If they don't want the ride, they will ask you to cancel it so you don't get charged a cancellation fee.

Once we have started the ride, we cannot "cancel." All we can do is end the ride, and tell you to call another Uber. We can ask Uber not to charge you, and they probably won't. Lyft is more rigid about things like that, but in the end, I think you would probably not be charged.

Canceling a ride is counted against the driver and hurts our ratings. Too many cancellations can be real trouble for a driver.

 

[nacho113]

I am combining a business trip to Tampa with a vacation to Orlando in November. I am thinking of just taking an Uber or Lyft to get from Tampa to Orlando.

Has anyone done this? It looks like it would cost about $80-$100 and take about 1 1/2 hours. Plus I would probably leave a $10 or $20 tip. That doesn't seem too outrageous. I am a little worried that no driver would be willing to do it!

I have read that another option is to rent a car just for the day and the one-way drive. To me that seems not worth the hassle even if it's a bit cheaper. I'd have to get from my hotel to the car rental place (probably the airport), which would cost a cab ride, then check in, and shuttle out to the lot, then return the car, etc. If I can just pay for a direct drive via Uber I think that's my best option, but I'm interested in hearing some other advice or opinions.

I think you will have a hard time finding a driver that wants to spend 3 hours on the road and 170 miles (round trip) to take the one-way from TPA to WDW for a mere $60 pay (less fuel and wear and tear on vehicle)

If you are staying onsite at WDW, a one-way car rental from TPA to CCC (Disney's Car Care Center) will run you somewhere in the $30-$40 range depending on the size of vehicle you want (plus 3-4 gallons of fuel).
The CCC will shuttle you back to your resort after you return the vehicle.

 

[JimMIA]

If you are staying onsite at WDW, a one-way car rental from TPA to CCC (Disney's Car Care Center) will run you somewhere in the $30-$40 range depending on the size of vehicle you want (plus 3-4 gallons of fuel).
The CCC will shuttle you back to your resort after you return the vehicle.

I haven't priced rentals, but if the prices are anywhere near that low, I would certainly do a one-way rental. It's an easy, all expressway drive.

 

[Kaytie]

Alamo and National are, I think, at the Tampa airport. I don't recall needing a shuttle, but it's been quite a few years since I've been to Tampa. A one day rental for a midsize SUV September 1 - 2 is $42.38 including all fees and taxes, gas extra. Return to the CCC. That's with no discount codes, but probably not eligible for any at that price. Economy/compact is $55 and change.

 

[nacho113]

I haven't priced rentals, but if the prices are anywhere near that low, I would certainly do a one-way rental. It's an easy, all expressway drive.

The OP didn't say what his exact dates in November were but I just picked a couple of random days in November (tried November 17 and 25) on the Alamo website.
Pickup at TPA and drop off at CCC: Economy car is $34.74 incl taxes ($32.95 if you're a Costco member)
Full-size car is $40.71 incl taxes ($38.51 for Costco member)
Prices will probably vary a little depending on the day, but rental prices look to be pretty reasonable for November.

 

[nkereina]

The problem is that the driver does not know your destination until they arrive, pick you up, and start the ride. We don't see the destination until we actually initiate the ride on our driver app.

You can, however, contact the driver en route and give them a heads-up. If they don't want the ride, they will ask you to cancel it so you don't get charged a cancellation fee.

Once we have started the ride, we cannot "cancel." All we can do is end the ride, and tell you to call another Uber. We can ask Uber not to charge you, and they probably won't. Lyft is more rigid about things like that, but in the end, I think you would probably not be charged.

Canceling a ride is counted against the driver and hurts our ratings. Too many cancellations can be real trouble for a driver.

I know. What I meant is, does the driver have any recourse once you get in the car and they are able to see the destination, assuming the rider doesn't contact them with a head's up. Whether the driver cancels the ride or "ends" the ride is the same thing to me as a rider. I'm just thinking that if it were me and I wanted to go Tampa to Orlando, even if I didn't have the foresight to tell the driver in advance, I would tell them as soon as I enter the car. But I would hate for a driver to get in trouble with Uber, so to speak, because they didn't want to make the trip. And I also wouldn't want to go through multiple Uber drivers before finding one willing to do it.

 

[JimMIA]

I know. What I meant is, does the driver have any recourse once you get in the car and they are able to see the destination, assuming the rider doesn't contact them with a head's up.

