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Airport Transfers – A Simple Guide

In this short guide, we take a look at Airport Transfers. Hopefully, it will answer any questions you may have before travelling on your next flight.

Airport TransfersNo matter which country you may be travelling to in the world, you will need to get to and from the airport. Getting from the airport to your final destination and then back to the airport on your return is essential.

As a result, ensuring you have your transfers arranged in advance and before you travel is advisable.

 

However, this is not the case if you already have somebody to meet you at the airport or you are travelling on a package deal, where your airport transfers are included.

Therefore, if you do not have either of the fore mentioned, you will need to arrange your own transfers to and from the airport. The big question is how do you do this and what is the best type of airport transfer?

 

Quick Reference Index:

What Is An Airport Transfer

How Do Airport Transfers Work

Don’t Let Your Airport Transfers Be A Hassle

Why Book Airport Transfers In Advance

Why Wait And Spend More

Different Types Of Airport Transfers

 

What Does Airport Transfer Mean

The term ‘Airport Transfer’, is commonly used in travel and one that you will no doubt have heard.

So, ‘what is an airport transfer?’.

An ‘Airport Transfer’ is basically the process or transition of a passenger(s) getting to and from the airport. This can be upon arrival at the airport and getting to their final destination or getting to the airport from a specific location in time for their departure. 

The majority of airport transfers are generally pre-arranged and can be many different forms of transport. Pre-booking your transfers in advance is always a good idea, as we discuss later in this guide.

 

How Do Airport Transfers Work

As previously mentioned, in general airport transfers are pre-booked and arranged in advance. This means that you can pre-book your transfers to and from the airport of your choice, worldwide. As a result of pre-booking your transfers, transport will be waiting for you at the airport upon your arrival. Your chosen means of transport will then transfer you to your chosen destination, via the form of transfer you have booked.

Airport transfers are designed to coincide with your flight arrival or flight departure.

 

How To Pre-Book Your Airport Transfers:

Pre-booking and pre-arranging airport transfers is very easy. Due to the Internet, the booking process Online has become very simply and much more  secure. There are now a large number of companies Online that offer airport transfers. However, there are several airport transfer companies that are very popular with travellers. The reason they are popular is simply because they are well known and well trusted. We have listed these companies below for your convenience, so you can compare airport transfers prices.

 

Booking Process:

When you pre-book your transfers, you will be asked to specify several different things, which usually include:

  • The airport you wish to be picked up from or the airport you wish to be taken to.
  • Your final destination, such as hotel, villa, house or any other type of accommodation you are staying at. If you are travelling on business, then it may even be your place of work.
  • Type of transfer you require, such as ‘One Way’ or ‘Return – Round Trip’.
  • Date of travel
  • Flight details (This is so that they can track your flight for any delays)
  • Number of passengers
  • Any other special requirements

Once you have entered the required details, you will then be shown various different types of options for transfer. These will usually consist of:

  • Private Transfer
  • Shared Transfer
  • Shuttle Bus

Obviously, the type of transfer you choose, will be the one that best suits your needs, requirements and budget.

 Tip:  It is always a good idea to compare airport transfers, to see which is the best option

 

How Should I Choose An Airport Transfer Service

Airport transfers should be a hassle free transition from the airport to your final destination. Nobody wants to land at the airport worrying about how they are going to get to their accommodation.

Travelling to and from the airport can be a daunting thought for many people. This is even more so the case, when landing in a foreign country. The reason for this is simply because of language barriers, foreign currencies and the different transport networks. Unfortunately, so many people encounter bad experiences unnecessarily when travelling in new destination. This is usually a result of them failing to do a little pre-planning in advance, don’t be one of them!

 

Factors To Consider When Choosing Airport Transfers:

There are many different factors that will determine which type of airport transfer you use. Everybody’s needs, circumstances, requirements and budgets are different. However, there are several things you should consider, before booking your transfers, these include:

  • Budget
  • Who is travelling in your group
  • Where you are staying
  • Distance from the airport
  • Time of flight arrival or departure
  • What luggage you will have
  • Are you travelling with children
  • Are there any people with limited mobility in your party

All the above may seem obvious but they all play a big part in finding the best transfer options. They will also help find the best option to suit your travel needs and requirements.

