Before you request a ride from Downtown Vancouver to Abbotsford, open the Uber app and look at the upfront price it shows for your exact pickup and drop off. That figure beats any estimate, including ours.
The trip and its price
The distance is 70 km and the drive takes about 75 minutes. A standard rideshare costs about $111 at normal demand, and the likely range is $100 to $128.
We reach that number from average rideshare rates: a $2.50 base fare, $1.15 per km, $0.35 per minute and a $2 booking fee. Seventy kilometres adds $80.50, and 75 minutes adds $26.25. Treat the total as our estimate from average rates, because Uber sets the real price.
When demand rises, so does the fare. At 1.2 times the normal rate the trip is about $133. At 1.5 times it is about $166, and at double it is about $221.
The spread between normal and peak is $110 on this route, which is large enough to justify a second look at the app if your departure time can move. A short delay sometimes brings a lower multiplier, though nothing guarantees it. Our estimate cannot see live demand, so the app will always be more accurate on the day.
Other options and practical points
Bigger cars and taxis
Comfort comes to about $139. XL, which seats up to six, is about $160, and Premier is about $248.
If you call Whalley Taxi or Royal City Taxi, the tariff is identical for both, with $3.75 on the meter at the start and $2.18 for each km. On 70 km the meter would show about $156. Waiting time and extras are not included, so the final amount can be higher than that.
That taxi figure is roughly $45 above the standard rideshare estimate. A group of four with bags might still find XL at $160 the better deal than either.
Getting the pickup right
On a ride of more than an hour, a bad pickup start is expensive. Confirm the pin in the app, and make sure the driver has the full address of where you are going. If you are carrying a lot of luggage, ask whether it fits before the trip begins.
Anyone who needs an accessible vehicle should arrange it in advance. It also helps to plan some extra time at the other end if you have a booking or an appointment, because 75 minutes is an average and a longer intercity trip is more exposed to delays.