Avoid Being Stranded At The Airport

You’ve got your one checked bag and carry-on in hand, you head to the airport exit ready to take on the destination, but once outside, you learn the city is an hour and a half away. Oops.

This happens to the best of us, but it only takes one time before you learn a few basic ways to prepare for that first moment of your trip.

1. It starts with planning.

Look up where the airport or bus terminal is and have a rough idea of where you’re heading after. If you’re going straight to a hotel, give the hotel a call or send an email asking for the best mode of transportation. Oftentimes, they offer a pick-up service, which can be the most stress-free way to end a 12-hour travel day. If you’re just there for a day and want to find the best bowl of pho, get a rough idea of where that might be and pick a landmark to start.

2. Do some research.

Google “cab fares from airport to X location.” Most places are well documented and will give recommendations for reasonable cab fares or better ways to travel — i.e. rickshaw, bus, tuk tuk.

3. Be flexible.

The best part about traveling is that you can plan and plan and something will still go wrong. You could get in at midnight with no cabs or have a last-minute landing issue and end up at Gatwick instead of Heathrow or JFK instead of La Guardia. These things happen. Ask around, don’t be afraid to talk to locals and stay calm. You know where you’re going ,so they’ll be able to help direct you toward the late-night transport or the quickest way to get back to your original arrival destination.