 

Budget:

Budget will play a very big part in which type of transfer you use. If you are travelling on a budget, then obviously you will be limited to what you can afford. Due to this fact, you probably wouldn’t be able to book a private taxi or private shuttle. If you are travelling alone or your final destination is located quite a distance from the airport, the same applies.

When travelling on a limited budget, then using public transport or shared shuttle may be your most cost effective option.

 

Who Is Travelling:

The amount of people travelling in your group, will be another major factor that can determine your transfer. If you are travelling with a large number of people, there are several options. Travelling in a larger group, means that costs can be shared! If this is the case then using a minibus for airport transfer may be worth considering. Also, another option might be to rent a car for the duration of your stay. Renting a car can actually work out more cost effective.

If you don’t want to take out car rental, considering hiring a private shuttle bus or taxi is another option.

 

Where You Are Staying:

Your final destination is obviously where you need to get to from the airport. However, this can eliminate certain types of transport, that might be available.

Not all transport options will be suitable for you and your party. This is even more so, if your accommodation is off the beaten track! 

If you are staying in a major city or holiday resort, you will generally have more options. Due to this fact, it will normally be possible to take public transport. However, if you are staying somewhere that is not accessible from public transport, you will need to consider other options.

 

Distance:

There are several reasons, why you may need to fly into a specific airport. As a result, the airport could be located quite a distance from your final destination. Once again, if you are travelling alone or on a limited budget, this might limit your options. As a result, finding the cheapest airport transfer option, to suit your budget may not be easy.

If this is the case, you should ensure you do your homework before booking your flight. Just because a flight is cheap, it doesn’t mean it will be the cheapest option in the long run. In many cases, your airport transfer can cost several times more than the flight itself! As a result, it might be cheaper to pay a little more for your flight and fly into a closer airport to your final destination. Always check you are flying into the best airport to suit your needs. Even if it means paying a little more!

 

For Example:

Let’s say you wanting to visit Barcelona and you are looking for flights to Barcelona. As a result of you search, you will find that you have several options for flights.

However, the main airport that services Barcelona is ‘Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)’. This is located just 9 miles (14.5 Kilometers) from the centre of Barcelona itself. The transfers to the centre of Barcelona from the airport are very quick and very cheap. There are multiple options for transport, which include taxi, bus and train.

The Dilema:

Many low cost airlines now operate flights into several other airports in the region. However, they also advertise these airports as ‘Barcelona’. These airports include Reus Airport and Girona Airport. The problem is, both these airports are located a considerable distance from the centre of Barcelona. Although you can get to Barcelona from both these airports, relatively easily its takes much longer.

Girona is 65 miles (104 Kilometers) from Barcelona and Reus is 57 miles (91 Kilometers) from Barcelona.

As you can imagine, getting to Barcelona from these two airport will take much longer. Not only that, the transport networks will not be as efficient. It will also cost more money for your airport transfer, than actually flying into Barcelona El Prat (BCN).

It is just something you just take into consideration before booking your flight and airport transfer.

 

Don’t Let Your Airport Transfers Be A Hassle

The good news is there are plenty of transfer options available to passengers landing at most airports throughout the world. The determining factor as to which transfer option you choose, generally comes down to personal preference and budget.

Most airports generally provide a good ground support for passengers arriving and departing the airport. As a result, they normally have a variety of transfer options in place, that are available to passengers. These range from public transport to private hire transfer.

Many of the European airports that now have a large number of the Low cost/No thrills airlines servicing them, also have many transfer companies working alongside them. These airport transfer companies all provide a number of coach services. These coaches are scheduled to co-inside with all the flight arrival and departure times at the airport. This ensures passengers have a hassle free transfer to and from the airport. The airport transfer services now make it even easier for passengers to get to and from the airport. This is especially true at smaller airports, that would not normally have such transfer options in place.

 

Why Book Airport Transfers In Advance

Most people like to have the peace of mind once they land at the airport. Knowing their transfer is in place before travelling, offers this peace of mind. There is nothing worse than sat on your flight wondering how you will get to your final destination. Also, wondering if there will be any availability left, especially if it is late at night. Another concern is how much it will cost!

 

Advantages Of Pre-Booking Airport Transfers:

Pre-booking your airport transfers in advance has many advantages. Not only does it offer peace of mind knowing you will have the transfer waiting for you, it also:

Allows you to pay in advance. This means you will not be left wondering or worrying how much it will cost you at the airport. Booking in advance, eliminates the possibility of you being overcharged at the airport or on arrival at your final destination.

