Bkk-manila

[sutnyod]

Hi,

I am travelling to Manila. How is the airport taxi service there organised? Same as in Bkk? Any taxi-meters?

[Carmine6]

Hi,

I am travelling to Manila. How is the airport taxi service there organised? Same as in Bkk? Any taxi-meters?

Organized scams from my limited experience. 4 trips to and from and the meter fare was I think about 120 pesos. However starting from the airport the fare was 450 pesos. Even walking out from the airport to try to flag down one knocked the fare only down to 350 pesos but one extra stop included. One honest taxi driver charged the meter to the airport. The last trip to the airport the guy wanted 500 pesos and I was so ready to leave the country I said fine.

Edit: Forgot to actually help you. The taxi area is in the building accross from the terminal. You cross the road right outside the terminal and then enter the building. The meeting area past the road that runs through that building is split up into different alphabet meeting areas so that you don't have to look through the whole crowd to find people meeting you.

But the taxis are also in that area so you can go to the small desk and they'll give you some slip.

Edited August 21, 2007 by Carmine6

[sutnyod]

But the taxis are also in that area so you can go to the small desk and they'll give you some slip.

Thanks a lot. So that would be a similar system to the taxi in front of the airports here, right? You queue up, get a slip that you give to the driver and are charged a little extra?

[trajan]

I just did this a few weeks ago....(and have done it 3 times so far this year)....

when you pass customs and then walk out of the small arrivals hall, there are two areas for taxis.

The first area is immediately across the small driveway (and the second area is a tad farther (and out of sight) which requires to you walk down a small ramp to the greeting zone)......

because the first area is within first sight of arriving passengers, it is usually more crowded...with waiting times for taxis .....therefore, I usually walk pass it to the second area which is not as crowded...

when you arrive at the second area there is a GIANT billboard with all of Manila divided into zones (and a schedule of fees).......I remember that the trip to the new Hyatt Hotel and Casino (not to be confused with the old Hyatt on Roxas Blvd) was in the Ermita area (designated as Manila 2 Zone?) and cost 520 pesos (about Baht 380)....

at the counter, you state your destination and name (and they give you a slip and verbal instructions to directly pay the fixed fare to the driver)....they ask you to sign the slip

the taxi was a large jeep-type taxi....(overkill for me and my carry-on)......

the driver will then drive you to another counter area in the public parking zone, where they temporarily take your slip and take your money and then return your slip and then you are on your way to your hotel... at the destination, the driver asks you to again sign the slip....

LOTS of bureaucracy....Bangkok is much easier.....

(when I left, the trip from the hotel to back to the airport was in a regular metered taxi and cost only 120 pesos).....

PLEASE PLEASE during your stay in Manila, do not pay more than the metered price in a regular taxi (plus a small tip if they helped with luggage),....if you do, you are just encouraging the dishonest ones (and penalizing the honest ones who immediately use their meter without an argument)...there are THOUSANDS of taxis in Manila...

(god...LOTS of people on this forum chronically whine and whing about everything in Bangkok....Bangkok's not utopia, but they have apparently not worked or lived in nearby Manila (if you are at all familiar with Manila-outside of a tiny triangle in Makati, you know what I mean).....so their whining and whinging about Bangkok loses alot of credibility....)

Edited August 21, 2007 by trajan

[jbaldwin]

Nearly all hotels will provide pick up services. Using these cuts out all the problems with Airport Taxis

[chinthee]

I always use hotel pick-up in Manila to avoid the unpleasantness, and the ride into Makati city if you're going for business can be quite long with traffic.

[trajan]

if the company is paying that's fine...if it on your own dime, for a hotel car, its like paying US20 for a ride between Emporium department store and Silom (if you are staying in the Ermita district in Manila ).....

[Carmine6]

I just did this a few weeks ago....(and have done it 3 times so far this year)....

when you pass customs and then walk out of the small arrivals hall, there are two areas for taxis.

