Galveston Uber Experiences

[bjlbbk]

I am curious what experiences (positive and/or negative) recent travelers have had with taking an Uber from Hobby to Galveston, from hotels in Galveston to the cruise port and from Galveston back to Hobby? From the little I was able to find on these boards it sounds like getting a ride from the airport to Galveston area is not an issue but it might be a little more problematic to get a ride back to the airport or from the hotel to the port. We have never cruised out of Galveston so are curious if taking an Uber is a reliable option. I understand there are shuttle services we can look into but we prefer to Uber when we can. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Cuckoo7]

Instead of driving down and parking like we usually do, this last cruise we rented a car and dropped it off in La Marque.  Getting an Uber from La Marque to the port was very easy and inexpensive.  That was certainly not the case on the way back.  Prices were crazy and the time seemed to never move.  Checked both Uber and Lyft.  In the end, it probably took a little over an hour before we finally got picked up.  Good thing we weren't in a hurry or had a flight to catch.

[bjlbbk]

 

24 minutes ago, Cuckoo7 said:

Instead of driving down and parking like we usually do, this last cruise we rented a car and dropped it off in La Marque.  Getting an Uber from La Marque to the port was very easy and inexpensive.  That was certainly not the case on the way back.  Prices were crazy and the time seemed to never move.  Checked both Uber and Lyft.  In the end, it probably took a little over an hour before we finally got picked up.  Good thing we weren't in a hurry or had a flight to catch.

Good to know! Do you think the timing of your trip on the way back played into the lack of Ubers in the area? I'm wondering if early morning is part of the issue if there are not many Uber drivers already in Galveston that time of day. Maybe there would be more available mid morning once the Ubers start coming in to drop off cruise passengers. We have a late flight so will not be in a hurry as long as there is a decent place to wait.

[ericosmith]

7 hours ago, Cuckoo7 said:

Instead of driving down and parking like we usually do, this last cruise we rented a car and dropped it off in La Marque.  Getting an Uber from La Marque to the port was very easy and inexpensive.  That was certainly not the case on the way back.  Prices were crazy and the time seemed to never move.  Checked both Uber and Lyft.  In the end, it probably took a little over an hour before we finally got picked up.  Good thing we weren't in a hurry or had a flight to catch.

Could you tell me who you rented with?  I'd really like to spend some time at the space center but the prices with Enterprise one way to Galveston are a little rich.  

[c-leg5]

6 hours ago, bjlbbk said:

 

Good to know! Do you think the timing of your trip on the way back played into the lack of Ubers in the area? I'm wondering if early morning is part of the issue if there are not many Uber drivers already in Galveston that time of day. Maybe there would be more available mid morning once the Ubers start coming in to drop off cruise passengers. We have a late flight so will not be in a hurry as long as there is a decent place to wait.

A lot will depend on day of the week and whether there are events on on the island especially if it is a weekend. I would book a shuttle that you know is scheduled to run.
 

I think you were looking at one time to “waste” a few hours? The cruise lines usually offer excursions with airport drop off. We generally drive and park in Galveston only because it is convenient. If I had to fly I would I would choose a different port. locals seem convinced the situation is improving - they just had a long way to catch up to other ports. Hopefully the situation is improving and yet the same questions regarding transport are asked over and over.
 

However when faced with a late flight after a repositioning from Galveston to Bayonne we took the cruise line sightseeing trip with airport drop off which took care of any problems with luggage for the day. I believe in Houston the tour generally goes to nasa, not sure if they offer any others. 

Edited August 12 by c-leg5

[bjlbbk]

12 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

A lot will depend on day of the week and whether there are events on on the island especially if it is a weekend. I would book a shuttle that you know is scheduled to run.
 

I think you were looking at one time to “waste” a few hours? The cruise lines usually offer excursions with airport drop off. We generally drive and park in Galveston only because it is convenient. If I had to fly I would I would choose a different port. locals seem convinced the situation is improving - they just had a long way to catch up to other ports. Hopefully the situation is improving and yet the same questions regarding transport are asked over and over.
 

However when faced with a late flight after a repositioning from Galveston to Bayonne we took the cruise line sightseeing trip with airport drop off which took care of any problems with luggage for the day. I believe in Houston the tour generally goes to nasa, not sure if they offer any others. 

Yes, we would love to find a way to make the most of our day so a sightseeing excursion with airport drop off might be the way to go. I will check it out…thanks for the suggestion! 

[Cuckoo7]

On 8/11/2024 at 4:29 PM, bjlbbk said:

 

Good to know! Do you think the timing of your trip on the way back played into the lack of Ubers in the area? I'm wondering if early morning is part of the issue if there are not many Uber drivers already in Galveston that time of day. Maybe there would be more available mid morning once the Ubers start coming in to drop off cruise passengers. We have a late flight so will not be in a hurry as long as there is a decent place to wait.

 

I'd guess so. It's crazy down there early, and the traffic along Harborside doesn't seem to move.  I think we got out around 9ish and started looking pretty much immediately.  We walked out of the terminal and across the street, thinking that would make it easier, but it was close to 10:30 before we got picked up.  The driver came from Harborside, so I'm guessing she came in that way and got stuck for a good while as well.

Edited August 17 by Cuckoo7

[Cuckoo7]

On 8/11/2024 at 10:57 PM, ericosmith said:

Could you tell me who you rented with?  I'd really like to spend some time at the space center but the prices with Enterprise one way to Galveston are a little rich.  

 

We rented with Budget.  Enterprise is quite a bit more expensive, but if I had to do it over again, I might go with them, just because it might eliminate the need for an Uber.  Last time I checked, Enterprise offers a shuttle to the terminal.