Before #momlife, I lived a Portland life. I was (nearly) vegan, (almost) zero-waste, and I didn’t have a car. Public transportation, a bike, and my own two feet were my best friends. Now that I don’t carry around a diaper bag and my son is ten, and inspired by fellow Portland Moms Blogger, Kendra, I’ve thought about going car-free again. But what about those times when I simply need a car to run errands or get out for a hike? Welcome to Getaround peer-to-peer car sharing!
What is Car Sharing?
Getaround is a brilliant concept combining the ease of car sharing and car renting. Kind of like Airbnb for cars, they provide a platform for people to rent their cars to others who are looking for transportation for the day or the weekend. People rent their car when they’re not using it or at whatever times are convenient for them; owners who share earn an average $500/month in extra income! Those who rent the cars are supporting their neighbors while enjoying easy access to an amazing selection of cars close by. Getaround is a smarter way to use cars we already have in our community.
How Does Getaround work?
Simply create an account, download the app, , enter your street address (or general vicinity), and start searching available cars near you. Rentals start at an affordable $5/hour, and you can find an available car at a moment’s notice.
The coolest part is there are filters so you can search cars by categories, such as price or style. Choose from an SUV, minivan, or convertible – and everything in between. Check out just some of the 72 cars near my location in NE Portland!
After you’ve perused the many options in your area, click on the car you’d like to reserve. Up pops a map of its location along with a profile of the owner and their vehicle. When you know you’ve found “the one,” enter your driver’s license number and credit card information and reserve away. The whole car sharing process can be done in two minutes!
As soon as you’ve made your selection and processed your reservation, you’ll gain access to the car through the app. This feature allows you to unlock the vehicle with the Getaround app, and the note from the owner will let you know where the key can be found. Then you’re off on your adventure; so easy and so fun!
Our Getaround Portland Day
Picking the car for my son to take out on our urban adventure was the hardest part of the Getaround experience because there were so many choices! A Fiat? Subaru? Prius? It was a little cold for a convertible, and just the two of us didn’t need a larger SUV or minivan.
We selected a gray Toyota Yaris and I immediately fell in love with it. This zippy car was just my type: easy to drive and park downtown, super cute, and fuel-efficient. I loved that I sat up a little bit higher in the driver’s seat than most cars of that size. The car was easy to find, and the Getaround app let me know it would be parked on the street. The Getaround bumper sticker made it even easier to find.
We hopped in our Getaround car and our first stop was to Nossa Familia in the Pearl to fuel up and warm up with a matcha latte for me and a steamer for my son. Parking was a breeze in the Yaris. Then we headed up to the zoo to check out the winter animal landscape. Our car drove so well as the snow flurried around us. After our fun Portland mom-son adventure, we fueled up the Yaris and easily returned it safely to its owner with the user-friendly app. I can’t wait to try out another Getaround vehicle with our upcoming out of town adventure!
Want to rent your car through Getaround and make some extra cash?
Learn more and see if your car qualifies here.
