“Madrid by car” is our last post about public transports in Madrid. No, it is not a tour of Madrid, it is an overview about a new environmental friendly trend. After bike sharing and electric scooter, it is time to talk about car sharing and all those services that are hybrids between car sharing and taxi services.
These services are the future and they bring many advantages:
- They make you save money
- You are unpreoccupied by car maintenance or insurance obligations
- They reduce traffic jam
- They reduce CO2 emissions
Good for you and good for the environment. What more do you want from a service? Moreover, as direct consequence, you can live in a good central location. You do not need to look for a shared flat in the suburbs, just because you need to park your car. The city centre will not be a taboo anymore: all you need is a car sharing service ready to be used every time you need a car. Book your car directly from your room, gather your flatmates and go out!
Anyways, the first topic of our overview is “Car sharing”. Let’s have a look at the most popular companies that offer this ultimate service
Car sharing
In the last decades, more than five companies have offered this service, by introducing electric car, too. Do people use it? Even though they may have been sceptical at the beginning, people appreciate it increasingly. Here a list of some of the most common ones!
Who has not noticed these blue cars yet? They are small, practical and 100% electrical. There are currently about 500 Smart Fortwo: they can be reserved 20 minutes in advance, (you do not need to plan!) and they can be parked inside the M-30 inner ring road. Have you already driven this Smart?
The previous one is the most used; this one has been the first electric service in Spain. What about the cars? This service offers you the chance to choose your car and this is a great advantage when you are not an expert driver! You can look for the car that is more similar to yours and you will drive comfortably. Moreover, you do not pay the mileage and this detail makes this service the cheaper one.
This is the second most popular car sharing service in Madrid and, unlike with Car2Go, you can use it up to four people. For all the motorheads, the model of the car is a Citroen C-Zero and the service is electrical, too. It works exactly like its direct competitor: easy and practical.
Less popular, but we like it! It works either with a member card that opens the car or by app (it does not differ too much from all the other applications; therefore we will not dwell on a detailed description). They have vehicles for any occasion (sedans, touring cars, transport vehicles and utilitarian cars) and they may be both hybrid or electrical.
Hybrid Services
Besides these car-sharing companies, many others offer hybrid services. What are these services? They are between a taxi company and a car sharing. Let’s discover some of them…
Less famous than Uber, but equally efficient and easy to use. Download the app, create your account and book your car! What is it about? There is a driver and a car, you reserve your ride by app and, in few minutes, you can go wherever you want. Is it a taxi? Yes, it is similar, but the prices are lower and, as penniless students, we like it a lot!
Similar to Cabify, this service is known all over Europe since several years. Few minutes and your car arrives to take you wherever you want. The efficiency of this service is unbelievable and sometimes may be cheaper than a taxi. All you have to do to: download the app, create your profile, write down where you are and wait for the car. Simple, isn’t it?
Unlike Cabify, this last company is already popular. How does it work? Visit the website or the app, write your itinerary, check the offer and choose your car! It is simple, safe and a great opportunity to socialize. Unlike the other two services, this one works better for long distances. Nonetheless, we have considered appropriate to include it on the list.
There is no much left to say and there is no need to suggest you to take advantage of these services, they can make the difference. As mentioned, they reduce pollution and traffic jam and they are all cheap alternatives to a private car or a taxi.
Are you still looking for a shared flat? Remember that the more in the city centre you live, the more you will have the chance to use these services. Furthermore, wherever you will decide to rent your room, you know that there are always many options to get around Madrid and, why not, to make a day trip outside the chaotic capital.
Well, our post dedicated to the public transports is ready for you, dear reader, and, we hope so, it has been useful, too. Let us know if you like our columns and keep following us… We have great plans for you this month…
XOXO
helpMadrid team