Bangalore taxi review: from airport to hotel, within city, from hotel to airport

Even though my trip to Bangalore was a short one, I took quite a number of taxis to different destinations. There are quite a few choices, and my feedback on my experience with them is below.

Mega cab: 

Good: Took this cab from airport to my hotel. Ride is smooth and good service (driver checks in to make sure you are comfy). 

Bad: However he took me to the wrong citadine (he heard citadel). I learnt that in India, always state the area you are going to, and name some landmarks. Confirm that the driver knows where he is going.

Verdict: Took me 45mins- 1hr to reach mu hotel, cost me 830 rupees + 120 rupees toll charge. Will still go with mega again, as it is most straightforward to take from the airport. 

Tuktuks

Good: Cheap, versatile

Bad: You will feel vulnerable; not for the faint-hearted.

Verdict: Best for short distance travel: 1-2km. Walking is possible, but the roads of Bengaluru are often tough. Its quite an experience trying to cross the road and navigate the broken, narrow sidewalks - also quite an experience taking a tuktuk!

Uber

Good: Took UberX around the city. Reliable,  comfy ride. Easy to hail with app. Transaction is automatically charged to your credit card.

Bad: I guess you have to ensure google maps bring you to the right place, because for more of the less touristy places, chances are it doesn't. Confirm with the party you are meeting what landmarks are near his place.

Verdict:

Really grateful theres uber. It would have been a hassle to direct the driver where I want to go. Uber drivers use GPS and hence. Price is very reasonable too!

Meru cab

Took this guy to the airport, I would have gone with an uber if not for the hotel guy who kindly volunteered to get a cab for me.

Good: This guy observes the speed limit. Even at times when he doesnt, the machine will prompt him to slow down. Reasonable comfort and price. 

Bad: Not the luxurious and comfy airport transfer ride you are expecting. *Swanky SUV with JW Marriott logo zooms past from my left as i'm writing this*

Verdict:

It took me 45 mins to reach the airport, cost me 920 rupees, including toll charges. I would not specifically request to take a meru, but wont mind to hop onto one if one happens to be around. 

Ola cab

The India version of uber. The hotel guy tried to call for one, but response is too slow and process too cumbersome. I'll go with uber for their responsiveness on their apps.

Other interesting tips:

Enjoy the scenery of cows hanging out on the roadside :)

Hope this is useful for you!

EUFASS


Read about my taxi ride to the hotel after landing at Bangalore at night here.

Bangalore airport; taxi to hotel when arriving at night

It is my first time to Bangalore, and due to some circumstances I took the night flight. I wasn't too sure of how to get a taxi to my hotel but I'll just follow the crowd, I thought. Of course, I came to that decision after an hour of researching and reading up forums to ensure that taxis are readily available and safe. 

Disclaimer

It is prudent to at least know the following:

- what is the approximate time and price to your destination

- how to take a prepaid taxi
- if not, the general directions to the taxi stand (you should get a sense whether it is inside or out of the airport, etc)

For Bangalore, I read that the taxi stand is in one corner and outside the building. And I confirmed on multiple sources that taxis are readily available, even at night. There are mixed reviews online, but the reliability of airport taxi service in Bangalore seems acceptable. So, I concluded there is no need to arrange for airport transfer from the hotel.

Directions to the taxi pickup point at Bangalore Airport

When I came out of immigration, there is an airport taxi counter, but it was very empty. Not very popular, I thought, as I clearly remembered seeing quite a number of foreigners on my flight. So i followed the crowd which took me to an airport taxi queue. You can follow the taxi signs in the airport and there are standing signs of airport taxi which you can follow; You wont missed it. The airport taxi has a nice logo and at the start of the queue there will be an usher. 

In the long line of people waiting for taxi, i was the only foreigner. Should be no problem, i thought, since so many locals are using this service.

Each taxi will carry the airport taxi logo, though they can be meru, mega or KSTDC. By sheer fate i hopped on to a mega cab.

The trip started at 80 INR ,and the driver will state that the 2nd meter started at 0. The meters will simultaneously jump at quite a fast pace. A short drive later, you will be asked to pay toll charge of 120 INR.

The ride was pretty smooth, but there is plenty of honking, even at night. Trucks drive alongside your taxi like how chopsticks line together. It was quite an experience. It took me 45mins- 1hr to reach my hotel, and cost $830 rupees with 120rupees toll charge.

Other things to note

Always confirm that the driver knows where you want to go. Their english is quite different , my driver brought me to citadel, instead of citadine.

Hope this post takes you safely from the Bangalore airport to your hotel. 

EUFASS