Does Uber or Lyft Work in Cancun?

Visiting a world-famous tourist destination like Cancun can easily be one of the most amazing experiences. But your dream tour can turn into a nightmare if you do not have the best choices to travel around the city. Speaking of the convenience of transportation, Uber and Lyft are the best options, and you are probably used to these platforms back home.

Do Uber and Lyft work in Cancun? How to take Uber in Cancun? Here we will tell you everything to make your Cancun tour a pleasant one.

How do Get to your Hotel from the Cancun Airport?

The local taxi services are not available inside the Cancun international airport, although they are operating outside of it. However, in order to get a taxi inside the airport, the taxi ride must be pre-booked. Besides, the bus or Colectivo can be another option, but taking your luggage and stuff in shared passenger rides is not the most convenient option.

Moreover, Uber and Lyft are not bookable from the Cancun Airport and, rather, only in the city.

Last but not least, it’s important to note that a tourist tax is required upon arrival in Quintana Roo. All nationalities have to pay a $48 fee per person. While this isn’t ideal, it can be done very quickly and easily using Visitax.

Can You Take a Lyft or Uber from the Cancun Airport?

Unfortunately, Uber and Lyft do not work in the Cancun international airport. If you try to book a ride from the airport, you will get the message “Uber is currently unavailable in your area.” Although in Cancun, the hotel accommodations usually offer transportation amenities from the airport.

With a hotel shuttle, you would have no trouble reaching your destination if you booked a hotel before landing in Cancun.

How Trustworthy Are Uber and Lyft In Cancun?

One of the most dependable and safe options to commute in Cancun are Uber and Lyft. Regardless of the time of your travel, you can trust these ride-sharing apps. Not only do they offer comfort but a decent level of safety since they complete a safety protocol while hiring the drivers.

Can You Book Uber or Lyft in Cancun?

The answer to this question is not straightforward. The Uber services are entirely operational in Cancun, and you can certainly book a ride for your next trip. However, Uber drivers do encounter a lot of trouble due to local taxi companies.

Uber launched its services in Cancun in 2016; yet, they did not last long. In December 2017, the local taxi union led the drive-sharing app to halt the services.

After undergoing a ruling from the central judge, Uber became operational again in June 2019. Despite its re-launch in 2019, Uber riders still face threats from the local taxi union. Hence booking an Uber ride is problematic in Cancun.

Like mentioned earlier, the main problem with booking an Uber or Lyft ride is the Taxi union, which does not let Uber drivers provide services with ease. The taxi drivers are not happy with the Uber and Lyft presence in their region since they cut their fares from potential tourists.

In addition, the taxi unions officially stated that Uber drivers do not encounter regulatory charges or licensing problems like other drivers in Cancun.

Despite their official statement, the problem is money since taxi drivers charge quite more than Uber rides. And when ride-sharing services operate in Cancun, tourists prefer to book a ride online.

Uber and Lyft drivers take extra precautions to drive safely in Cancun since the official taxi drivers threatens them with violence.

How can you Book an Uber or Lyft Ride in Cancun?

Booking a car ride on Uber is similar to how you would do it back, although the conflict with the taxi drivers pushes the Uber ones to drive without getting attention. So the chances are that you might not get a ride at taxi-filled places such as airport departure, bus stations, or ferry terminals.

Nevertheless, it is better to order an Uber ride when you have no taxis around. When booking the ride, you can take a walk around the block to get out of the radar of the cabs.

In addition, you should sit in the front seat rather than the passenger’s seat. By doing so, the taxi drivers will assume that you get a lift from your acquaintance. Besides, if some taxi drivers ask you to take a ride, you should tell them that you already called a friend to pick you up or that the hotel shuttle is coming.

Is There UberXL in Cancun?

The UberXL is currently unavailable in Cancun, although alternatives like UberX can accommodate up to three passengers in the vehicle.

Can You Pre-book Uber and Lyft in Cancun?

Indeed, you can book a Uber in Cancun ahead of time. Uber now allows you to schedule your journey anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 days earlier.

On the other hand, you can pre-book Lyft rides up to 7 days in advance.

All in all, yes, you can pre-book Uber and Lyft rides in Cancun although they may sometimes not be available.

Why Take Uber and Not a Taxi?

The taxi drivers charge inflating fares, and they can easily cost you a lot of money, even for a five-minute ride. The taxis in Cancun usually do not have a metering system, hence offering overestimated prices. Moreover, some drivers take advantage of the tourists and charge skyrocketing prices depending on time and place.

On the other hand, Uber and Lyft prices are far fairer than taxis since the app enforces the drivers to charge fair rates. The Uber and Lyft drivers have no concern regarding the destination and time of the day as the app calculates fare by time and distance covered to reach the destination.

How Much Does Uber Cost in Cancun?

In contrast to taxis, Uber remains an affordable choice for traveling in Cancun. Besides convenience, it also provides you safety and comfort while remaining the budget-friendly way to get around Cancun.

Uber ride cost you 35.40 peso with a base fare of 6.5 pesos. In addition, you have to pay a cancellation fee of 10 pesos if you cancel an Uber ride. Every Km that you travel in an Uber vehicle cost you about 5 peso, which is quite economical than the inflating fares of taxis.

Can You Pay in Cash to Uber and Lyft Drivers in Cancun?

Yes, you can pay with cash when using Uber or Lyft in Cancun. If you wish to settle for your Uber commute with cash, navigate to the Payment option in either application and choose cash. Then, after your ride is finished, you pay the rider with money instead of paying through the app.

Although you should consider that once you set the payment option to cash, it will stay that way. So next time, if you want to make an in-app purchase for paying Uber fare, you have to turn the setting off.

Should you Entirely Refrain from Riding in Taxis?

Taxis in Cancun are safe unless you travel to crowded parts of the city. For example, the taxi ride in the hotel zone is not dangerous, while in downtown areas, it could be risky to travel in a taxi.

The safest option is to book a Lyft or Uber as they offer a certain level of security while ensuring your comfort during the ride. In addition, they won’t cost you skyrocketing fares.

Final Thoughts – Does Uber or Lyft work in Cancun?

The Uber services are currently available in Cancun, but the taxi unions don’t let them operate normally. While taxi fares remain inflating, the Uber and Lyft ride cost is much affordable.

In conclusion, in order to use Uber o Lyft services, you need to go with little precautions such as booking the ride in quieter areas and not at taxi-filled places. Always sit at the front seat of the vehicle.