An Uber driver can end a ride at any time, for any reason. That actually happens more frequently than you would think -- although it's usually with the late-night drunk runs. I was reading a post earlier today where a driver kicked four drunk college girls out of his car for making fun of his accent.

But usually when a driver either refuses to take someone, or kicks them out, it's because of a safety or medical concern with the rider.

Whether the driver cancels the ride or "ends" the ride is the same thing to me as a rider. I'm just thinking that if it were me and I wanted to go Tampa to Orlando, even if I didn't have the foresight to tell the driver in advance, I would tell them as soon as I enter the car. But I would hate for a driver to get in trouble with Uber, so to speak, because they didn't want to make the trip. And I also wouldn't want to go through multiple Uber drivers before finding one willing to do it.

Obviously, the smart thing to do is to call or text the driver immediately and give them your destination. If they don't want the ride, they will ask you to cancel the ride immediately so you don't get charged the $5 cancellation fee. If you cancel, it doesn't count against the driver, but the main reason for you canceling is so you can be sure it got canceled in time. If the driver cancels, it does count against them, but if they only cancel occasionally it's no big deal.

What Uber/Lyft are concerned with on cancellations is "cherry-picking" rides by canceling unprofitable rides and only accepting "good" rides. That is especially a problem at some airports where drivers wait for a long time for a ride and then get a minimal ride to an airport hotel.

 

[ghtx]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Tampa airport to Disney Springs is about 80 miles, and with either Uber or Lyft, would cost about $80, maybe slightly more. The drive would take about 1.5 hours each way, maybe longer depending on time of day and traffic. The driver would make about $60...$80, with a $20 tip.

I have to tell you, I would NOT take that trip! I can make more, with less wear and tear on my car, staying at home and driving local passengers. But I'm not in Tampa, so what I would do is irrelevant.

I think you will have a hard time finding a driver that wants to spend 3 hours on the road and 170 miles (round trip) to take the one-way from TPA to WDW for a mere $60 pay (less fuel and wear and tear on vehicle)

This is what I was worried about but honestly this surprises me. I have never been an Uber/Lyft/taxi driver, but I would have thought that a long trip like this would be appealing for a driver. True, you have a 90-minute return drive where you aren't getting paid. But in exchange for that you're getting a 90-minute fare! About $100-$120 with tip (which I think is more like what it would be, rather than $60-$80) for 3 hours of driving seems pretty good. My understanding (not ever having been an Uber taxi driver, but reading some things about it) is that when you are driving, the bulk of your time (more than 50%) is just spent sitting or driving around in your car waiting for your next fare. I would have guessed that on an average 3-hour shift driving, you'd actually make less than the $100-$120 that you'd make for this long trip since most of your time will be waiting. Maybe I'm wrong.

If you are staying onsite at WDW, a one-way car rental from TPA to CCC (Disney's Car Care Center) will run you somewhere in the $30-$40 range depending on the size of vehicle you want (plus 3-4 gallons of fuel).
The CCC will shuttle you back to your resort after you return the vehicle.

The OP didn't say what his exact dates in November were but I just picked a couple of random days in November (tried November 17 and 25) on the Alamo website.
Pickup at TPA and drop off at CCC: Economy car is $34.74 incl taxes ($32.95 if you're a Costco member)
Full-size car is $40.71 incl taxes ($38.51 for Costco member)
Prices will probably vary a little depending on the day, but rental prices look to be pretty reasonable for November.

Thanks for this info. Still, I don't think it's worth it to rent a car. I know this is personal preference, but I just think there is so much hassle to renting a car, like I said in my OP, that I'd rather just pay an extra $50-$60 to get door-to-door service.

Would some driver take that trip? Oh sure, somebody will take it. You might have to kiss a few frogs...but someone will drive you.

What exactly do you mean by "kiss a few frogs"...?

 

[JimMIA]

This is what I was worried about but honestly this surprises me. I have never been an Uber/Lyft/taxi driver, but I would have thought that a long trip like this would be appealing for a driver. True, you have a 90-minute return drive where you aren't getting paid. But in exchange for that you're getting a 90-minute fare! About $100-$120 with tip (which I think is more like what it would be, rather than $60-$80) for 3 hours of driving seems pretty good. My understanding (not ever having been an Uber taxi driver, but reading some things about it) is that when you are driving, the bulk of your time (more than 50%) is just spent sitting or driving around in your car waiting for your next fare. I would have guessed that on an average 3-hour shift driving, you'd actually make less than the $100-$120 that you'd make for this long trip since most of your time will be waiting. Maybe I'm wrong.

