Ride Sharing Apps: Where they Work and Don't Around the World

Ride Sharing Apps: Where they Work and Don’t Around the World

Here's your nifty Uber, Lyft, Grab and other apps guide for all your out of the country trips.
by Therese Aseoche | March 30, 2017

Ride sharing apps have taken the world by storm for being comparatively safer, easier and faster to use as opposed to hailing a regular taxi. But while there are millions of people who use these apps every day, there are still countries around the world that refuse to adopt this system, and not knowing what those countries are might just put you into trouble when running against time.

Here’s your nifty guide on the ride-sharing apps you should know about and where exactly in the world you can and cannot use them.

Uber

Uber is the leading ride-sharing phone app that has dominated the world. There are two main services to choose from: UberX and UberPOOL. But certain cities offer other options, like the UberGreen in Paris which uses electric and hybrid vehicles and UberBIKE in Copenhagen.

Where it Works

Most countries all over the world

Where it Doesn’t

Major places not serviced by Uber:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Vancouver, Canada
- China
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Alaska
- Osaka, Japan
- Cambodia
- Austin, Texas

Places still protesting against Uber:
- Costa Rica
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Paris, France
- Cape Town, South Africa

Grab

Grab services Southeast Asian countries where it’s more difficult to hail a taxi cab than in other nations. You have the freedom to choose the type of ride or service you want: GrabTaxi, GrabCar, GrabBike, GrabExpress and GrabShare.

Where it Works

Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia)

Where it Doesn’t

GrabBike is not operational in the Philippines and Singapore

Pro-tip: Be on the constant lookout for limited-time promo codes that give huge discounts on booked rides. You can follow country-specified Grab Facebook pages for updates.

Lyft

This recently launched ride-sharing app is only available in the United States. It doesn’t allow cash transactions but it rather lets its users connect their debit cards or PayPal accounts to the app as their mode of payment. You can choose from four types of rides: Lyft, Lyft Line, Lyft Plus and Lyft Premier.

Where it Works

Over 300 cities in North America

Where it Doesn’t

Austin, Texas
Alaska
Missouri

Via

Via is an affordable carpooling service that only serves a few areas of the United States. Users get to save on cash by sharing their ride with others going their way.

Where it Works

Manhattan, New York
Chicago
Washington DC

Pro-tip: You can use Via round the clock in New York, but only from 6:30 A.M. to midnight in Chicago. In Washington DC, you can only use the app from 7 A.M. to 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. to 9 P.M.

Other Ride-Sharing Apps

No Uber, Grab or Lyft service available in the country or city you’re traveling to? Try these country-based ride-sharing apps!