Taxis and Ubers in Great Britain

[MELSMOM47]

Are Ubers available all over Great Britain and Ireland? Are there generally taxis available at the cruise ports?

 

[gumshoe958]

Uber generally operate only in larger towns and cities and don’t serve every cruise port. (Southampton yes, Inverness no for example.)
 

Availability of taxis depends on the port. Some ports are in small towns some distance from the city they claim to serve (Inverness is a good example), and there just aren’t many taxis in the first place.
 

So if you know you’ll need one it’s worth researching reputable companies online and pre-booking if possible. On the Uber app it’s very easy to make a dummy booking to see if they serve the ports you’re interested in.

[MELSMOM47]

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

Uber generally operate only in larger towns and cities and don’t serve every cruise port. (Southampton yes, Inverness no for example.)
 

Availability of taxis depends on the port. Some ports are in small towns some distance from the city they claim to serve (Inverness is a good example), and there just aren’t many taxis in the first place.
 

So if you know you’ll need one it’s worth researching reputable companies online and pre-booking if possible. On the Uber app it’s very easy to make a dummy booking to see if they serve the ports you’re interested in.

Thank you. Good advice. Inverness is a very good example. Not wanting to do a long bus tour with a big group. Looking for a more intimate option or just transportation to the nearest town/pub. 

[gumshoe958]

Ok, well to take Inverness as an example the port is actually in a small town called Invergordon, about 25 miles away. If all you want is a stroll, a few shops and a pub or cafe, they’re all available locally and easily walkable from the ship - no taxi required.

 

But if you want to actually see Inverness or any of the other nearby attractions you’ll need to find a cab or use local trains or buses.

 

Same for Glasgow (port is in Greenock) and Cork (Cobh).

 

However there are some ports, like Belfast, which are in industrial areas not easily walkable from anywhere and poorly served by local public transport where I would definitely recommend a cab (although your ship might offer a free or low cost shuttle into the city).

[MELSMOM47]

6 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Ok, well to take Inverness as an example the port is actually in a small town called Invergordon, about 25 miles away. If all you want is a stroll, a few shops and a pub or cafe, they’re all available locally and easily walkable from the ship - no taxi required.

 

But if you want to actually see Inverness or any of the other nearby attractions you’ll need to find a cab or use local trains or buses.

 

Same for Glasgow (port is in Greenock) and Cork (Cobh).

 

However there are some ports, like Belfast, which are in industrial areas not easily walkable from anywhere and poorly served by local public transport where I would definitely recommend a cab (although your ship might offer a free or low cost shuttle into the city).

I’ve seen Invergordon described as a big oil rig. 😬 It seems that what is the charm is the countryside. Looking for a private guide as apposed to a large bus. 

[gnome12]

50 minutes ago, MELSMOM47 said:

I’ve seen Invergordon described as a big oil rig. 😬 It seems that what is the charm is the countryside. Looking for a private guide as apposed to a large bus. 

There are also small group tours, in a small minibus.

[VMax1700]

There are no Uber cars available in Ireland.  If you use the App it will just call a normal licenced taxi cab.

[MELSMOM47]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

There are no Uber cars available in Ireland.  If you use the App it will just call a normal licenced taxi cab.

Thank you 

[MELSMOM47]

3 hours ago, gnome12 said:

There are also small group tours, in a small minibus.

Thank you. Do you have a recommendation. I’ve been logging on to quite a few that are very large busses. 

[thia9233]

We us Stravaigin Tours

Range Rover or Luxury MPV	Qty of Vehicles: 1 Day		$790.00
Pick Up Address: Invergordon Port Pick Up Time: 8am Destination: Invergordon Port at 5pm Tour Type: Shore Excursion Guide/Driver: SK No. of Adults: 6 Itinerary: Loch Ness, Inverness, Outlander and Scotch Whisky

https://stravaigin-scotland.com/contact-us/

 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, MELSMOM47 said:

Thank you. Do you have a recommendation. I’ve been logging on to quite a few that are very large busses. 

Sorry, I did an 8 day tour with Highland Experience Tours in a 16-seat minibus in 2019; I think they had shore excursions also, but I don't see them now.

 

I think that COVID has messed up the industry; see the information on this page https://www.shorexcursions.co.uk/

 

Here is one that says small group 1-16

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/tours/north-highland-tour-from-invergordon-cruise-port-082a332f

 

 

[MELSMOM47]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Sorry, I did an 8 day tour with Highland Experience Tours in a 16-seat minibus in 2019; I think they had shore excursions also, but I don't see them now.

 

I think that COVID has messed up the industry; see the information on this page https://www.shorexcursions.co.uk/

 

Here is one that says small group 1-16

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/tours/north-highland-tour-from-invergordon-cruise-port-082a332f

 

 

Thank you. Much appreciated 💗

[MELSMOM47]

23 hours ago, thia9233 said:

We us Stravaigin Tours

Range Rover or Luxury MPV	Qty of Vehicles: 1 Day		$790.00
Pick Up Address: Invergordon Port Pick Up Time: 8am Destination: Invergordon Port at 5pm Tour Type: Shore Excursion Guide/Driver: SK No. of Adults: 6 Itinerary: Loch Ness, Inverness, Outlander and Scotch Whisky

https://stravaigin-scotland.com/contact-us/

 

Thank you. I will reach out to them.

[sacsarahsk]

On 1/15/2023 at 12:49 PM, thia9233 said:

We us Stravaigin Tours

Range Rover or Luxury MPV	Qty of Vehicles: 1 Day		$790.00
Pick Up Address: Invergordon Port Pick Up Time: 8am Destination: Invergordon Port at 5pm Tour Type: Shore Excursion Guide/Driver: SK No. of Adults: 6 Itinerary: Loch Ness, Inverness, Outlander and Scotch Whisky

https://stravaigin-scotland.com/contact-us/

 

Looks super interesting but can't find pricing on their website. Could be my browser....have you found you need to contact them to get costs?

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, sacsarahsk said:

Looks super interesting but can't find pricing on their website. Could be my browser....have you found you need to contact them to get costs?

If you look at the top right of the information that @thia9233posted, it shows Qty of Vehicles: 1 Day $790.00.

[sacsarahsk]

Thanks, @gnome12. I see it now; I don't know why I missed it.