The first area is immediately across the small driveway (and the second area is a tad farther (and out of sight) which requires to you walk down a small ramp to the greeting zone)......

because the first area is within first sight of arriving passengers, it is usually more crowded...with waiting times for taxis .....therefore, I usually walk pass it to the second area which is not as crowded...

when you arrive at the second area there is a GIANT billboard with all of Manila divided into zones (and a schedule of fees).......I remember that the trip to the new Hyatt Hotel and Casino (not to be confused with the old Hyatt on Roxas Blvd) was in the Ermita area (designated as Manila 2 Zone?) and cost 520 pesos (about Baht 380)....

at the counter, you state your destination and name (and they give you a slip and verbal instructions to directly pay the fixed fare to the driver)....they ask you to sign the slip

the taxi was a large jeep-type taxi....(overkill for me and my carry-on)......

the driver will then drive you to another counter area in the public parking zone, where they temporarily take your slip and take your money and then return your slip and then you are on your way to your hotel... at the destination, the driver asks you to again sign the slip....

LOTS of bureaucracy....Bangkok is much easier.....

(when I left, the trip from the hotel to back to the airport was in a regular metered taxi and cost only 120 pesos).....

PLEASE PLEASE during your stay in Manila, do not pay more than the metered price in a regular taxi (plus a small tip if they helped with luggage),....if you do, you are just encouraging the dishonest ones (and penalizing the honest ones who immediately use their meter without an argument)...there are THOUSANDS of taxis in Manila...

(god...LOTS of people on this forum chronically whine and whing about everything in Bangkok....Bangkok's not utopia, but they have apparently not worked or lived in nearby Manila (if you are at all familiar with Manila-outside of a tiny triangle in Makati, you know what I mean).....so their whining and whinging about Bangkok loses alot of credibility....)

I agree. The taxi situation all by itself was so annoying that I'd rather not ever go to the Philippines again.

About traffic in Manila, there's a day of the week that is horrendous. I think it's Wednesday. No one explained it clearly, but there is some kind of weekly event that results in way more people on the road than normal. The airport area up through Makati is a parking lot. It probably extends out from there as well.

[sutnyod]

PLEASE PLEASE during your stay in Manila, do not pay more than the metered price in a regular taxi (plus a small tip if they helped with luggage),....if you do, you are just encouraging the dishonest ones (and penalizing the honest ones who immediately use their meter without an argument)...there are THOUSANDS of taxis in Manila...

Back! Thanks very much especially for this piece of advice. After arriving at the airport (back from Manila) I felt so relieved that I wanted to shower the driver with all my cash and other worldly belongings. My god, what a drive/r!!!! However, I gave him a tip, because he was helpful with the luggage as well (apart from dropping us off more or less alive) ;-)

On the other hand: I fail to see your logic: if I don't tip an honest driver, wouldn't that encourage him to turn dishonest?

edit: typo

Edited August 27, 2007 by sutnyod

[siam2007]

it should be said that the airport has several terminals, quite far away from each other. i arrived at the old international one (not the newer one which is only being used by PAL), and there the taxi-limousine-counter was just 10 meters outside the exit doors. paid 500 PHP for 7 Kilometers to malate, which indeed is a rip-off. and then the driver still tried to convince me that the hotel I booked was not a good choice and I should go somewhere else. this was even more annoying, because I booked the expensive limousine to avoid EXACTLY THIS and be on the safe side.

apart from that, i never had any problems with taxis in manila. they all used the meter except one, but he yelled at me "200 Pesos" when I told him where I want to go , and then I just didnt hop-on and waited for the next.

and in cebu's ferry docks I paid a 120 Pesos flat rate, with Meter would have ben around 80 PHP only, but difficult to find someone there who is willing to use the meter for short distances within downtown area.

again I had to realize that bangkok's Taxis are SMOOTH PUSSYCATS actually , compared to other places. KL suxxxxx even more than Manila..... but thats another story....