Taxi Fare From Cebu Airport And How Not To Get Ripped Off When Taking One.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Sorry Lee, your directions are a bit wrong and overly-complicated. Here's the simple version Arriving on an international flight

1. Having collected your bag, proceed to the exit where your claim tags will be checked.
2. Cross the road in front of you and take the ramp which is on your right to the upper level.
3. At the top of the ramp, there will be a door in front of you. This leads to the domestic pre-security lobby.
4. Once inside the lobby, veer left and go through the exit doors.
5. Outside the terminal building, turn left and walk approximately 70 metres to the taxi control point where you board your taxi.

Arriving on a domestic flight

1. Having collected your bag, proceed to the exit where your claim tags will be checked.
2. Turn left on exiting the arrivals hall and walk briskly past the taxi touts and through the barrier ahead of you.
3. Turn left and cross the road.
4. Take the steps (2 metres to your right) up to the taxi control point where you board your taxi.

Simple innit!

I agree, these directions are simpler (no offense, Lee). The 1st directions had me totally confused. I've only been there twice but I don't remember it being that complicated. I plan to be there 2nd week of Feb and I'll give it a try. Thanks!

The only place that any tags were checked for me were at Davao airport,never in Cebu?? anyone else had their luggage tags checked??

I've had my luggage tags checked everytime

Maybe I have just forgotten, I always arrive early in the afternoon. Anyway will find out in March.

[Jollygoodfellow]

They always take our luggage tags before we leave the terminal but I have never arrived midnight before, so I do not know if they collect them that late and maybe that is why some say yes and some say no.Mike B and the rest of the members, sorry if my directions were not clear but once you get to the airport then you should easily understand them. The departure building is higher than the arrival building and you will be facing the back of the departure building when walking out of the arrival building, so you have to get upstairs and around to the front of the departure building to catch a taxi, who would be dropping someone off to depart. The only problem may be if you arrive very late and there are no more departing flights and that was why I said to go to the left and not the right. Down to the left is where all the standard taxis congregate and sit and wait to be called by the dispatcher in the terminal, so they will yell to you "taxi sir or ma'am" and you can reply with how much to (where you are going), or just meter lang (meter only) to cut it short and if they say yes, then you can take one of those taxis. Hope that is easier to understand for everyone?

Can I just verify from someone who speaks the language,I was of the understanding the correct words are Metro Lang not meter lang.Anyone correct me one way or another??

[MikeB]

They always take our luggage tags before we leave the terminal but I have never arrived midnight before, so I do not know if they collect them that late and maybe that is why some say yes and some say no.Mike B and the rest of the members, sorry if my directions were not clear but once you get to the airport then you should easily understand them. The departure building is higher than the arrival building and you will be facing the back of the departure building when walking out of the arrival building, so you have to get upstairs and around to the front of the departure building to catch a taxi, who would be dropping someone off to depart. The only problem may be if you arrive very late and there are no more departing flights and that was why I said to go to the left and not the right. Down to the left is where all the standard taxis congregate and sit and wait to be called by the dispatcher in the terminal, so they will yell to you "taxi sir or ma'am" and you can reply with how much to (where you are going), or just meter lang (meter only) to cut it short and if they say yes, then you can take one of those taxis. Hope that is easier to understand for everyone?

Can I just verify from someone who speaks the language,I was of the understanding the correct words are Metro Lang not meter lang.Anyone correct me one way or another??

I have heard and read that the correct version is "metro na lang" but since I don't quite speak fluent Cebuano (or Tagalog) I stick to English.JMHO, but I don't think it makes a bit of difference if you say that or "meter please"; they're either going to use it or not. Besides they can agree to use the meter and, when you are pulling away from the airport, start telling you about extra charges because it's dark, or too far, or some other bs, which is exactly what happened to me the last time I took one from the Manila airport - 250p because "it's far". Isn't that the purpose of the meter? He ended up getting exactly what the meter said, no extra charge, and a very small tip - after I retrieved all my luggage from his cab. If they're honest and decent to me I always overtip to a fault, as do almost all foreign visitors, and they are well aware of that. Not being taking advantage of is more about being direct and acting like you know what you're doing and where you're going - even if you don't.

