Airport transfer: how to avoid scams and illegal taxis

The signs of an unauthorised taxi

If someone is waiting for you inside the terminal, before the exit, or approaches you in the car park offering a ride at a "fixed price" without showing a badge or company logo, in most cases they are not a legitimate operator. Another clear sign is the absent or switched-off meter: a driver who suggests "agreeing on a price" is almost always asking for more than the official fare.

Where to find the real fare before you get in

Many airports publish on their website the indicative or fixed fare for rides to the city centre, often in the transport section: checking it before you travel gives you a precise figure to use if the driver asks for more. Where there is an official taxi desk at the arrivals exit, staff assign the ride and often issue a receipt with the fare already calculated based on the destination zone.

Ride-hailing apps as a safety net

Uber, Bolt, Lyft or local apps show the price before you confirm the ride and record the route via GPS, which makes a detour or undisclosed surcharge almost impossible. At many airports, however, these apps cannot pick up passengers directly at the terminal: the pickup point shown in the app, usually in a car park area a few minutes' walk away, is often compulsory and separate from the traditional taxi queue.

What to do if an unauthorised driver won't let you go

If an unauthorised driver blocks your way, holds your luggage in the boot to make you pay more, or insists after you first refuse, the most effective reaction is to walk visibly back towards the terminal entrance and speak to the security staff or information desk: at most airports this is enough to make anyone operating outside the rules back down, because no unlicensed operator wants to attract security's attention.

Note or photograph from the airport website the estimated official fare for your destination before you leave: it is the only concrete argument you can use to contest an inflated request, rather than having to guess whether you are paying the right amount.