Can You Get an Uber in Bakewell?

Jen Bell I Editor I Good Life List Peak District
4 days ago
3 min read

Dusk over a quiet town roundabout by Rutland Arms Hotel, stone buildings, lit flowerbeds, and a purple-blue sky.

There are lots of things to love about the Peak District but if we have to nitpick, getting around without a car, especially when it's late, is not one of them.

Generally, if you want to head out and enjoy a pint or glass of wine, it involves either an intense WhatsApping session with friends to determine who, if anyone is going to be the sober driver, or rock/paper/scissors with your other half.

However, things they are a-changing!

This week, a little bird told us that Uber is now available in Bakewell and many surrounding areas, making it easier than ever to get to restaurants, pubs, hotels and attractions without relying on a designated driver.

We first started looking into it while figuring out how people might get to and from The Charleston, Bakewell's newest restaurant and bar. Like many people, we'd assumed visitors would need to pre-book local taxis. Then we opened the Uber app.

We did some more digging and apparently during the busy spring and summer months, many Uber drivers flock towards Bakewell, Matlock and Buxton to take advantage of visitor demand. At times, ordering an Uber can feel almost similar to doing so in a city.

To put it to the test, we checked a few journeys ourselves.

At around 8pm, an Uber from Bakewell to Buxton was pricing at roughly £25. That's not exactly pocket change, but for a journey of around 20 minutes through a national park, it's not eye-wateringly bad either.

Earlier in the morning, a 16 minute journey (from Baslow to Bakewell, for example) was coming in at £7.86 for the fastest option down to £6.12 if you were prepared to wait 17 or so minutes.

Later in the evening, prices did increase. At around 11pm, we found some short journeys of around 10 minutes were pricing at roughly £35.

Before you splutter into your beer, though, that's not unusual. Late-night surge pricing exists in Sheffield, Manchester, London and pretty much everywhere else too.

One feature we really like is the ability to book journeys in advance through the Uber app, including your return journey.

Heading out for dinner at Lovage? Enjoying drinks in Bakewell? Staying at a hotel outside town? You can arrange both legs of the trip ahead of time and avoid standing outside a pub at closing time desperately refreshing your phone (if you can even get a signal) while wondering whether you'll ever make it home.

Of course, Uber isn't your only option. There are also several well-established local taxi firms operating across Bakewell and the wider Peak District, including Pacman Taxis and a number of other independent operators who know the area inside out. Many locals still prefer to keep a trusted taxi number saved in their phone, particularly for airport transfers, weddings, longer journeys or busy summer weekends.

Our advice?

Check Uber first. Like us, you may be pleasantly surprised.

But if you're planning a Saturday night out, attending a wedding, or finishing late after dinner and drinks, it's still worth having a local taxi firm's number handy too. Just in case.

Peak District life is becoming more convenient every year, which is great to see and should make enjoying the growing number of quality pubs and restaurants even easier..

It's still not quite Piccadilly Circus.

But it's getting that tiny bit closer.