Uber - Rome

We used Uber to get from Termini train station to our apartment. It was helpful as we are a family of 5 and we would need two taxis. UBER driver came in Mercedes van.

You do need data to UBER.

The traditional sharing service Uber is no longer available in Italy. It was deemed unlawful by an Italian court in June 2015.

Only Uber Black is legal and available. Uber Black is a black luxury limo service. It must be provided by Limo companies driven by professional Limo drivers who possess a NCC license (professional limo driver license).

Therefore if you expect the traditional Uber service with the average Joe Doe driving his own family car, that will not be the case. It will be a luxury "black limo" type car driven by a professional driver. As a result they are often more expensive than taxi cabs.

Yes, you need data for Uber Black, but you only need a phone call (or walk to a taxi stand) for a taxi.

We have used Uber in a number of European cities including Rome, just a few weeks ago.
The short answer is you need data or a wifi connection to request a ride, however before requesting the ride you should always check the rate first.

Other things to know:
Uber is different in Italy, They only offer what they call Uber Black, which are higher end cars. The first time we used it was getting from Termini Station to our hotel. We checked the rate first, then went to the taxi stand and inquired about the rate. Uber was much less.

We then requested Uber, and the driver arrived within a few minutes. In our case, it was a Mercedes. The other advantage is, the driver knows your destination and if there is ever a problem with the fare, the route or the driver you can always get in touch with Uber. We have never had a problem.

Lastly, we did the same thing on our way to the aiport when we were leaving our hotel. Turned out that in this case using a taxi was the better rate. Retrospectively, it would have been a nicer ride in Uber in a BMW than the (not working airconditioned) taxi..

By the way, once you are in the vehicle you can turn off your data.

The first time I ever used Uber was in Rome in October 2015. Loved it! I downloaded the app in our apartment and never looked back when needing a car. The ONLY time Uber cars were unavailable was in a rain storm and they were charging 4x as much and still no availability, we landed up hailing a cab. But they do tell you that the far is 4x as much as regular before you commit. You can also cancel a car after you order it.

Thanks for asking this Dnnis. I was wondering the same thing as well. I know in Rome the taxi rates are generally pretty inexpensive compared to other large cities so I tend to use taxis quite a bit. I will download the Uber Black app and compare the cost with taxis.