[Jollygoodfellow]

They always take our luggage tags before we leave the terminal but I have never arrived midnight before, so I do not know if they collect them that late and maybe that is why some say yes and some say no.Mike B and the rest of the members, sorry if my directions were not clear but once you get to the airport then you should easily understand them. The departure building is higher than the arrival building and you will be facing the back of the departure building when walking out of the arrival building, so you have to get upstairs and around to the front of the departure building to catch a taxi, who would be dropping someone off to depart. The only problem may be if you arrive very late and there are no more departing flights and that was why I said to go to the left and not the right. Down to the left is where all the standard taxis congregate and sit and wait to be called by the dispatcher in the terminal, so they will yell to you "taxi sir or ma'am" and you can reply with how much to (where you are going), or just meter lang (meter only) to cut it short and if they say yes, then you can take one of those taxis. Hope that is easier to understand for everyone?

Can I just verify from someone who speaks the language,I was of the understanding the correct words are Metro Lang not meter lang.Anyone correct me one way or another??

I have heard and read that the correct version is "metro na lang" but since I don't quite speak fluent Cebuano (or Tagalog) I stick to English.JMHO, but I don't think it makes a bit of difference if you say that or "meter please"; they're either going to use it or not. Besides they can agree to use the meter and, when you are pulling away from the airport, start telling you about extra charges because it's dark, or too far, or some other bs, which is exactly what happened to me the last time I took one from the Manila airport - 250p because "it's far". Isn't that the purpose of the meter? He ended up getting exactly what the meter said, no extra charge, and a very small tip - after I retrieved all my luggage from his cab. If they're honest and decent to me I always overtip to a fault, as do almost all foreign visitors, and they are well aware of that. Not being taking advantage of is more about being direct and acting like you know what you're doing and where you're going - even if you don't.

In my experience once telling them that I want the meter it has been used,the only time that a driver complained about it was when l was going to Matcan after a late night,the solution for me was to tell him to pull over and let me out,problem solved immediately and we went on our way with my lecture about if taxi drivers do the right thing by a foreigner they will usually get a tip.He did get a good tip from me as I know it was very late and a long way from the city,a few nights later I got the same driver who remembered me and where I was going.All was good.

[Mr Lee]

Metro is the Cebuano word for meter but since most Filipinos now speak half and half and use quite a bit of English in their sentences, meter lang is quite common, and besides most Cebuano's that I know use it as well. Either will work but I think it is a lot easier to use the word meter for a speaker of English rather than to remember to replace it with the word metro and especially when tired after a long flight. It is up to you all which you find easier but the main reason that I tell people to use some Cebuano, is because it has been my experience that the drivers would know that you are not a newbie and will be less likely to try to take advantage of you. I understand many words when spoken slowly but digging them out of my mind to speak them is another story. :AddEmoticons04230:

[tropicalwaste]

of the arrivals from the other side of the road facing the exit doors. Where I am standing is the ramp you want to head up into the DEPARTURES area for a cheaper taxi.

[MikeB]

of the arrivals from the other side of the road facing the exit doors. Where I am standing is the ramp you want to head up into the DEPARTURES area for a cheaper taxi.

The old adage is "a picture is worth a thousand words". That is awesome. Many thanks!

[tropicalwaste]

of the arrivals from the other side of the road facing the exit doors. Where I am standing is the ramp you want to head up into the DEPARTURES area for a cheaper taxi.

The old adage is "a picture is worth a thousand words". That is awesome. Many thanks!

No worries Mike i do lots of these mini videos to make life easier

[Mr Lee]

of the arrivals from the other side of the road facing the exit doors. Where I am standing is the ramp you want to head up into the DEPARTURES area for a cheaper taxi.

Great video. One thing I think should be mentioned is, if a person comes in late at night (early in the morning after midnight) then they might want to head in the direction the people were waiting and continue on because at the end is where a lot of white taxis wait and going behind where the camera man was filming from would also bring a person up to the departure area but the last time we were there early in the morning (1:30 AM) there were no taxis up on that side, so you would then have to walk all the way down to the other side anyway. In the daytime I think either would work and to the right is shorter and may be better than my way.

[Sampaguita]

Metro is the Cebuano word for meter but since most Filipinos now speak half and half and use quite a bit of English in their sentences, meter lang is quite common, and besides most Cebuano's that I know use it as well. Either will work but I think it is a lot easier to use the word meter for a speaker of English rather than to remember to replace it with the word metro and especially when tired after a long flight. It is up to you all which you find easier but the main reason that I tell people to use some Cebuano, is because it has been my experience that the drivers would know that you are not a newbie and will be less likely to try to take advantage of you. I understand many words when spoken slowly but digging them out of my mind to speak them is another story. :SugarwareZ-034:

Yeah, what Lee said.