The Longest Mile: airport to city center

The most stressful time in my journeys is when I first land in a new country and have to figure out how to get into the city. I’m tired, disoriented and totally lost.

Some cities make this easy. Hong Kong has the Airport Express, a high-speed train that goes to Central. Kuala Lumpur has an equivalent in the KLIA Ekspres (that’s really how it’s spelled). Paris and Singapore have subways that extend to their airports.

The best tip I can offer is to check out the official website of the airport you’re arriving in. Somewhere it’ll say, “Transportation.” That page should have detailed information about how to commute into the city from the airport.

I tend to go with airport buses, since almost every airport has them. Taxis are often expensive. Worse, they can be potentially dangerous if the driver is working with robbers to steal from tourists. Avoid taxis waiting by the arrivals area that have drivers trying to hustle people for a ride. Better to get a cab by buying a ticket at an official taxi counter. That reduces the chances of getting ripped off.

What strategies do you guys use to solve this problem? Which cities have you found to be the easiest and hardest to do the airport journey?

(Hong Kong and Manila would be my picks for those categories.)