Is There Uber In Bahamas?

The Bahamas is a popular tourist destination, but anyone who visits often asks how to travel on these islands. Some islands in The Bahamas are large, while others are tiny, so how do you get around? Can you use Uber for easy travel in The Bahamas?

There is no Uber service in The Bahamas. Uber and other such companies are not permitted in The Bahamas due to a strong taxi drivers union. There are several other good transport options, including taxis, water taxis, buses, flights for island-hopping, chartered boats, and ferries.

Travel in The Bahamas can be complicated, but if you understand the options and how to use them to your advantage, there are many excellent ways to move around on and between the islands. Let’s explore the transport methods available in The Bahamas.

Is There Uber In The Bahamas?

Traveling in The Bahamas can feel daunting for anyone inexperienced, and many people turn to ride and lift services such as Uber when they do not know how to get around.

Unfortunately, services such as Uber are not available in The Bahamas. Uber, Lift, and other such companies are not active in The Bahamas. Due to a strong taxi driver’s union, these services are not permitted to operate in The Bahamas.

The union is nervous that introducing services such as Uber into The Bahamas will rob licensed taxi drivers of their jobs and cripple the taxi industry in the country.

For this reason, you cannot use Uber or other such services on these islands. The good news is that there are several excellent alternatives for traveling in The Bahamas, on single islands, and between the various islands.

How To Get Around In The Bahamas

There are no Uber or Lyft services in The Bahamas, but there are several other methods of transportation that are easily available for everyone, regardless of where you are in The Bahamas.

Uber and other such services are easy to use in other countries, but even if there were Ubers in The Bahamas, they are unlikely to be as good as the alternatives available here.

With that said, here are the best transportation methods to get around in The Bahamas and what they are like to use, especially for tourists.

Use A Taxi

Photo by EMILY WEIS

The most common use of local travel on islands in The Bahamas is taxis. There are plenty of taxis on every island in The Bahamas, and they are easy to use and find.

You can either hail a taxi or wait for one at a taxi stand. You can also call a taxi service or ask your hotel or travel agent to arrange a taxi for you.

Taxis are relatively quick, except for rush hour, when the roads are heavily congested, especially on the larger islands. However, outside peak-driving hours, the roads are easy to get around on, and taxis are a good mode of transport if traveling on an island.

The taxi prices are difficult to determine, but they are not metered. The government in The Bahamas has set rates for each route that taxis drive. This means you will always pay the same rate for a taxi ride if you travel between the same destinations.

Always be sure to ask your taxi driver about the rate and ensure that they are charging the governmental rate for the route you are taking. Some drivers may charge tourists more than locals for their services.

With that said, taxis are usually the least expensive option when traveling short distances, and they are easily available.

Rent A Car

Another good option for travel in The Bahamas, especially when visiting for extended periods, is to rent a car. Car rental is available from all airports, and the fees are reasonable.

However, the price of fuel in The Bahamas is very high, which can make it difficult to justify renting a car. You can drive a rental car in The Bahamas with a passport and valid driver’s license for up to three months, after which the driver is required to obtain an international driver’s license.

Fees for rental cars vary depending on the island, the vehicle you choose, and how long you rent it for. The fees can be expensive and usually only make sense if you can split the cost among several people or if you are visiting The Bahamas for a long time.

Take A Bus

There are buses available in The Bahamas, but only on larger islands. There is no bus network available on the Outland islands.

On the major islands, however, the bus is a good option. It can be unreliable in certain areas, and it is slow, so be sure that you allow extra time for your trip or forgo a time schedule altogether, but it will get you where you need to go.

The bus can be as cheap as $1.50 per trip, which makes the bus a very affordable transportation method for short trips.

Catch A Flight

Photo by Baggy Rocks

A somewhat foreign concept to most people, but a transpiration method very common in The Bahamas, is short flights. Island-hopping in The Bahamas is very easy to do by catching local flights.

Taking a flight is as common as taking a taxi, and flights are very affordable. You can pay as little as $120 for a long flight, which is still significantly quicker than taking ferries between islands.

There are 20 international airports in The Bahamas, all of which have local flights between islands that are affordable and easy to book.

Flying between islands is definitely the quickest, most reliable, safest, and easiest way to travel in The Bahamas.

Use Water Transport

Photo by Nassau Water Taxi

There is a wide range of water transportation available in The Bahamas for inter-island travel and for travel around single islands.

Water taxis, private chartered boats, ferries, and mail boats are all excellent ways to travel between islands in The Bahamas.

The price of water travel can be as low as $5 for water taxis or as much as $95 for a ferry. Water travel is very easy, but there are several no-sail days in The Bahamas, so these options are not always available.

Conclusion

Traveling in The Bahamas can feel daunting without the use of services such as Uber, but there are several alternatives that make travel in The Bahamas easier than it may seem at first.

Take the time to explore the various options for getting around on these islands and determine the best for you based on how far you want to go and the price you are willing to pay. Always check with your hotel or locals before making any decisions, as they can advise you on the best options for your purposes.

Related post: Is Bahamas Water Safe To Drink?