Well, when I priced the trip on a fare estimator, I got a fare of $80 with the driver receiving about $60 and I added the $20 tip you mentioned earlier. If the trip would pay $120 instead of $80, that's a different equation. For $120, the driver is basically getting paid for the entire round-trip.

The trip itself is about 90 minutes of driving time, but we know it's going to take somewhat longer than 3 hours for the round trip -- probably 4 hours.

A driver might balk at a trip like that for several reasons.

• Their personal schedule doesn't permit it. A lot of drivers drive part time, or drive in blocks of time where they don't have other obligations. It's frequently not possible to carve out 4 hours for a trip like this -- so that limits your potential driver pool.
  • For example, I have a friend who drives almost full time but she has to work her driving hours around her autistic son's school and therapy sessions. She would never be able to do a 4-hour trip unless it was in the middle of the night. (But I was able to steer a $60 one-hour trip her way Sunday.)
• They can do better without the trip, as I mentioned earlier. Experienced drivers don't spend half their time without a passenger unless they choose to do so. Some drive higher platforms like Lux or XL, and have some times/places where they operate only in that mode. I do that in certain circumstances and if I do it right, it increases my income. If they're not driving higher platforms, they have learned where they can stay busy with productive rides (which is not the same thing as just staying busy).
• Understand tho, that not all drivers can do better without the trip. A new X driver would probably jump at the trip, because they're seeing a $60 trip and aren't thinking about the rest of it. And they'd do a very good job of getting you from A to B in one piece. They just wouldn't make as much money as they thought they were going to make, but that's part of the learning process...and not your problem.

What exactly do you mean by "kiss a few frogs"...?

Just that you might have to tolerate 2-3 cancellations before you got someone to take the ride. "You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince."

But you WILL find a prince. Someone will definitely take that trip if that's the way you prefer to do it.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I know not quite the same so a disabled adult that can't drive from Melbourne to Orlando can't visit the attractions because no uber driver in there right mind well take the job :-( I understand it just sticks all around

 

[JimMIA]

I know not quite the same so a disabled adult that can't drive from Melbourne to Orlando can't visit the attractions because no uber driver in there right mind well take the job :-( I understand it just sticks all around

That's not necessarily correct, and the only way to know is to try it.

It's possible that there is a local driver who goes to WDW to drive there because it's busier than Melbourne. If so, they'd love to have a paying ride over there. They'd also love to have a paying ride back home, and if your plans coincide you could set that up with them as well.

If you're in Melbourne and using Uber occasionally (Lyft doesn't offer service in Melbourne), ASK some of the drivers if they would make that kind of trip. They might very well say yes, especially if they've had you as a passenger previously and you might become a regular customer for local trips.

As I told the poster above, you will probably be able to get this kind of drive -- you just might have to go through a couple of cancellations in order to get someone to accept.

Just be sure you call the driver as soon as they accept the ride, tell them where you're going, and be sure they are coming to get you. If you wait more that two minutes after ordering the ride, you are going to get charged a $5 cancellation fee.

And finally, I did fare estimates for you and they are interesting. I've mentioned Orlando's low rates several times, and this gives us a good example. UberX from Melbourne to WDW prices out at about $115. But coming back, the fare is based on Orlando rates and would only be about $73! Same ride, big difference in fares because of the starting point.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

That's not necessarily correct, and the only way to know is to try it.

It's possible that there is a local driver who goes to WDW to drive there because it's busier than Melbourne. If so, they'd love to have a paying ride over there. They'd also love to have a paying ride back home, and if your plans coincide you could set that up with them as well.

If you're in Melbourne and using Uber occasionally (Lyft doesn't offer service in Melbourne), ASK some of the drivers if they would make that kind of trip. They might very well say yes, especially if they've had you as a passenger previously and you might become a regular customer for local trips.

As I told the poster above, you will probably be able to get this kind of drive -- you just might have to go through a couple of cancellations in order to get someone to accept.

Just be sure you call the driver as soon as they accept the ride, tell them where you're going, and be sure they are coming to get you. If you wait more that two minutes after ordering the ride, you are going to get charged a $5 cancellation fee.

And finally, I did fare estimates for you and they are interesting. I've mentioned Orlando's low rates several times, and this gives us a good example. UberX from Melbourne to WDW prices out at about $115. But coming back, the fare is based on Orlando rates and would only be about $73! Same ride, big difference in fares because of the starting point.

That's nice to hear