Exploring Philippines: Transportation Method in Manila Airport

After years of the pandemic, many people have not taken vacations for a while. Entering a new year, you surely deserve a vacation to Manila, for instance. So, to broaden your insight, here is important information about the transportation method in Manila Airport.

Transportation Method in Manila Airport

Manila Airport Transportation Methods
Manila Airport Transportation Methods / Freepik

Currently, many airport facilities apply technology for the effectiveness and efficiency of their activities in it. Likewise, those who love traveling to places such as Manila can explore this city quickly with advanced means of transportation.

Therefore, it is not surprising that most of the airport’s terminals provide a hub for transportation facilities such as buses, taxis, trains, car rentals, and so on.

How do I get from Manila Airport to the city? Here are the various methods of transportation that you can choose from.

1. Airport Transfers

Airport Transfers
Airport Transfers / Freepik

Firstly, you can choose this option. It is by using the private transfer service provided by the airport. However, to use this service, you must book in advance. The management will ask for details about your flight so they can pick you up when you land. 

You can choose a one-way or round-trip pick-up service on your booking form. The driver will wait for you at the Arrival Hall up to 45 minutes after your arrival. For pick-up service at other points, such as hotels, they will wait for 15 minutes. The fee for this service is around 1338 PHP (23.93 USD) and no additional fee.

NAIA also provides shuttle transport as well. If private transfer service is too expensive for you, there is a shuttle bus at Manila Airport.

2. Public Buses

One form of public transportation in Manila is buses. You can choose public buses to travel around this city. There are some categories of buses available in the Philippines.

  • Local Buses
Local Buses
Local Buses / Unsplash

This type of bus is not recommended for tourists because the routes are limited and the majority of passengers are local people. In other words, it’s not suitable for travelers.

  • Carousel City Buses
Carousel City Buses
Carousel City Buses / Unsplash

The second one is the carousel bus which has been proven to be able to take travelers to their destinations. You can choose City Bus Route 2 if you want to go to Manila city center. Alternatively, you can also take UBE Express to the downtown city.

  • Jeepney
Jeepney
Jeepney / Unsplash

This unique bus passes the airport route as well as other places such as Nichols, Epifanio de Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), Baclaran, and so on. Unfortunately, this bus is not recommended for those who carry lots of luggage.

Of the three buses above, it is clear that tourists are more advised to choose the City Bus. To get to the city center using the city bus, you must exit the T3 NAIA. The bus stop is outside this building.

However, before that, it’s best to double-check the route before you get on so that you can take the right route. To sum up, make sure you choose city bus route 2 or UBE Express when getting out of MIA. One way bus ticket for 1 person is around 20 PHP.

3. Taxi

Apart from public buses, another transportation that you can find at the airport is a taxi. By Manila Airport taxi, the trip to the city is only about 20 minutes. If you’re stuck in traffic, the trip may take up to 1 hour.

Like public buses, there are 3 categories of taxis at Manila Airport. They are:

  • Regular taxis
Regular taxis
Regular taxis / Unsplash

This type of taxi service charges a flat rate for passengers. The regular taxi fare is around 180 PHP (3.22 USD). This taxi is the cheapest among the other two categories. However, giving tips to taxi drivers in Manila is expected. People commonly add around 10% to their final fare as a tip.  

  • Coupon Taxi 
Coupon Taxi
Coupon Taxi / Unsplash

You can recognize this type of taxi by this vehicle’s color, namely blue and yellow. The coupons are categories of places that passengers usually go to. For example the Area-2 coupon is for locations like Manila Hotel, Ermita, etc. The cost rate of this coupon is around 530 PHP (9.48 USD).

  • Yellow-metered Taxi
Yellow-metered Taxi
Yellow-metered Taxi / Unsplash

The last category is common metered taxis. The cost of this taxi can be 50% more expensive than a regular taxi. Usually passengers have to pay around 300 PHP (5.37 USD).

If you want to use one of the three taxis above for a more comfortable journey, the taxi company’s parking lot is at the exit from the Departure Hall of all NAIA terminals.

4. Train

Train
Train / Unsplash

Besides being used as a Manila airport terminal transfer, Light Rail Transit (LRT) is also available to access tourist attractions that you want to visit. However, no LRT line directly takes you to Manila city. In other words, you have to transfer to another LRT.

There is a more effective way, namely taking bus transportation and  LRT. First, choose a bus with the EDSA-MIA route. After that, take LRT 1, which connects with the cities of Manila and Caloocan. To go to Manila via LRT 1, you must pay around 20 PHP (0.36 USD).

5. Rental Car

Rental Car
Rental Car / Freepik

The last transportation method is by renting a car. The airport provides a car rental service. Several car rental locations are on the T1, T2, and T3 ground floors. 

That’s all about the transportation method in Manila Airport that you can make as a reference. If you need a reference of where to book flight tickets and hotels, Airpaz is there to provide travelers with trip necessities at great prices.  

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