[Justin Smith]

We do quite a bit of travelling but the one thing which seems consistent, wherever you go in the world, is getting ripped off travelling from the airport, unless there`s a train service to it, e.g. Barcelona.
The trouble with busses is one doesn`t usually know how close they go to ones hotel etc, and it gets bleedin` complicated esp if few people speak English in the particular country. Often busses take an age and require a long walk at the far end anyway.
But taxis are almost always really expensive from an airport, though generally nowhere near as expensive going to the airport.....
Has anyone got any advice how to get from airports reasonably cheaply and conveniently ?

[perplexed]

Is it down to taxi companies or individual drivers?

I know that some airports recommend using an office inside the building. Sofia airport has one, you go into the office, tell 'em where you're going, and they print out a little ticket with the cab number on it and price if I remember correctly.

[Justin Smith]

Originally Posted by perplexed

Is it down to taxi companies or individual drivers?

I know that some airports recommend using an office inside the building. Sofia airport has one, you go into the office, tell 'em where you're going, and they print out a little ticket with the cab number on it and price if I remember correctly.

We did that in Rio and Buenos Aires and it made the journey only fairly expensive (relatively speaking), but there was no opportunity to do that at Iguazu and we got done. We were charged £20 for a taxi ride which lasted about 10 to 15 mins, and that was with the driver going slower than all the other traffic, including the busses ! In Argentina £20 is a very expensive taxi fare, in fact it`d be pretty expensive for a 5 mile taxi journey in this country !
But we didn`t know how far the hotel was, or, in fact, exactly where it was.

[cgksheff]

Most taxis have to pay for permits to pick-up at airports.
This leads to a premium that cannot be compared to in-town taxi rides.

A solution to the problem is by doing more homework about all alternative possibilities.
Many hotel chains have buses collecting guests. A little tip (or a white lie?) to the clerk or driver can get you into town, or at least where you can get a cheaper taxi.

It is often worth asking your hotel a price for arranging a driver to come and collect you on arrival.

[Justin Smith]

Originally Posted by cgksheff

It is often worth asking your hotel a price for arranging a driver to come and collect you on arrival.

That`s worth remembering, at least you`d not get any nasty surprises just when you were knackered and a bit disorientated after getting off the plane....

[matsalleh]

Kuala Lumpur has a zonal system of payment, if you buy a ticket on arrival.At least you know it is a set price,or take your chances with the rest of the taxis.