It may be too late to change your Easter break holiday destination, but one travel currency specialist has worked out the most expensive and cheapest taxi runs from Europe’s airports to the city centres.
No.1 Currency ranked journeys in pounds per km. The results revealed huge differences in price, with the cost of a round trip taxi from the airport adding as much as £140 onto the cost of a holiday or weekend break.
Ranking by £ per km, Copenhagen, in Denmark, is the most expensive airport-city centre taxi transfer in Europe. Although the journey by road from Copenhagen airport to the city centre is only 8km, the average fare registering on the meter is £33.33, which equates to £4.17 per km. That means a round trip will set travellers back almost £70.
The next most expensive taxi journey by £ per km is Geneva, in Switzerland, to the centre of Geneva. Again the journey is relatively short, only 6km, but will set holidaymakers back an average of £22.11 or £3.68 per km.
On price alone, the 46km taxi ride from Milan’s Malpensa airport to the city centre is the priciest, costing an eye-watering £70.25. That means a round trip will cost on average £140. Milan is closely followed by Oslo’s Gardermoen airport to the centre of Oslo, which will leave holidaymakers out of pocket by the princely sum of £67.77 or just over £135 to and from the airport.
The following table shows the most expensive taxi rides, ranked by £ per km, from European airports to capital or major city centres:
Location
Airport
Distance from airport to city centre (km)
Average cost of taxi one way(in £)
Cost of taxi(£ per km)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen
8
33.33
4.17
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva
6
22.11
3.68
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels
12
28.93
2.41
London, UK
Heathrow
24
57
2.38
Amsterdam, Holland
Schiphol
18
37.19
2.07
Paris, France
Charles de Gaulle
23
37.52
1.63
Munich, Germany
Munich
31
49.59
1.60
Madrid, Spain
Barajas
13
20.66
1.59
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona
13
20.46
1.57
Vienna, Austria
Vienna
16
24.79
1.55
Milan, Italy
Malpensa
46
70.25
1.53
Oslo, Norway
Gardermoen
45
67.77
1.51
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin
14
20.70
1.48
East European cities are not surprisingly some of the cheapest place to visit when it comes to the cost of taking a taxi from the airport. Sofia airport to the centre of Sofia, will set you back just £2.12 for the 10km journey, or £0.21 per km. While, Bucharest’s Otopeni Airport to Bucharest central is just £4.67 or £0.27 per km for the 17km taxi ride.
In terms of price per km, a taxi ride from Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport to the centre of Istanbul is actually the best value, with the 25km trip costing an average of £4.65 or £0.19 per km.
Although Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport is 43km from the city centre, the average taxi fare is £31.51, working out at just £0.73 per km. While Reykajvik’s Keflavik International Airport is 48km from the centre, but the average taxi fare is £42.73, which works out at just £0.89 per km.
The following table shows the cheapest taxi rides, ranked by £ per km, from European airports to capital or major city centres:
Location
Airport
Distance from airport to city centre (km)
Average cost of taxi one way(in £)
Cost of taxi(£ per km)
Istanbul, Turkey
Atatürk Airport
25
4.65
0.19
Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia Airport
10
2.12
0.21
Bucharest, Romania
Otopeni Airport
17
4.67
0.27
Stockholm, Sweden
Arlanda Airport
43
31.51
0.73
Warsaw, Poland
The Frederic Chopin International Airport
10
7.94
0.79
Moscow, Russia
Sheremetyevo Airport
16
15.23
0.95
Reykjavik, Iceland
Keflavik International Airport
29
25.13
0.87
Lisbon, Portugal
Portela Airport
48
42.73
0.89
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest Ference Liszt International Aiport
16
14.88
0.93
Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb Airport
16
15.23
0.95
Simon Phillips, Head of Retail for No1. Currency, says: “Our research reveals there is a wide variation in the cost of a taxi depending on which European city you’re visiting. Even though the pound is almost 3% stronger against the euro compared to 12 months ago, this is still an extra cost that could make a large dent in your holiday budget if you’re not careful or prepared.
“If the airport to city centre taxi ride is particularly expensive, like in Milan, then taking the bus or train may be the better or only option so it’s worth checking out the local transport system in advance. Alternatively, you might be able to book a taxi before you travel, which could work out significantly cheaper than flagging down a taxi outside the airport.”