- Uber continues to expand its ride options, and some may surprise you.
- The ride-hailing company launched Uber Shikara in India and Uber Shuttle in the US this year.
- It plans to bring more ship and flight options in 2025.
You may hop into an Uber at some point this holiday season — and depending on where you live, that ride may take different forms.
Uber ride-hailing services are currently available in more than 10,000 cities in over 70 countries on six continents, a company spokesperson said. And in many of those places, the company offers more than just car rides.
In some parts of the world, you can ride in an Uber Boat, Uber Shuttle, Uber rickshaw or Uber Shikara, and in the past, the company has also offered more new ride options like Uber Yacht and Uber Sleigh.
Even more options are coming in 2025.
Uber from the air
Uber has been eyeing the skies for years, and the US-based tech company has some big aerial plans for 2025.
In 2017, Uber offered helicopter rides, called UberCHOPPER, in the United Arab Emirates between Dubai and Abu Dhabi for one day only to visitors to that year’s Formula One Grand Prix. The less than 30-minute trip, which can accommodate up to six people, cost about $544 per person in today’s dollars.
In 2019, Uber launched a continuous helicopter ride service in New York City called Uber Copter. The offer allowed riders to request a helicopter ride from Manhattan, down 110th Street, to John F. Kennedy International Airport between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM Monday through Friday.
An Uber helicopter taking off from a Manhattan helipad in 2019. Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
For about $200, the service included a ride from your pickup location to the heliport, an 8-minute helicopter flight, and a ride from the heliport to your destination.
The service was short-lived, however, as the company discontinued it in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Uber isn’t done with air travel just yet.
By the end of 2025, Uber plans to launch commercial electric “air taxis” in New York City and Los Angeles in partnership with Joby Aviation, which makes electric take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs.
Earlier this year, Business Insider’s Taylor Rains visited one of the sleek new eVTOLs, which are much quieter and more environmentally friendly than traditional aircraft.
The Uber and Joby-branded EVTOL was spotted at an event at NYC’s Grand Central Station. Taylor Rains/Business Insider
“We are excited to continue exploring electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) partnerships in the Advanced Air Mobility space,” an Uber spokesperson told BI. “This transformative technology will require connected mobility solutions on the ground and in the air to make this future a reality, especially for trips up to 100 miles.”
Uber by boat
Uber offers several different ways to glide across water via river, sea and lake.
A popular Uber Boat option is a water transport service on London’s River Thames, which launched in 2020 in partnership with ferry operator Thames Clippers.
Riders can buy a one- or two-day hop-on, hop-off card for about $27 or buy tickets from Point A to Point B, which can vary in price depending on where you’re going. A single adult end-to-end trip costs around $21, while shorter distances can be around $6.
An Uber boat on the River Thames in London in June 2024. Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images
Business Insider took a ride on an Uber Boat in 2021 and reported that it was a lot more fun than a traditional taxi ride.
And in 2025, Uber is expanding London’s Uber Boat with the UK’s first fully electric passenger ferry, which will have capacity for 150 people and 100 bikes.
But if you’re looking for a more upscale way to hit the waves, Uber launched some of Europe’s top water transportation services over the summer.
In August, travelers could book an Uber yacht in Ibiza, Spain, to take up to eight passengers on a private 8-hour trip around the island, complete with champagne, artisanal food and ground transportation to and from the captain. The luxury adventure cost about $1,650.
Uber Yacht was offered in Ibiza, Spain in the summer of 2024. Uber
Uber also launched an on-demand “Limo Boat” service in Venice, Italy, in July for up to six people for about $124 per ride. The company also expanded its Uber Boat service in Greece from Mykonos to Athens, Corfu and Santorini.
Although these top-tier options were seasonal offerings for the summer of 2024, Uber plans to announce more shuttle options in 2025, a company spokesperson told BI.
In December, the ride-hailing company launched Uber Shikara at Dal Lake in Srinagar, India.
Riders can book a one-hour ride on one of the traditional wooden boats, which are usually canopied and ornately painted, for up to four passengers. Uber says it will not collect any fare on the ride and the entire fare amount will go directly to the Shikara driver.
Uber launched a Shikara ride-hailing service in India in December 2024. Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Uber from the ground
Uber has also expanded its original mode of transportation.
In addition to the traditional car options of UberX, UberXL, Uber Share, Uber Black and others, the company now offers services such as Uber Shuttle and Uber Auto.
In October, Uber announced its first airport shuttle, which takes travelers in New York City from Midtown Manhattan to LaGuardia Airport in Queens for $18.
Uber launched an airport shuttle service in New York City this year. Konrad Krajewski/Shutterstock; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
Uber Shuttle also operates in cities across India, Brazil, Mexico and Egypt.
You can also take a ride on an Uber Auto, a three-wheeled motorized rickshaw, in over 60 cities in India. The service is so popular that Uber has expanded it to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tanzania, a company spokesperson said.
One of Uber’s newest seasonal offerings is Uber Safari, available until the end of January, which takes up to four passengers on a day trip through the Aquila Private Game Reserve in Cape Town, South Africa for $200.
Or, if you want to take driving into your own hands, the Uber app also lets you reserve electric bikes and Lime scooters, or rent a car from a local agency delivered to your doorstep.
In one of its newest offers, the company offered free Uber Sleigh rides — yes, an actual sleigh pulled by reindeer in the snow — in Lapland, Finland for a week in December 2022.
The rides in Finland were marked with the Uber logo. Uber
What’s next for Uber?
Uber is constantly expanding its offerings. And, in addition to bringing more flight and boat services to the app in 2025, Uber is also planning to push into the world of autonomous driving.
The company, which announced its first full-year operating profit in February, is reviving her robotaxi dreams.
And on the business side, in 2024, the company’s shares had gained about 6% through the end of December, trailing the benchmark S&P 500 index, which had gained more than 27% over the same time period. (Main competitor Lyft was up only about 0.8%).