Airport Transit Guide

Sometimes the hardest part of a trip is figuring out how to get from the airport to downtown. Here’s some basic information for a sampling of major airports, adapted from Salk International’s 2000 Airport Transit Guide. The booklet, listing hundreds of airports, is available from Magellan’s Travel Catalog, telephone (800) 962-4943, Internet https://www.magellans.com; $9.95. Sample pages can be seen via Internet, https://www.airporttransitguide.com.

Another useful resource is https://www.quickaid.com/airports.

Caution: These data are the sort that can change without notice.

CHICAGO, O’Hare International Airport.

Taxi: $28 to $33; share-a-cab, $15.

Shuttle/coach: Continental Airport Express to downtown hotels; fare, $17. Information, tel. (312) 454-7800.

Train: CTA Blue Line train from terminal inside O’Hare (follow rail-car signs) direct to the Loop (downtown); fare, $1.50. Often faster than cabs during rush hour; a good choice for travelers with carry-on luggage. Information, tel. (312) 836-7000.

HONOLULU, Honolulu International Airport.

Taxi: $15 to business district, $22 to $26 to Waikiki.

Shuttle/coach: Airport Express to Waikiki drops off at most hotels. Fare, $8. Information: tel. (808) 566-7333.

Bus: No. 19 or No. 20 to downtown and Waikiki. Fare, $1. Baggage must be small enough to place on lap or under seat.

LAS VEGAS, McCarran International Airport.

Taxi: Several companies. Fares run $9 to $18 to the Strip, $18 to $25 to downtown.

Shuttle: Several companies, stop at all major hotels. Fare, $3.75 to $5 to the Strip, $5.50 to $8 to downtown.

Bus: Fare, $1.

LONDON, Heathrow Airport.

For all public transit information: tel. 011-44-20-7222-1234.

Taxi: Fare to central London, 35 pounds ($60).

Shuttle (coach): Airbus A1 to Victoria Station, Airbus A2 to Russell Square, Euston Station; fare, 7 pounds ($12).

Train: Heathrow Express (15 minutes) to London Paddington Station; standard fare, 12 pounds ($21). Information on Internet: https://www.heathrowexpress.co.uk.

Underground: Heathrow terminals are stations on the Piccadilly Line. Moving walkways accommodate baggage carts to the Underground stations, but there may be stairs at some exits. Buy ticket at counter or from machine: 3.30 pounds ($5.65) to Piccadilly.

MEXICO CITY, Benito Juarez Airport.

Taxi: Fare to Zona Rosa, 95 pesos ($12). Buy trip ticket at Authorized Taxi Service booth in baggage claim area. Authorized cabs are white and yellow with an airplane logo. Authorities caution against using non-authorized cabs.

Shuttle: Hotel van service fare, 24 pesos ($3).

Train: Subway entrance is one block to left outside terminal, marked by an “M” on a pylon. Fare, 80 centavos (10 cents). Good choice for traveler with no more than a carry-on bag (no luggage). To Zona Rosa, take train to Pantitlan, change to Observatorio (Line 1), get off at Insurgentes.

NEW YORK, Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Airport transit information: tel. 800-AIR-RIDE (247-7433).

Taxi: Flat rate (one way only) from airport to Manhattan, $30 plus tolls.

Shuttle/coach: SuperShuttle to Manhattan ($12) or Gray Line Air Shuttle ($14) on demand. See Ground Transportation Information counter in terminal or use courtesy phone to arrange a ride.

NEW YORK, Newark International Airport.

Taxi: To Manhattan, $34 to $55 plus tolls; from Manhattan, $45 to $50 plus tolls.

Bus: Olympia Trails Express Bus to downtown Manhattan (World Trade Center) and midtown (Grand Central Terminal, 41st Street and Park Avenue, or Penn Station, 34th Street and 8th Avenue). Fare, $11. Information, tel. (212) 964-6233.

Gray Line Air Shuttle to Manhattan on demand; $14. See Ground Transportation Information counter in terminal or use courtesy phone to arrange a ride.

Airlink/NJ Transit No. 302 shuttle to Newark’s Penn Station for rail connections to Manhattan on NJ Transit (fare $2.50), Amtrak ($7) and PATH ($1). Shuttle fare, $4. Information: tel. (973) 762-5100.

