Avoiding Airport to City Rip-offs

The Citroën 2CV taxis are everywhere in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
They've got to be my favourite taxis, to try once. Not for comfort or long trips, though. 

Somehow is seems that 'bad apples' are overrepresented among taxi drivers based in airports. How can you avoid being ripped off by them when going downtown from the airport? 

I visited some 60 countries last year and cannot afford being ripped off every single time. Below are ten little tips that could prove useful on your next trip. I have learned my lesson the hard way by taking taxis in way too many countries on six continents. I will most likely be ripped off again in the future, but hopefully in new and creative new ways. 

1. Get accurate information on what a taxi ride from your particular airport should cost. Wikivoyage and other travel websites can usually give you a reasonably fair idea. To in advance ask your hotel, friends, Twitter contacts or relatives based in your destination is another good way. It is important to find relatively updated info. You may also ask at the airport or tourist information desk, but sometimes at least one taxi driver will linger around you while you ask, something that puts pressure on the information staff to indicate a higher price than what you ought to pay. If you suggest a way too low price, any taxi driver will laugh in your face. This happened to me in Eritrea. I later realized that my cost figures were from 2007. Being in a stubborn mood, I ended up walking the 6 kilometers to town only to discovered my research error in the next Wi-Fi spot.

2. Check the map before you go. Leaving this until after arrival may cost you a lot more than your taxi ride in phone roaming charges. That is, if you are even able to get a data connection. There may also be an internet cafe in the airport or even free Wi-Fi, but don't count on it. It will anyhow slow your journey down. You want to find out how far the airport is from town, where your hotel or meeting place is and which route that seems like the best to travel.

3. Track the driver. If you have a smartphone with a built-in GPS (or a standalone navigation device), do download the map of the city in advance (so that it is stored on your phone) and follow the route you are being driven. This will not cost anything as long as you remember to switch off the data traffic roaming option on your phone. Yet, it will show you where the driver is taking you and whether it makes sense to go this particular route.

4. Do agree on a price in advance. In some countries, the drivers will still insist on using the meter. In such cases I usually get a second opinion from another driver. Meters are easy to manipulate and speed up. If yours run suspiciously fast ask the driver to stop and find another taxi, alternatively continue to your destination and pay only what is fair. When he (it's usually a he) gets upset, call the police or just leave. In some countries, meters are well controlled or regularly monitored by the authorities. In such cases you should be safe, although it will still often benefit you to agree on a price in advance. In Oslo, for instance, running the meter may cost you 1500-2000 NOK, while agreeing to their special airport fare will set you back "only" 890 NOK.

5. Double check that there are no "hidden" costs. Some drivers will add a price per piece of luggage upon arriving your destination, even though you have agreed on a price in advance. Others will add an extra fee for every additional passenger, let you pay extra as it's late, early, Easter or whichever other creative reason they can come up with.

6. Do not be afraid to leave one taxi driver to ask for a second opinion or to ride with someone else than you first intended. You may for instance not like the driver's attitude, the standard of the car or the smell of smoke inside. You are paying for a service and you are entitled to choose your service provider. Exercise this right even if the driver will do anything to make you feel bad about doing so. To mention the family back home or even threaten that you will have to pay a penalty for wasting his time are well known methods. 

7. Order a taxi before flying. You will then be picked up by someone with your name on a sign. This will give your arrival a VIP feel to it. Do certainly do this if travelling with that someone special that you may want to impress.  Do still follow the points above when picking a taxi company and agreeing on a price. Some hotels also offer such services.   

8. Talk to fellow passengers on your plane or while waiting for your bags. Ask them to organize a taxi for you. Most people will be happy to do this, and you will avoid most pitfalls. They know what they should pay and which companies to use. You don't.

9. In any case, use only licensed companies and do avoid the sharks lingering outside the arrival zone.

10. If the taxi driver tries to fool you or takes you on a detour which you notifies him that you have noticed, his knowledge of English (or whichever other language you seemed to share before the journey started) will mysteriously disappear. If this happens, don't pay but go to your hotel, friend or colleague and complain. They can support you and help translate. Realising that you have local contacts will usually calm the driver down and usually end up in your favour.

Are there even alternatives?

