Is Lyft in the Dominican Republic?

Lyft is a popular company that provides services such as rental cars, food delivery, ride-hailing, and vehicles for hire. When tourists travel to the Dominican Republic, they always want to know for sure that they can book a ride with a particular company. This is why we’ve researched is Lyft in the Dominican Republic.

No, Lyft is not available in the Dominican Republic. One can use their services only in the United States and some cities in Canada. However, an alternative to Lyft is Uber, which is available in the Dominican Republic.

Is Lyft in the Dominican Republic?

If you travel to the Dominican Republic and expect to book a ride with Lyft, you’ll be disappointed. The company has yet to expand internationally, and it has not yet decided to choose the Dominican Republic as the next country it will offer its services in.

For now, you can only book Lyft rides or request food deliveries in cities across the United States and some cities in Canada. If you want to know whether a city has Lyft services, you can always visit the Lyft website, type in the name of the city, and you’ll be provided with important details.

What Cities in the United States Have Lyft?

There are many states that offer Lyft services. In numerous cities, people prefer to catch a ride with Lyft than their local taxi companies. Have a look at the table below with some states and cities that have Lyft.

States	Cities
Alabama	Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville
Alaska	Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer
Arizona	Cave Creek, Florence, Sun City, Tempe, Tucson
California	Burbank, Gilroy. Hayward, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Sonoma
Colorado	Aspen, Denver, Grand Junction
Connecticut	Greenwich, Norwich, New Milford, Middletown, Hartford
Florida	Panama City, Jacksonville, Key Largo, Naples, Tampa Bay
Massachusetts	Boston, Cambridge, Springfield, Pittsfield
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Johnstown, York, Lancaster
Tennessee	Nashville, Memphis, Jackson City
Texas	Georgetown, Arlington, Sugar Land, Houston
Washington	Seattle, Port Angeles, Tacoma, Kent

What Cities in Canada Have Lyft?

Lyft doesn’t cover the entire Canada. Therefore you won’t be able to request services in many cities. Fortunately, there are some that have Lyft and these are:

• Vancouver,
• Toronto,
• Richmond Hill,
• Ottawa,
• Oshawam
• Newmarket,
• Mississauga,
• Hamilton,
• Ajax,
• Brampton.

How Much Do Lyft Services Cost?

In 2015 the cost of one Lyft ride was estimated to be $12.53.However, in 2021 the cost increased since the pandemic caused many to request food deliveries and rides. The number of riders increased, but the number of Lyft drivers decreased. Now the fee per mile is $0.90 for a standard Lyft ride, while the Lyft Lux ride costs $2.05 per mile. What’s great about Lyft is that it accepts prepaid cards. But bear in mind that in case you cancel your ride, you’ll still be charged $2.

What Can You Use in the Dominican Republic Instead of Lyft?

Even though Lyft is not yet present in the Dominican Republic, there is another option one can use and that is – Uber. It’s crucial to understand that Lyft and Uber are not the same. Since 2015 it has been operating in the major cities of the Dominican Republic – Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, and Santiago.

The majority of tourists are opting for Uber since the app is safe to use and there is no problem with the language barrier. With local tourist companies, one has to talk over the phone, but with Uber, you can simply request a ride via the application. Additionally, the vehicles are in much better condition, and the charges are reduced when the traffic is not heavy.

How Should You Use Uber in the Dominican Republic?

Uber works the same in the Dominican Republic as all over the world. First, you have to download the application to your Android or iOS and then create an account.

But, since the majority of people already have the application before they reach the Dominican Republic, this step is not necessary. The app will detect the location and you’ll be allowed to immediately place orders. The app will choose the cars that are closest to your location.

What Are Uber Charges in the Dominican Republic?

When you enter the vehicle, you will get the base fee immediately, which begins from 35 Dominican pesos. This converts to $0.7. For every minute of the ride, one is charged 4 Dominican pesos, and for every kilometer, one is charged 10 Dominican pesos.

Therefore if your ride lasts approximately 30 minutes and the distance to the location is 8 kilometers, you will be charged the base rate plus 80 Dominican pesos plus 120 Dominican pesos. This translates to $4.7 dollars.

Are There Other Transportation Options in the Dominican Republic?

Uber is not the only application that is available in the Dominican Republic. One can also use Cabify, which offers services in Santo Domingo. Another possible alternative is Indriver, which is present in many cities such as Santo Domingo and Santiago.

Indriver is a bit more popular than Uber since the payments can only be made in cash. There is also another aspect of Indriver – the customer and the driver can negotiate the cost of the ride. The driver can opt to accept the offer or decline it.

Now You Know How to Book Rides in the Dominican Republic

As disappointing as it is, Lyft is not available in the Dominican Republic. It’s still only based in the United States and some cities in Canada. But, this doesn’t have to pose a challenge when visiting the Dominican Republic since there are numerous other applications one can use. The most popular are Uber, Cabify, and Indriver. In case you are looking for a safe alternative, we recommend Uber, but when you want to negotiate the price of the service we recommend opting for Indriver.