 

Airport Transfers Companies:

As we have previously mentioned, there are a large number of companies offering airport transfers. Using one of the reputable transfer companies that operate transfer services is advisable. Using these airport transfer companies, will help reduce the stress of reaching your final chosen destination.

 

Book Your Airport Transfer Early:

The bottom line is very simple, if you require airport transfer, why leave it until later to book? It just makes more sense to book your transfer well in advance! This is simply because you will need to pay for the service anyway regardless as to when you book it. The only thing is, it will be much cheaper to book in advance than it would be at the airport. Turning up at the airport without pre-booking your transfers, will only result in you paying more!

 

Don’t Pay More:

For example: If you want to use one of the transfer services to and from the airport, you would pay more money just turning up at the airport and making a reservation, on the day. This is the same with taxis, airport shuttle and car hire! The reason being is that once you are at the airport, you are a captive target market. They know you are in desperate need of transfer, s a result, you will be charged a premium rate.

However, when you visit any of their websites prior to travelling, you will be offered a better rate! This is because you are not in such a desperate position and they will be wanting to secure your booking. They know that you have a wider option of choice on the Internet and will offer you a better deal to ensure you book through them. This is to your advantage, so make good use of your position and BOOK!

 

Why Wait And Spend More

No matter which option of transport you decide to use, places are always limited. If you are looking to use one of the coach services, shuttle services, taxis or car hire companies, it is always best to pre-book. The reason for this is very simple, apart from giving you peace of mind, it GUARANTEES your reservation!

 

Eliminate All Doubts

Airport TransfersOne of the main concerns with passengers travelling to a foreign country is not being able to speak the language. As you can imagine, landing in a foreign country to whose language you cannot speak, can be a little daunting and raises many issues. Unfortunately, this very factor can lead to many passengers being overcharged for their transfers, if they have not pre-booked in advance.

These very issues can start right from the very beginning at the airport when trying to find transport. Many passengers find themselves in situations they need not be in, simply because they fail to take a few minutes before travel to book their airport transfer. You hear and read about so many
people who have had bad experiences with getting to and from the airport and the majority of these stories have been because the passengers have not pre-booked their transfers in advance.

Most people become stressed when landing at the airport and then have to try to make transfer arrangements. This stress is even greater if they are travelling with family and children. As a result, they end up paying high prices simply because they become fed up and just want to get to their chosen destination. All this hassle and expense can easily be avoided and it beggers belief as to why people put themselves through it unnecessarily.

The facilities are there in place online to pre-book, use them!

 

Different Types Of Airport Transfers

Passengers landing at airports now have a wide range of transfer options. Depending on which airport you land at, determines what choice you will have. Unless you have both your flights and transfers included in you package, the following transport options are usually available.

Below is a list of the most popular transfer options:

 

Public Transport:

Public transport is probably one of the most viable forms of transport, provided that there is a good reliable network in place. However as well as its advantages, it does have its disadvantages. To read more about Public Transport to and from the airport

 

Coach Transfer:

Many airports have coach companies operating to and from the airport connecting passengers with surrounding towns, resorts and cities. Coach transfer is a very efficient way of getting to and from the airport and can be much less hassle than using the public transport networks.

 

Shuttle Services:

There are many companies that provide shuttle services to and from the airport. The beauty about using the shuttle service is that they will drop you off at your hotel and collect you from your hotel on your return journey.

 

Private Shuttle:

Private shuttle services are a very convenient way to reach your chosen destination. However, because they are private, they are often the most expensive for of transfer.

 

Taxi Reservations:

Many people prefer to get a taxi to and from the airport but don’t enjoy having to queue or haggle with the taxi driver about the fare. A popular choice with many passengers is to pre-book their taxi in advance and this ensures their taxi is waiting for them on arrival and will have agreed the price in advance.

 

Car Hire:

For many reasons, car hire is still a popular option as it provides freedom and allows you to plan your own time schedule. Many car hire companies operate in most airports throughout the world and there are some great deals to be found.

 

Rail Transfer:

Not all airports have a direct rail link but the ones that do, provide a very efficient and reliable means of transfer. Most airports that do have a rail link, offer services to most nearby towns and cities.

Ensure you arrange your airport transfers in advance and save yourself a lot of time, hassle and money:

 

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