Every since that crazy taxi ride from Narita Airport to the hotel in Tokyo in 2014, I check the cost of an airport taxi before I decide to take one.
In case you didn't know, Japan is expensive and Narita is faaaaar from the city.
In my "I-am-a-professional-watch-me-splurge" attitude of a time when I flew Business Class and stated at 5* hotels every week for work, I didn't even consider how much a taxi would cost. It was the most convenient option because, who wants to face Japan's train system head on after a long flight?
Boy did I get a rude awakening...when the meter kept climbing and settled on a $300 bill! π³
I learned a valuable lesson: Always do your research!
You can Google the cost of an airport taxi but if you want to know precisely, how much it will cost, use the local taxi hailing app to find out.
I would always download said app even if I don't plan to use it. It is a safety measure and a convenience back up plan.
If I get lost or end up far away from my hotel and don't feel like taking public transportation, or hailing a local taxi is a pain or required haggling (which I hate with passion), I order a cab.
But did you know that you don't have to be in country to use the app?
You can enter your pick up and drop off point on the app and get an estimate of the cost at that time. Do it at the time of your landing the day prior and you'll have a great estimate of the cost.
For example, I am checking the cost of a taxi ride from Narita Airport to our Tokyo hotel, see image below:
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As you can see, is 72km away and would cost 178 EUR / $200 right now.
Uber doesn't work in all locations so you need to download the local app to run these estimates, but I hope this will be helpful next time you decide on your airport transfers.
Updates from our tours
The beautiful cheetah and calf in Tanzania
Below is the list of 2025 tours that are still available, though some have only 1 or 2.
π = I will be on this tour; π· = A professional photographer accompanies this trip to take photos for you to share and keep
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