goingtoitaly

Thanks to everyone who has been helping me thus far with my trip planning! As my trip approaches (1 more week!) I am doing the final logistics planning and wanted to ask for some more advice regarding transportation to and from the airports in each city.

I know I have already been told that in BKK, taxis are plentiful and are the best way to get to the hotel/back. I am also traveling to Siem Reap, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and Denpasar Bali.

SR - I am assuming cabs will be pretty easy and the distances are pretty short?

Hanoi - I would think cab would be fine here too

KL - We are taking the Sky Bus from the aiport to KL Sentral, is a cab from there to our hotel (near KLCC) the best idea? Or the metro system? I know there is a train that gets us from KL Sentral to Raja Chulan but if a cab is easier and about the same price (2 people) then cab is preferred. I've read some not so great things about the KL metro system...Also, on our way back, we have a very early flight and are concerned we might miss the sky bus. In that case, how much would a cab from KLCC to the airport cost?

Bali - Again, I assume cab, but we need to get to Ubud. How much would that cost? And can we get from Ubud to Jimbaran pretty easily with a cab?

I guess my largest question is - how readily available and cheap are cabs in each of these cities? Also, is there anything I should know in order to not get ripped off by a cab? I read somewhere that one of these cities you have to make sure you go with the men in the yellow shirts (BKK maybe?) - is there anything else like that that I should keep in mind?

I read in a tripreport (barefootbeach) that she used a pre-paid taxi in Bali. Is that more expensive or just easier because you don't have to haggle with the cabbie?

Thanks for all of your help!

rhkkmk

if you are arriving in bkk for the first time after a very long flight i suggest that you take a lime, not a taxi for this first trip....you can get an AOT (airport authority) at many vendors right there both inside customs and outside---cost about 1000B but well worth it after a long flight....avoids all potential hastles with taxi drivers...

taxi to ubud---ask your hotel to send one for you---cost $10-25.... but if not, exit the baggage area and on the right is a taxi stand and pay flat fee---probably about the same price---maybe $15....

your trans from ubud is easy via taxi....lots of taxis along monkey forest rd in ubud....hire one the day before or ask the hotel to arrange one for you....very reasonable....


at K/L will you arrive at the new airport or at the low cost carrier (air asia) airport---they are 15 minutes apart at least....??? if air asia, go to the taxi desk in the lobby and they will sell you a voucher.....town is at least a 45 minute ride on highways...

at many asian airports people of all kinds will approach you as you leave baggage claim asking if you need transportation....ignor them all.....don't even respond to them.....go to the desks offering transportation.....

be suspect of flat fee transportation....know what it should cost....for instance 500B is often asked to go into bkk....that is really fair as a meter might be 300-450.... but 1000 is too much except for a limo...

kuluk

In regards to Bali taxis, in the southern areas like the airport, Jimbaran, etc, metered Blue Bird Taxis are the way to go. They are reasonably priced and no haggling. In Ubud, there are NO metered taxis, but there are always freelance drivers around in the areas around stores and restaurants. The freelance drivers can be hired for short trips from hotel to restaurant for example, or for entire days. It's best to hire a driver who is from the area where you are. eg, don't hire a driver from Jimbaran to take you around Ubud as they might not know all the side roads, etc. You do not need to pre-book tours or anything like that, they will usually try to take you to secret commission shops or restaurants.

Kathie

SR - very short cab ride. Some hotels will pick you up for free, others will charge an arm and a leg.

Hanoi, make your taxi arrangements inside; taxi is fixed price into the city.

KL - the train takes half the time of a taxi, and when we were last there was about the same price for two. We loved the train, and your hotel will be a short taxi ride from Sentral. www.kliaekspres.com/erlsb/default.aspx
Alternatively, if you want to live in the lap of luxury, look at the VIP service on that web page. It will put you on the train with bellmen to carry your luggage, whisk you off the train and into a waiting Mercedes and on to your hotel.

Bangkok - taxis are very easy. If you want luxury, one of the limo services will offer it at 3x the price of a taxi. Just depends on your budget.

marmot

In Bali, it's quite common for your resort to arrange to meet you at the airport and transport you to the resort. Often transport is included in the rate. So the first thing I would do is check with your Ubud resort and if it is included, and if it's not, ask what they would charge you for a pickup. For your first time in Bali, and especially at night, this is the most effortless anxiety free approach.

Lately the baggage handlers at the domestic area of Denpasar airport have been quite aggressive. I don't know if that's also the case in international. Has anyone had problems?

The porters hoard the carts and imply that they control the available carts which is not the case. My husband actually had to wrestle with a fellow who unilaterally took our bag off the carousel in order to force us to use his service.

I'm all for employing local people, but this amounts to intimidation and it's a bad trend.

goingtoitaly

Thank you for all of the information! This helps a lot. We leave tomorrow!!!

NeoPatrick

So, am I "crazy" if I take the sky train from BKK into the city -- staying at Centre Point Silom -- very close I think to the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station? It's only after a short trip for Hong Kong and arriving early in the afternoon. Although it's my first trip to Bangkok, it sounds simple enough. Isn't it?