Getting around 1: Taxi or Uber?

Taxi or Uber

タクシー？それとも配車アプリ？

What kind of transportation do you prefer? In my case, I have no choice and drive everyday to get around in my town in Japan.
During my trip this time, I got to use different means of transportation, airplane, bus, train, Uber, taxi, metro and car.

交通手段としてあなたは何を選びますか？私の住んでいるところでは車が必須です。

今回の旅行では飛行機、バス、電車、ウーバー、タクシー、地下鉄、自動車といろんな交通手段を使う機会がありました。

The best public transportation

最高の公共交通機関
When it comes to public transportation, no one can beat Japan. Japan has a reputation of clean, advanced and highly punctual public transportation and I had no problem getting to and from the airport. Especially I was impressed with "mobile Suica" which allowed me to take the local bus in Shizuoka, Shinkansen as well as Narita express. (This is probably nothing new to most people but you know I live in countryside so it was a whole new experience to me!) 

I also recommend "Ekinet" app if you are travelling by Shinkansen or other express railway services as you can get 35% off!

公共交通機関となると、日本に勝てる国はないですよね。日本は世界に誇る清潔で先進的かつ時間通りに運行する公共交通機関があり、私も空港までの道のりはとてもスムーズでした。特に今回、静岡の田舎を走るローカルバスから、新幹線と成田エクスプレスまで乗り継ぎ可能なモバイルSuicaの利便性にはとても感動しました。(多分こんなの当たり前のことなのでしょうが、田舎暮らしの私には大発見だったのですw）

それから国内移動に新幹線やその他の特急を使う場合えきねっとというアプリがおすすめです。35%オフでチケット購入できますよ。

Taxi or Uber?

タクシー？それともウーバー？

When we say Uber, it's about the food delivery service for Japanese people, I guess. But in other countries, Uber means hiring a car to your destination. People use the word Uber as a verb: I'll Uber. means you are going to hire a car; just like Google means looking something up on Google.

日本でUberといえばご飯のデリバリーのことですよね。でも海外ではUberと言えば車を呼んで目的地まで連れて行ってもらうこと。UberはGoogleのググるみたいに動詞となって「配車サービスを使う」という意味です。

In Abu Dhabi, I took both taxi and Uber but the both were really safe, reliable and comfortable. Since I arrived at the airport at midnight, I decided to take Careem which is Uber-like service available in the Middle East and some Asian countries. The waiting time was only 5 minutes, the driver was helpful loading and unloading my suitcase and the payment was easy as I was able to register my credit card in advance. 

アブダビではタクシーもウーバーも使いましたが、どちらもとても安全で信頼できるし快適でした。空港に着いたのが夜中だったのでホテルまではCareemという配車サービスを使いました。中東やアジアでUberよりも一般的に利用されているサービスです。待ち時間はたったの5分くらいで、ドライバーさんもスーツケースを乗せたり下ろしたり手伝ってくれて、支払いも事前にクレジットカードの登録を済ませてあったのでとてもスムーズ。

What I like about Uber is that you don't need to worry about being ripped-off or unnecessary detouring which are common problems in tourist spots. Even if you don't speak the local language, the driver will know the exact destination thanks to the map on the app. I also used Uber when I went to Thailand with my family 3 years ago and it was really helpful. So I highly recommend Uber if you are travelling in unfamiliar places.

ウーバーのいいところは、ぼったくられたり回り道されたりする心配をしないで済むこと。これって旅先では毎回心配な問題ですよね。あとは言葉が通じなくともアプリ上の地図で行き先がばっちりドライバーさんに伝わること。3年ほど前家族でタイに行った時もUberのお世話になったのですがとても便利だと感じました。

Yet there is a advantage of Uber and that is the cost. It is a little more expensive than taxi. In fact, the fare from the hotel to the airport was about 20% higher when taking Uber. In case of Abu Dhabi, it was a lot safer than I thought so I would take taxi but if I was travelling in Asian countries I would definitely take Uber. I have a bad experience in the past!

UAE has a lot of immigrants and most taxi drivers are those immigrants. If they get into a trouble they will be sent back to home so they don't wanna risk their future but be faithful, which means taxi is supposed to be a safe way to get around.

しかしウーバーにもデメリットはあり。価格です。タクシーよりやはり割高。実際に帰りのホテルから空港までのタクシー代は行きのCareemより2割増しくらいでした。アブダビは治安がいいのでタクシーで大丈夫かなという印象です。ただアジアを旅するなら間違いなくUber使います！苦い思い出がありますので。。。

UAEは移民が多く、タクシーの運転手さんもほとんどが移民。違反をすれば強制送還されてしまうためみんな真面目に仕事をこなす＝安全なのだそうです。