Hi there, world travelers!
We're about to continue our airport adventure,
so let's conclude our arrival process!
We're going to talk about leaving the airport.
If you are visiting family or friends,
there's a chance they might pick you up at the airport.
If you've arranged it, or course.
But, if you don't,
then you need to find the best way to leave the airport!
To be honest,
planning is one of my favorite things, especially after a long flight.
So, my advice to you is:
Now, I say this because the means of transportation you choose
will depend on the distance you need to go,
how much money you have,
how much you're willing to spend on transportation,
and how tired you are.
The order of importance is entirely up to you,
the reason why I say this
is because sometimes you need to change buses or subway lines.
So, the money spent on a taxi ride may start to seem irrelevant.
The option that will give you the most independence is to rent a car,
it's obviously more expensive than taking the bus,
and you'll need to plan some extra costs on your budget, considering:
But, the upside is that you'll be fully independent.
So, there are two ways you can rent a car:
You can make an online reservation for pick up at the airport,
you can rent directly at the airport.
Have I told you I like planning?
Yeah... Well, if you make an online reservation,
you'll certainly find better deals and a better choice of cars.
Then, you just pick up the car when you get to the airport!
If it is a last-minute decision,
you can rent a car directly at the dealership located at the airport.
In Orlando, you can actually walk from the arrival gate to some dealerships.
But that won't happen everywhere, ok?
If you cannot walk up to the dealership, follow these signs:
They'll take you even to the car rental dealership,
or to the shuttle buses or the train that'll take you there.
What if you can't find it or you get confused by the signs?
You can ask for information!
Once you get there, you'll choose your car,
present the necessary documents and pick up your ride.
But, in case you don't want to drive,
there are plenty of public transportation options to choose from.
You can also come across the expression "ground transportation".
Every airport will have a few of these options to choose.
Before anything, check with your hotel if they offer any hotel shuttle service.
If so, it's free and you're good to go!
In this case just follow this sign at the airport!
If they don't, there are usually shuttle buses
or shuttle vans that drop passengers off
at the main hotels in the city.
All you have to do is find the shuttle service counter and ask:
They'll tell you if they do or not.
If they do, then you can ask about the price.
The price will vary according to where you are.
In Orlando, for example,
a one-way trip ticket from the airport to your hotel
will cost you, on average, 20 bucks.
But if you decide to purchase a round trip,
in which case you pay in advance for your return ticket as well,
you get a little better of a deal.
You can pay a little bit less, too!
Shuttle buses are a good option,
but they're not as cheap as local buses.
Local buses are probably the cheapest option.
In some cities you can go all the way from the airport to the hotel,
for little as two dollars.
The only problem is that they probably won't drop you off right at your hotel door.
You'll get off at bus stop,
which can only be a few blocks away from your hotel.
But when you're carrying a lot of luggage,
that might be a bit annoying.
But if you only have a little luggage and want to save some money,
go for it!
Stop by the information desk at the airport,
to ask about your options and the itineraries.
There, you can ask:
You can also ask for the price:
In some cities, you cannot give cash to the bus driver.
They'll either have a ticket machine by the bus stop,
or you have to get a travel card.
In other cities, the driver even takes your money,
but they don't carry change.
So, if the bus fare is US$2.50,
you should give him exactly US$2.50
But you can also ask about that at the information that.
The local busses will take you to the train stations,
in some countries there are train and subway stations by the airport.
These means of transportation are good to escape traffic.
In rush hour, it gets pretty crowded,
but you'll probably get to your destination much faster.
But then, once again, you get off at a subway station.
and you may have to walk a few blocks carrying your luggage to get to your hotel.
If you like comfort and exclusive transport
for a price that's not so expensive,
you can go for ride-sharing services.
Most airports have pickup zones nearby,
but if you don't have a local SIM card,
you might have trouble connecting to the internet,
as the wireless connection might be restricted to the airport lobby.
If you want to give it a try and you're willing to wait for the car,
get your cell phone and request it through the app.
But let's say you're tired after a long trip,
and you don't want to wait for a car.
You just want to get to your hotel comfortably
as fast as possible.
Well, then the taxi is your choice.
Taxis are available at the arrival hall of every airport,
and they're probably the most expensive choice.
Here's some sentences you can use when approaching a taxi driver:
They'll take you where you want for a fairly high fare.
At the end of the ride, the driver will tell you the price.
Now, bear in mind that the US has a tipping culture,
which means that you must tip drivers, bellboys,
and waiting staff at restaurants, for example
Tipping in the US is 15% or 20% on top of the final fare.
So, if the driver tells you the ride cost you US$50,
you're supposed to pay US$50 plus 15%.
In this case, you'll pay something like US$58.
Then you can hand over US$60 in bills and say:
Tipping is a serious thing in the US guys, no joke.
Pay attention to it, because people really expect to get that little extra cash.
You'll be frowned upon in case you fail to tip.
See guys? There are many transportation options available.
All you have to do is choose the best option for you
and enjoy your trip.
Well, that's it for now!
We'll speak again when I'm back to tell you a bit
about the way back home.
Don't forget to do the follow up activities, ok?
See ya!