Using Uber in Cartagena: 6 Things to Know

Navigating the vibrant streets of Cartagena, Colombia, is an adventure in itself. Still, when it comes to getting around efficiently and affordably, you’ll be happy to know there is Uber in Cartagena! 

One of the most convenient ways I found to get around Cartagena was using the rideshare app in the country, which was easy for the most part. However, if it’s your first time visiting Cartagena, I know that you want to ensure you know as much as possible before arriving. 

In this blog post, I’ll share what I learned about using Uber in Cartagena to ensure that you can navigate with ease while soaking in the sights of the city. 

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Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links which means that if you book one of these activities using my link (which I know you will because you loved how helpful this blog post is *wink*I am going to receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting BCJ! 

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Other Blog Posts On Cartagena:

• Cartagena Travel Guide: What to Know, Things to Do, & More
• A Day Spent in San Basilio de Palenque: The First Free African Town in the Americas

Cash is not accepted as a form of payment  

Uber allows cash transactions in other countries outside of the U.S. However, there is no option to pay with cash on the app in Cartagena. 

You will have to select a card or add one to your profile to be charged once the ride is completed. This won’t be a big deal for you if you are used to taking Uber and already have cards connected in the app or one that you can add for usage.

Just in case you were banking on using cash to pay your Uber drivers just know that it is not an option! 

I preferred this as it allows me to have more cash in my pockets. When traveling, a lot of my cash tends to go to rides, so it was nice having it be automatically deducted from my bank account and being able to use that cash for other purchases, avoiding multiple trips to ATMs. 

Uber cars in Cartagena arrive at your pickup location exceptionally quick 

Part of what makes using Uber in Cartagena so enjoyable and stress-free is the fact that there are usually no long waiting times.

Anytime I would order an Uber, my driver would arrive within one to two minutes. 

As long as I was not in a super crowded or touristy area, this was the case throughout my almost weeklong stay in Cartagena.

With this being said, I would recommend making sure that you are ready to go if you order an Uber so that you don’t keep the driver waiting. They are bound to arrive quicker than you think!

Motorcycle is an option you can select through the app 

If you are traveling solo, you may want to consider utilizing the motorcycle option within the app. I found this to be so cool because not only can you probably get to your destination a lot faster using a motorcycle, but they were also significantly cheaper than ordering a car.

Keeping in mind that the driving in Cartagena can be a bit sporadic and crazy, I would take a car at first, then see how you feel about what you have observed about the driving culture in Cartagena to see if you would feel comfortable being on the back of a motorcycle.

I was traveling with another person, so I didn’t get to test out this feature. It would have been more of a hassle to try to order two motorcycles for both of us as opposed to if it was just me. 

This is why I recommend doing this if you are traveling solo!

It’s useful to know basic spanish phrases in case it is needed 

While the Uber app is capable of translating different languages, if need be, it is worth knowing some basic Spanish phrases related to transportation and direction in case you need them.

There were a few times when our driver needed clarification on where we were going or went the wrong way, and my friend had to correct him, etc.

However, this was just a few times and definitely not the majority of my experience using Uber in Cartagena, so there is a high chance that you won’t have any issues at all and get to your destination without the need to explain anything.

When I was leaving for the airport, I wrote a message in Google Translate that told my driver, “I don’t speak Spanish, but I will need to go to the international terminal” before we started the ride. 

I knew that this would be a question that comes up because it’s always a question when an Uber is taking you to the airport, so I made sure I was prepared in that way.

This is something good to keep in mind and will make your journey with Uber in Cartagena even easier. 

It can be challenging to get an Uber in crowded/more touristy areas 

Although I mentioned that Uber rides usually take only one to two minutes to arrive at your pick-up destination, this does not apply to super crowded or touristy areas like Getsemani. 

The only time I ever had an issue ordering an Uber was when I was in an area like this. You’ll find that the alleys in Cartagena are pretty small, and it takes a lot of maneuvering and moving around for cars to get through sometimes, especially during the day when many people are out and about.

Thankfully, whenever you can’t catch an Uber, there will always be a taxi around, so you should still be able to get to where you need to be quickly.  

Ubers can be more expensive than taxi fares 

Ubers can definitely be more expensive than the taxi fares that taxi drivers will quote you when requesting a ride.

This was shocking to me because I’m used to taxis being more expensive in my travel experiences. However, Cartagena was different.

If you are trying to stay on a budget, you can use your app as a price point to see which one is cheaper, but I found that both using a taxi and Uber in Cartagena were fairly affordable to my standards, so it wasn’t as big of a deal to me.

But this is still something great to know so that you understand ways that you can maximize your money when traveling in Cartagena. 

Uber in Cartagena is one of the most pleasant experiences I have had using the rideshare app in an international destination.

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I hope this blog post was helpful in terms of knowing what to expect when you get to Cartagena and need to order your first Uber ride.

If you have any questions about Cartagena, please feel free to drop them in the comments below, or if you have visited Cartagena and I missed any important tips, be sure to leave them in the comments for future readers!