Costly Car Rides

In Travel Insider (“A Ride That Isn’t Much Costlier Than Cab Fare,” Dec. 27), Douglas S. Heller writes about using a private car service to go to and from the airport at major cities, comparing the availability and prices at several major airports around the world. These services are almost never cost-effective for business travelers, let alone the cost-conscious leisure traveler.

Interestingly, he starts off with an example using Narita airport in Tokyo, describing a trip in which he used a private car for the 90-minute trek into the city, but doesn’t mention how much it cost him. I bet it cost at least a hundred bucks. By contrast, the Narita Express is a perfectly civilized way to get to the city in a fast, modern train that gets you to the Tokyo station in less than 90 minutes and costs about $30, a bargain by Tokyo standards.

Cabs in New York can be pretty bad, but I have found many car services to be not much better, and they charge a minimum of $48, plus a mandatory tip and tolls. If you go with a discount car service, watch out. You get what you pay for.

CHRIS F. NORDSTROM

La Verne, Calif.