Airport Transfers: Your Transport Options

Airport transfers can present something of a problem. Many people are unwilling to travel between their home and the airport in their own vehicle because of the difficulty and cost of secure long-term parking while they are away. At your destination, you will obviously not have access to your own vehicle at all for the journey to your accommodation and then back to the airport later.

Airlines or airports often provide their own airport transfer options, but these often serve only a very limited range of destinations, offer inflexible timings, and may or may not be priced affordably. If you prefer to make your own arrangements, you have a number of options available to you.

Taxis

Taxis represent one of the most popular transport options for individuals, couples and small groups. It provides the convenience of road transport without any concerns over parking or even the effort and potential stress involved in driving yourself. It also offers full flexibility in terms of pick-up and drop-off locations as well as departure times. It is also a good choice if you find some other arrangement has fallen through at short notice, as taxis are often readily available through phone booking or at taxi ranks at airports.

The main disadvantage is the cost. Taxis are a relatively expensive mode of travel, and are especially expensive in London. There is also a danger of delays due to traffic conditions, although all forms of transport really carry some danger of delay as a result of external factors.

Mini Buses

Mini buses are probably the most practical option for groups travelling together. They allow a moderately large number of people to travel in relative comfort, and experience many of the same benefits that taxis offer. They also tend to be effectively more affordable than a taxi, as economies of scale bring down the ultimate cost per person.

If you are travelling in a suitably large group, therefore, it could well be worth looking into hiring a mini bus to handle your airport transfer. Look for a specialist company such as westcountryminibuses.com which offers Bristol airport transfers including pickup from the airport when you return.

Public Transport

Public transport can be a good option, but this tends to depend heavily on the situation. Many airports incorporate both train and bus terminals onsite, or else have bus terminals and are very near to rail links. How lengthy and complex the actual journey will be, however, still depends heavily on where you happen to be travelling from.

Public transport tends to be cheaper than a taxi for an individual, but this may not necessarily be the case for even small groups that could have shared a single taxi but will need individual tickets for trains or buses. There are some steps you can take to reduce costs, but these will only do so much to bring the price down. Public transport can also be difficult to understand and arrange when travelling from the airport to your accommodation if there is a language barrier in your destination.

For larger groups, the cost of public transport is likely to be very high indeed and it is very doubtful that this will prove a cost-effective or practical mode of travel.