A new report from ride-sharing app Uber has revealed the shortest and longest trips taken by users in Switzerland this year. From 600-kilometre journeys across the mountains to a trip only slightly longer than an Olympic running track, people in the alpine nation were not afraid to call a taxi this year.
Whether it’s not being able to face public transport after a night on the town or a trip to the airport, Uber is becoming an increasingly essential part of life in Switzerland. Having first launched in Zurich in 2013, the company has now expanded to offer taxis in multiple Swiss cities and ski resorts, alongside its food delivery service UberEats.
As part of its yearly round-up, the company found that some people use the app to the extreme, booking either tiny trips or those that cost thousands of francs. Here are the record-breakers for 2024.
This year, the longest journey by an Uber in Switzerland was taken by a German citizen, who used one of their cars to take a 663-kilometre journey from Basel to Nice in France. According to the company, the man had hoped to fly to Nice from Basel Airport to attend the Cannes Film Festival, but his flight had been cancelled.
Though he was able to make the festival on time, his journey is likely to have cost thousands of francs. Though Uber did not say how much the trip cost, last year’s record - which saw a user take a shorter route from Geneva to Saint-Tropez - cost 1.453 francs.
By contrast, the title of the shortest Uber journey in Switzerland went to a user in Zurich. Their journey covered a total of 431 metres, travelling from an address in Bleicherweg to Stockerstrasse. Though some may call this the peak of decadent laziness, Uber brushed off mini-journeys as showcasing their ability to save riders from the weather or uncomfortable walks.
Also in the report, the people of St. Gallen were named the nightlifers, with 60 percent of Uber journeys in the city occurring at night. When it comes to food, Geneva won out, with the most popular restaurant to order from on UberEats (Fancy Smash Burger) and the highest-rated (LOOPS & Coffee) both being found within its borders.