OAKLAND, Oakland International Airport.

Taxi: To San Francisco, $25 to $30.

Train: Air-BART shuttle from center island outside terminal to BART station. Fare, $2 (use ticket machine inside terminal; drivers do not accept cash). BART fare to downtown San Francisco, $2.75 (use ticket machine). BART information, tel. (510) 465-BART. Bay Area Travel Information, tel. (510) 817-1717.

PARIS, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Roissy (CDG).

Taxi: 220 francs ($35) to Etoile (Arc de Triomphe), Place de la Concorde, Place de l’Opera; 220 to 250 francs ($35 to $40) to Left Bank.

Shuttle/coach: Air France coach from outside terminals. Fare, 60 francs ($9.50) to Etoile, 70 francs ($11) to Gare Montparnasse (TGV Atlantique).

Bus: Roissybus from terminals to Place de l’Opera, Metro and RER rail connection; fare, 45 francs ($7). Limited luggage space.

Train: Shuttle every seven minutes to RER B from outside terminals; a people mover also connects terminals to the station. Plentiful luggage space. First-class fare to Gare du Nord, 62.50 francs ($10).

France Rail’s CDG airport terminal allows passengers to go directly (bypassing Paris) by high-speed TGV trains to Lyons, Avignon, Nice and Lille, and through Paris to the Chunnel and points north, east and west. Information in the U.S.: tel. (800) 438-7245. Internet: https://www.raileurope.com.

ROME, Leonardo da Vinci Airport (Fiumicino).

Taxi: 70,000 to 80,000 lire ($36 to $42) to central Rome. Fiumicino Guide strongly advises using only licensed taxis with meters.

Train: Nonstop to Roma Termini; fare, 14,000 lire ($8).

SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco International Airport. Ground transport information, (800) SFO-008.

Taxi: about $32 to downtown, $40 to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Shuttle/coach: SFO Airporter to downtown hotels; fare, $11. Information: tel. (415) 495-8404.

Several firms operate door-to-door service on a prearranged basis from courtesy phones. Fare in the city, $8 to $21; to Marin County, $20 to $75. Reservations and information: Marin Door-to-Door, tel. (415) 457-2717; Xpress Shuttle, tel. (800) 4-SHUTTLE.

Bus: SamTrans No. 292 North to 1st Street at Mission terminal, downtown; fare, $1.10.

Train: SamTrans No. 3X bus to BART station; fare, $1.10. BART fare to downtown, $2.25.

SEATTLE, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Taxi: Downtown, $28 to $30.

Shuttle/coach: Gray Line Airport Express to downtown, stops at hotels; fare, $8.50. Information: tel. (206) 626-6088.

Shuttle Express door-to-door van service on demand; fare to downtown, $18. Courtesy phone is at travelers’ information center; information, tel. (206) 622-1424.

Bus: Metro No. 174/194 to downtown; fare, $1.75.

SYDNEY, Kingsford Smith Airport.

Taxi: Fare to city center, 16 to 20 Australian dollars ($11-$13).

Bus: No. 300 Airport Express to city center, 5.50 AUD ($3.65).

TOKYO, Japan, New Tokyo International Airport (Narita).

Taxi: Fare to downtown, a 90-minute to two-hour ride: 25,000 yen ($258).

Shuttle/coach: Airport Limousine Bus, 2,900 yen ($30) to Tokyo City Air Terminal and some hotels.

Train: From Keisei Station under Terminals 1 and 2, to Keisei Ueno Station: Skyliner Express, 1,920 yen ($20); purchase tickets at airport counter.

WASHINGTON, Dulles International Airport.

Taxi: $40 to $47 to downtown; for other destinations call Washington Flyer Taxi, (703) 661-8230.

Shuttle/coach: Washington Flyer bus to 16th and K streets N.W., stopping at some hotels; $16 one way, $26 round trip. Tel. (703) 685-1400. Super Shuttle van service, $20 to downtown. Tel. (703) 416-7873.

Train: Washington Flyer shuttle to West Falls Church Metro station, $8; Metro fare to downtown, $1.65.