The trip from the airport is where tired travelers overpay most. A little planning fixes it.
Compare the options
- Train or metro: usually cheapest and immune to traffic. Great when you travel light and your hotel is near a station.
- Airport bus: cheap, slower, sometimes direct to central hubs.
- Official taxi rank: many airports post fixed or estimated fares to the centre. Use only the official queue.
- Ride-hailing apps: convenient where legal; check where pickups happen.
- Pre-booked transfer: a fixed price agreed in advance and a driver waiting with your name. Worth it for late-night arrivals, families with luggage, groups (split the cost) and places with known taxi problems.
Avoid the classic traps
- Ignore people offering a "taxi" inside the terminal.
- Agree the fare or insist on the meter before you get in.
- Know roughly what the trip should cost. Our city pages list each airport's distance from the centre.
- Have a little local currency or a card that works abroad.
When a pre-booked car makes sense
If the train would mean two changes with luggage, you land after public transport stops, or you'd need two taxis for a group, a fixed-price transfer is often similar in cost and far less stressful.