Still not happy? Go for public transport. There are such options at most airports, although sometimes not at night. Some airports are also so close to town that you can walk. You may however not know this unless you have checked the map in advance. Examples of such airports are Florø (FRO) in Norway, Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS) in the US, E.T. Joshua (SVD) in St. Vincent, George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) in St. Lucia, Eilat (ETH) in Israel. Do expect some weird looks though. Except for to or from the latter which may be the most central airport in the world.

Getting a taxi to the airport is normally much easier. You will normally already have experiences with the city, you have met people and you can always ask a local to order the taxi for you.

Why Public Transport Beats Airport Taxis

Such a minivan is almost always bloody crowded, but almost 90 times cheaper than a taxi ride to Antananarivo. 

It is often convenient to take a taxi to or from the airport. But there are in my opinion also reasons why you should rather pick public transport. At least eleven of them. 

1. Taxis are almost always more expensive than public transport. That doesn't necessarily mean that taxis are expensive. To take a taxi to or from Antananarivo from Ivato International (TNR) only costs 16 USD, but that is still 87.5 times more than the cheapest public transport option. To or from Newark outside New York, the difference is only 3.75 times. See more examples at the bottom of the article. 

2. Public transport often actually saves you time. In many cities with dedicated train or tram lines, taxis are slower or much slower due to traffic and a longer travelling distance thanks to more turns and hills. The Maglev Train from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai has a top speed of 431 km/h. Unfortunately it stops a little outside the town centre, so you will in most cases have to take a taxi anyhow. Travelling that fast by train is still definitely worth it! The speedometer is visible from all seats, as a bonus and a photo op.

3. If you take a taxi, it is you and your driver. You will not meet anyone else. In a bus or a train you meet new people and get an early introduction to your destination and the culture there from your fellow travellers. If nothing else just by seeing them or overhearing conversations. But you can always be a little more adventurous and ask someone for recommendations.  Most locals are more often than not eager to tell you about their area or country. 

4. Public transport will rarely take you exactly where you are going, as opposed to taxis. You think that is a bad thing? I disagree as long as I am not in a rush. It gives you the possibility to explore a new area on your way to your accommodation, a great way to discover shops, cafes or restaurants that you may want to revisit later. Not to mention the excercise. Keep fit between all those trains, planes and automobiles. 

5. Buses and trains in more and more locations offer free Wi-Fi zones on board to attract more passengers. That gives you a great opportunity to as early and cheaply as possible update your social media statuses or check on your mails.

6. Bus or train drivers won't fool you by taking a detour or overcharging. They follow their schedules. 

7. Taxis don't offer refreshments. Some buses and trains do.

8. There are no toilets inside taxis. It may not usually matter, although it will certainly be essential if you have run into food poisoning on your journey.

9. Public transport is a greener alternative. Al Gore will be proud of you. 

10. You can't walk around in taxis. You can in metros, buses and trains. Unless it is rush hour in Tokyo, Asmara or Mexico, of course. Being able to move may be much wanted after 14 hours in a cramped economy seat.

11. The pressure to tip a taxi driver is much higher than to tip a bus driver. If you give in, the price goes up even more. If you don't, expect a nasty look or a colourful oral reply.

Still not convinced? At least make sure you are not ripped off by your taxi driver.

Comparative costs

I earlier mentioned comparative costs between taxis and public transport. So, what is the taxi – public transport price ratio, given that you travel alone? Examples follow below. Among them are Antananarivo in Madagascar where it costs almost 90 times more to go by taxi than to go by bus. That is the biggest difference that I have discovered, although it doesn't mean that taxis are expensive. It only costs 16 USD, going by bus is just dirt cheap.  And many of the taxis in Antananarivo are very cool and worth taking. Old Citroens or Renaults will take you back in time. 

Any better or worse examples from around the world? Please share your comments below. 

