Is There Uber in Germany?

Coming to Germany and want to use Uber? Check out this post to see if there’s Uber in Germany!

As someone who has been living in Germany for quite some time now, I will say using Uber abroad is not so different than the U.S. If you have the ride-sharing app, the process is the same no matter where you are but like the U.S., only certain cities allow it.

I for one had the privilege of using Uber while I was an Au pair in Frankfurt and it really came in handy in certain situations. Like for instance, sometimes I used it whenever I was running late to help my ex-host mom babysit on Wednesdays or if I needed to get to the bus station in a hurry. All in all, Uber was always reliable in those cases and I was lucky Frankfurt had it at all.

So, if you’re looking to see if Uber is available in your German city you’ve come to the right right place! This post alone highlights the top cities in Germany that have Uber and other alternative ride-sharing apps you can use if you’re not in those cities.

What is Uber?

Uber, for those of you who don’t know, is known for being a ride-sharing app around the world that allows passengers to hail a ride right from their phone. Founded in 2009, the company originally started in San Francisco, CA and since then has expanded to other cities and countries. However, overtime, many countries started banning Uber due to it’s adverse effects on the taxicab business. Italy, for example, was one of those countries but luckily with the help of a really good lawyer Uber was able to get that court ruling appealed.

Where did the name Uber come from?

The name behind the word “Uber” for the ride-sharing company actually comes from the German word über which can be translated to “over” and “above” in English. With this in mind, the founders, Garret Camp and Travis Kalanick, thought naming the company “uber” only made sense since they wanted everyone to view it as the supreme example of a ride-sharing app. The only problem I’ll note about the name is the fact that most Americans today probably don’t know that the word “Uber” actually comes from German. In fact, I actually didn’t know until recently since I didn’t know German which actually says a lot.

Is there really Uber in Germany?

Yes, there is really Uber in Germany but Uber had to fight a long battle with the German government for this to happen. The reason for this is because a lot of taxi hailing services in Germany thought they were unfair competition since Uber hired drivers who did not need to have a commercial license to drive passengers. Now, due to a court ruling, anyone who wants to drive for Uber now needs a professional chauffeur’s license in order to do it, making it fair in comparison to other taxi hailing services in Germany.

Top Cities/States in Germany with Uber

So, if you’re living in Germany right now and you need an Uber, here are the top cities/states in Germany where you can request one!

Baden-Wuerttemberg

Stuttgart

Leinfelden-Echterdingen

Bavaria

Aschheim

Dachau

Eching

Feldkirchen

Garching bei Munchen

Germering

Gräfelfing

Gruenwald

Haar

Hallbergmoos

Ismaning

Karlsfeld

Kirchheim bei Muenchen

Muenchen

Neubiberg

Neufahrn bei Freising

Neuried

Oberding

Oberschleißheim

Ottobrunn

Planegg

Pullach im Isartal

Taufkirchen

Unterföhring

Unterhaching

Unterschleissheim

vaterstetten

Berlin

Brandenburg

Ahrensfelde

Berlin

Blankenfelde-Mahlow

Dallgov-Döberitz

Falkensee

Glienicke/Nordbahn

grossbeeren

Hennigsdorf

Hohen Neuendorf

HoppeGarten

Kleinmachnow

Koenigs Wusterhausen

Ludwigsfelde

Mühlenbecker Land

Neuenhagen bei Berlin

Potsdam

Schönefeld

Stahnsdorf

Teltow

Hamburg

Hessen

Bad Homburg vor der hoehe

Bad Soden am Taunus

Bad Vilbel

dreieich

Eschborn

Frankfurt am Main

Hanau

Hattersheim am Main

Heusenstamm

Hofheim am Taunus

Kelsterbach

Koenigstein im Taunus

Kriftel

Kronberg im Taunus

Maintal

Mörfelden-Walldorf

Mühlheim am Main

Neu-Isenburg

Offenbach am Main

Schwalbach am Taunus

Wiesbaden

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Bergisch Gladbach

Bonn

Brühl

Duisburg

Düsseldorf

Erkrath

essen

frechen

Hilden

Hürth

Kaarst

koeln

Krefeld

Leverkusen

meerbusch

Mülheim an der Ruhr

Neuss

Pulheim

Ratingen

Siegburg

Troisdorf

Wesseling

Rheinland-Pfalz

Mainz

Alternatives to Uber in Germany

In addition, it’s also important to note that even if Uber isn’t available in your location, you’re not out of luck. Uber’s competitors in Germany can still be available wherever you are and they might even offer you cheaper rates to your destination than Uber ever could. Therefore, here are some alternative ride-sharing services you can use as an alternative to Uber:

FreeNow

Originally known as MyTaxi in 2009, FreeNow is a great alternative to Uber you can use in Germany. The app, as of now, is actually being invested by German automakers Daimler and BMW which is quite impressive and the app is even available in smaller cities like Tuebingen, Aachen, Reutlingen, Koblenz, Bremen and etc. So, if you think you’re out of luck because you’re in a small city, FreeNow might be your saving grace. Check if your city is on the website before you download the app for your use. Doing this can save you a lot of time before your trip, so it’s better to plan ahead.

Bolt

Bolt is another alternative to Uber you can use if you don’t have Uber where you are! Originally from Tallinn, Estonia, the app Bolt offers ride-hailing, car-rental/sharing, e-scooter/bikes and food delivery as a service. Similiar to FreeNow, the app right now is also available in smaller cities in Germany as a ride-hailing service, making it more convenient than Uber. These small cities include Muenster, Kiel, Augsburg and so many others, making it worth the ride.

BlaBlaCar

BlaBlaCar is another alternative to Uber you can use in Germany that can help you get to where you need to go even if it’s long-distance. Known as the world’s community-based travel network, BlaBlaCar is an online marketplace for carpooling around the world. So, for instance, instead of taking multiple regional trains from Stuttgart to Munich, BlaBlaCar simplifies this by showing you other drivers with empty seats who are heading in the same direction, splitting the cost of the trip. So, if you’re looking to get to your long-distance destination cheaper and faster, I highly recommend BlaBlaCar. The app itself connects big cities to rural areas alike so it doesn’t matter where you are.

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Overall, I really hope you enjoyed this post that showcased where there is Uber in Germany. Please let me know in the comments down below which fact about Uber in Germany surprised you the most. I would love to hear from you! 🙂

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