Riding with Lyft offers more flexibility than traditional taxis when you need to make multiple stops. With Lyft’s multi-stop feature, you can customize your route by adding stops along the way. This allows you to run errands, pick up friends, or make a quick stop without having to book and pay for multiple individual rides.
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When To Use Lyft’s Multi-Stop Feature
The multi-stop feature is perfect for situations like:
- Going shopping and need to stop at multiple stores
- Picking up food from different restaurants along your route
- Grabbing friends who don’t all live in the same place
- Making a quick ATM or pharmacy stop before reaching your final destination
Stops must be along the route to your final destination for the driver to accommodate them. And you’ll want to avoid excessive stops that significantly increase the duration or distance of the ride. Most drivers are happy to make 1-3 short stops as long as each one adds no more than a few minutes to the ETA.
How To Add Stops in the Lyft App
Adding and editing stops is easy to do right in the Lyft app. Here is the process:
1. Request a Ride
Open the Lyft app and enter your initial pickup location and final destination as you normally would when requesting a ride.
2. Tap “Add Stop”
Once you are on the screen confirming your ride request, tap the “Add Stop” button before confirming your ride.
3. Enter Stop Details
Enter the additional stop address where you want your driver to stop along the way to your final destination. Lyft will plot the stop along your route.
You can add up to 2 extra stops per ride request in Lyft.
4. Confirm Your Stops
Tap “Confirm Stops” once you’ve entered all the additional stops. This will lock in those stops with your driver for the scheduled ride.
5. Track Driver to Stops
You’ll be able to track your driver’s progress toward your stops. The app shows each stop along the route so you know when to expect to arrive at each location.
6. Notify Driver at Each Stop
Let your driver know you are making a stop as they approach the stop location. They will wait briefly for you to run your errand before continuing to the next stop or final destination.
Tips for Lyft Multi-Stop Rides
To make sure your multi-stop ride goes smoothly for both you and your driver:
- Limit stops to 1-3 locations max along your route
- Keep stops under 3 minutes so you don’t keep your driver waiting too long
- Bring any bags or belongings with you when you exit at each stop
- Tip your driver at the end for their patience if you requested multiple stops or took longer at a stop
- Enter accurate stop addresses so the app can route accurately and the driver knows exactly where to go
- Contact your driver through the app if there is an unavoidable delay at a stop
- Rate your experience afterwards so Lyft knows if your driver went above and beyond with multi-stops
Lyft vs Uber Multi-Stop Comparison
Both Lyft and Uber allow riders to add stops along their route. The main differences are:
- Number of stops – Lyft currently allows up to 2 stops per ride, while Uber allows up to 3 stops
- Stop time limits – Uber sets a 3-minute limit per stop, while Lyft does not enforce a time limit
- Pricing – Uber charges a flat $5 fee for each added stop. Lyft adjusts the ride price dynamically based on any added time/distance
So Uber offers one extra stop, but Lyft provides more flexibility if you need more than 3 minutes at any stop. Lyft also lets you add stops without an additional fee each time.
Saving Time on Errands
Lyft’s multi-stop feature allows you to optimize trips where you need to accomplish multiple tasks in different locations. By customizing one ride with all your stops, you avoid having to schedule and request individual rides from each errand stop. This saves time and makes your outings more efficient without having to go back and forth.
Some examples of good multi-stop errand trips would be:
- Office -> Post office -> Coffee shop -> Office
- Home -> Grocery store -> Pharmacy -> Home
- Gym -> Smoothie shop -> Farmer’s market -> Gym
As long as your stops are generally along the way, you can plan out entire errand routes ahead of time directly in the Lyft app.
Customizing Rides for Groups
In addition to individual errands, multi-stop rides are handy for accommodating groups with different pickup and drop-off needs. Lyft makes coordinating meetups and carpools easier without the hassle of calling multiple cars.
Some examples of convenient group rides with stops include:
- Picking up friends who don’t live together on the way to dinner
- Grabbing coworkers from different locations for a shared commute
- Dropping people off at various destinations after an event
As the ride organizer, you can pre-schedule all the stops in the app so everyone arrives on time. This takes the guesswork out of “who goes first” or “who is picking up who”.
Making Stops More Seamless
While the Lyft app makes adding stops simple on the user end, thoughtful planning ensures the process goes smoothly. Here are some pro tips:
- Cluster stops together – Group stops in the same part of town or along the same street to avoid backtracking.
- Limit stop quantities – Shoot for 1-3 stops max to keep rides short and prevent excessive wait times.
- Prepare ahead – Have any bags, purchases, or items ready when exiting at each stop.
- Set expectations – Give group members or drivers a heads up you will be making multiple stops.
- Build in buffers – Add a few extra minutes to each stop’s duration in case errands take longer than expected.
Know When To Avoid Stops
While multi-stop rides offer greater flexibility, they do not work well in every situation. Times to call individual cars rather than daisy-chain stops include:
- You have more than three stops to make
- Stops would significantly increase overall distance out of the way
- Stops would take more than 3-5 minutes each
- You have large items or purchases that are difficult to transport in and out of cars
In those cases, the convenience of direct point-to-point rides outweighs the multi-stop approach.
