Airport Adventures: At Home and Away

Hotels.com launches its 2014 Airport Transportation Insider with commute distance, times and prices

TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2014 /CNW/ - Getting to or from the airport to your hotel, whether it's a domestic or international trip, can come with its own set of logistical challenges. Fortunately, the travel experts at Hotels.com™ have compiled a list of ground transportation options from major airports in 29 of the most popular cities globally* to the city center or main hotel zone.

"If getting to and from the airport feels like a struggle because of the expense or long travel time, it can easily put a damper on your vacation mood," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert at Hotels.com. "We want to help you choose the right form of ground transport for your budget and travel style, whether it be taxi or mass transit, so you can start and end your journey on a high note."

Canadian Airport Transport Overview

Affordability: With shorter distances to travel, the west coast proved to have the most affordable average taxi rates with Vancouver at $33 and Calgary at $40. The taxi's lower rates balance out the mass transit costs which are more than double that of Halifax ($4) and Toronto ($3).

Time: Vancouver and Calgary also has the shortest taxi and mass transit commutes from the airport, with an average of 40 minutes. This is followed closely by Montreal.

When looking at alternate forms of transportation, private car rates were considerably more expensive than taxis, with Calgary showing the biggest differences with an average cost of $75 – almost double the taxi fare. On the other hand, taxi apps were mostly consistent with regular taxis, excluding Montreal which showed average savings of $20 a ride.

City	Domestic Popularity Among Canadians*	Major Airport	Distance to City Centre (km)	Avg. Taxi Cost	Avg. Taxi Time	Avg. Mass Transit Cost	Avg. Mass Transit Time
Halifax	13	Halifax Stanfield International Airport	32.2 km	$60	40	$4	60
Toronto	1	Toronto Pearson International Airport	25.4 km	$55	50	$3	75
Montreal	2	Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport	20.8 km	$52	40	$8	45
Calgary	5	Calgary International Airport	19.7 km	$40	40	$9	40
Vancouver	3	Vancouver International Airport	14.8 km	$33	40	$9	40

International Airport Transport Overview

Affordability: When venturing outside of Canada, travellers are able to find the most affordable transportation in Bogotá, Colombia, where average taxi prices are around $8. This is followed by Bangkok, Thailand at $9. These are the only two cities among those surveyed with average prices under $10. Both cities also offer low prices on mass transit at $1 and $2, respectively. Other cities with economical mass transit include Mexico City ($1), Buenos Aires, Argentina ($1) and Singapore ($2).

On the other end of the spectrum is Tokyo, Japan with steep taxi and mass transit rates of $214 and $27. This is followed by the most popular destination for Canadians outside of North America, London, England, where average taxi rates passed the $100 mark at $122 and mass transit came in at an even $10 – the fourth most expensive internationally.

Time: Sydney, Dublin and Singapore offer the shortest taxi commutes, while Germany's capital, Berlin, has the shortest mass transit time with an average of 20 minutes.

Private car rates were almost double regular taxi costs in destinations like Singapore ($53), Bangkok ($31) and Sydney ($79), whereas taxi app rates varied by city. In Seoul and Rome the app rates were significantly higher than taxis, but in Paris and London the apps provided great value.

City	International Popularity Among Canadians*	Major Airport	Distance to City Centre (km)	Avg. Taxi Cost	Avg. Taxi Time	Avg. Mass Transit Cost	Avg. Mass Transit Time
Tokyo	20	Narita International Airport	70.8 km	$214	60	$27	55
London	3	London Heathrow	24.1 km	$122	60	$10	60
Paris	4	Charles de Gaulle	30.6 km	$85	56	$17	48
New York City	1	John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport	24.1 km	$58	52	$8	50
Rome	10	Rome Fiumicino	25.7 km	$57	30	$6	55
Seoul	40	Incheon International Airport	57.9 km	$44	66	$4	56
Hong Kong	16	Hong Kong International Airport	40.2 km	$43	30	$4	40
Madrid	33	Madrid -Barajas	29 km	$42	30	$7	40
Sydney	Not among Top 50	Kingsford-Smith Airport	8 km	$39	25	$16	25
Buenos Aires	Not among Top 50	Buenos Aires -Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini	30.6 km	$38	60	$1	120
Dublin	29	Dublin	14.5 km	$35	25	$4	30
Berlin	36	Berlin Tegel	12.9 km	$34	30	$4	20
Taipei	Not among Top 50	Taoyuan International Airport	46.7 km	$33	42	$5	60
Rio de Janeiro	Not among Top 50	Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro - Galeão Antônio Carlos Jobim	19.3 km	$22	40	$6	66
Singapore	42	Changi Airport	17.7 km	$19	25	$2	60
Mexico City	Not among Top 50	Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez de la Ciudad de México	11.3 km	$18	40	$1	35
Beijing	49	Beijing Capital International Airport	30.6 km	$17	28	$5	61
Bangkok	31	Suvarnabhumi airport	27.4 km	$9	40	$2	85
Bogotá	Not among Top 50	El Dorado International Airtport	14.5 km	$8	20	$1	40

*Popular cities according to the latest Hotel Price Index.

Editors Note: Prices shown are in Canadian dollars and based on exchange rates of October 1, 2014. Prices were obtained from government mandated flat fees, public transportation sites or on average prices based on a survey of five companies per city. In cities with multiple airports, the airport with the most passengers served on a yearly basis was used. All prices were rounded to the nearest dollar.

About Hotels.com (http://www.hotels.com)

Hotels.com, L.P. operates Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca), a leading online accommodation booking website with over 365,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2014 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, Hotel Price Index, HPI, The Obvious Choice, and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50

Image with caption: "Simplify travel to and from the airport with the Hotels.com 2014 Airport Transportation Insider (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141125_C4194_PHOTO_EN_8453.jpg

SOURCE: Hotels.com

Press contacts: Lauren Wasley, energi PR for Hotels.com, Phone: [phone] ext. 19, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @energiPR; Taylor L. Cole, APR, Hotels.com North America, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Twitter: @TravelwithTLC