Ivato International Airport (TNR) – Antananarivo

Taxi: 35,000 MGA

Shuttle bus:14,000 MGA

Bus: 400 MGA (requires you to walk 150 meters from the terminal)

Ratio: 87.5 (times more expensive by taxi)

Schipol (AMS) – Amsterdam

Taxi: 48 EUR

Train: 3.90 EUR

Ratio: 12.3 

London Heathrow (LHR) – London

Taxi: 60 GBP

The Tube (metro): 5.50 GBP

Ratio: 10.9

Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) – Oslo

Taxi: 890 NOK (if you use the right taxi company and ask for a fixed price in advance – otherwise you may pay double or even more)

Airport express train: 170 NOK (half price for kids, students and the elderly)

Airport bus: 150 NOK (80 NOK for kids, students and the elderly) 

Ratio: 5.9 

Newark (EWR) – Manhattan

Taxi: 60 USD

Shuttle bus: 16 USD

Ratio: 3.75

Any better or worse examples? Please share below. 

The Egyptian Switch

A random traffic scene in Alexandria.

Taking a long distance taxi in Egypt can be very cheap. At least if you are Egyptian or you can haggle reasonably well. I recently took a taxi from El Salloum (on the Egyptian side of the Libyan border) to Alexandria, a distance of 510 kilometers. That set me back 350 Egyptian pounds (59 USD), from a random taxi I encountered just after passing customs. I must say that was remarkably cheap, even for Egypt. It is, after all a 5-6 hour drive. During my visit to Egypt I also took long distance taxis two other times (from Sharm el Sheikh to Dahab and back again, 90 kilometers each direction), paying 250 from the airport in Sharm and 150 back again (these places are much more touristy than El Salloum, hence a much higher price per kilometer - although I may have also been ripped off in Sharm or been very lucky in El Salloum).

However, all three times I was introduced to what I ended up calling 'the Egyptian switch.' After getting into the car, the driver naturally starts driving towards the destination. But he (I have still not seen any female taxi drivers in Egypt) is always on the lookout for another car going to the same destination. In Egypt you can tell which city cars are registered in by the license plate, something that give the drivers a clue. If your driver sees someone that is likely to be going to your destination, he let the car pass and the uses his horn, waves out the window and/or flashes his lights. The car that just passed will in many cases stop and your driver will jump out and walk over to the other car. A minute later, you are ordered over into the other car and will continue to your agreed destination.

The Egyptian switch explained
1) You agree on a price to your destination with a taxi driver.
2) The taxi ride starts.
3) The taxi driver will scout for other drivers going to the same destination and eventually stop someone.
4) Your driver will ask whether the driver of the other car (and this can be any car, not necessarily a taxi) can take you to your destination against some money.
5) If this is OK, your driver will  negotiate a sum of money as compensation for the trouble. Of course, he will usually keep most (at least half) himself, then offer the remaining fare that you have agreed to pay for the trip to the new driver. The new driver will not know how much you have paid.
6) You will pay your original driver what you have agreed upon and then change vehicles.
7) The original driver will give some of your money to the new driver.
8) You will continue your journey to your destination, but in a new vehicle and with a new driver.
9) You will arrive at your destination and will not have to pay any more money. The money issue has already been sorted out between the drivers.

Do note that your second driver may ask you (given that you can actually communicate) how much you paid originally. You may want to keep quiet about this, as likelihood is that the new driver will realize that he has received much less than what you have paid. This may be especially annoying to the new driver if the Egyptian switch happens at an early stage of the trip.

This may actually be a good thing
Why can this be a good thing? It is certainly environmentally friendly. The first driver can turn around again early during the trip and will not have to make an unnecessary trip. It is a little like car pooling and it saves petrol. It also divides the money you are paying to more people. Chances are high (or almost certain) that you have been overcharged (petrol only costs around 40 cents per litre in Egypt), so the money goes further and contributes with income to more families. You may also meet someone who actually knows your destinations, something that can be helpful when on vacation. And in all three cases that I experienced this, the new vehicle was much nicer than the first one.

The downside of the Egyptian switch is that your journey is slightly interrupted and that you may feel uncomfortable by being taken from the middle of nowhere by an unknown driver. You can always refuse to go into a new vehicle if you don't like the new car or the new driver. After all you have agreed a price and a destination with driver number 1. But you may have luck with driver number 2. Two of the three times I ended up with a new driver that spoke much better English than the first one. And vacation is about experiencing something new, so why not go for it.

A natural question is, can the Egyptian switch inspire or be parallelled by i.e. an internet service? Can we do things smarter online?