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The world’s 15 most expensive taxi rides from the airport to a city


Skift Take

The report doesn't say, but the point is clear: Select the bus or subway whenever possible.

Thrifty travellers would do well to avoid taxis from Tokyo’s Narita Airport, new research suggests.

A taxi from the main international airport serving the Japanese capital into the city centre could set you back almost £200, the study indicated.

The 41-mile journey, was not however, the most expensive when ranked on cost by distance travelled. That slot fell to Copenhagen, where a five-mile trip costs an average of £34.08, which works out at £6.82 per mile.

The research ranked the cost of taxi journeys from major international airports in Europe and the rest of the world, to city centres, including some popular destinations for British holidaymakers.

In Europe, researchers found the overall most expensive taxi ride from the airport was from Oslo Gardermoen airport, with a journey costing £73.45.

Taxis from Sofia airport in Bulgaria to the city centre were the most affordable, at £2.17, followed by Bucharest in Romania (£4.79), and Istanbul (£6.01).

Beyond Europe, the cheapest airport to city centre taxi rides are found at Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International, costing just £2.69 for the 10-mile journey. At Thailand’s Suvernabhumi airport to Bangkok central, an 18-mile taxi ride costs £5.63.

Only overseas airports were included in the study. Taxis from Heathrow would have figured fifth in the most expensive table (see below), with a 15-mile journey costing an average of around £57.

The research was carried out by Moneycorp, a currency exchange company.

Most expensive cities for airport taxis by cost per mile

Location Airport Distance (miles) Cost (one-way in £) Cost per mile, (£)
Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen 5 34.08 6.82
Geneva, Switzerland Geneva 3.75 22.63 6.03
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Narita 41 191.48 4.70
Brussels, Belgium Brussels 7.5 29.66 3.95
Amsterdam, Holland Schiphol 11.2 35.59 3.18
Barcelona, Spain Barcelona 8.1 25.42 3.14
Paris, France Charles de Gaulle 14.2 38.14 2.69
Melbourne, Australia Tullamarine 14.2 37.30 2.63
Lisbon, Portugal Portela 5.6 14.41 2.57
New York, USA Newark 16.1 41.18 2.56
Milan, Italy Malpensa 28.6 72.03 2.52
Dublin, Ireland Dublin 8.7 21.19 2.44
Athens, Greece Athens International 12.4 29.66 2.39
San Francisco, USA San Francisco International 13 29.41 2.26
Munich, Germany Munich 19.3 42.37 2.20

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