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NINOY Aquino International Airport which is also known as Manila International Airport is an international airport serving Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area. Those who travel to the Philippines have an important status as the airport is officially the only airport in the Manila region. The airport is named after Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr. who was assassinated at the airport in 1983 and in 2015 more than 36 million passengers visited the airport. Founded in 1937 and consisting of four terminals, NINOY Aquino International Airport offers direct flights between destinations in Asia, Oceania, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
Getting to the City Center from Ninoy Aquino Intl. Airport
Known as the biggest city in the Philippines, Manila is a metropolis in the Metro Manila region that is composed of many different provinces. Malate, one of the sixteen towns that make up Manila, hosts hotels. While Ermita is the most frequent destination for tourists and entertainment, Intramuros is the historical part of the city. San Miguel and Sampaloc are university districts, while Paco is the capital of the working class. Manila, known as the heart of the education, business and transportation in the Philippines, is a delightful choice for tourists with its forests and for its spectacular islands. Ninoy Aquino International Airport welcomes travelers who want to visit this city. In Manila, the most common vehicles used in urban transportation are the rail system and the bus. In addition, besides these most frequently used means of urban transportation, other older means of transportation such as phaetons, three-wheeled vehicles and mini-buses are also used. When you use public transport in the city, you can take advantage of single use tickets, or the special tickets that you can load money on. We advise you to buy these special tickets, especially if you travel frequently, so that you can save time avoiding the long ques to buy ticket every time. Most means of public transportation does not depart in time, so we advise you not to rely on the schedules. The public transport is mostly very cramped and full. For this reason, we recommend that you protect your valuables during your travels. You can also use taxis and bicycles and phaetons that serve as taxis to travel faster and practically. Since the city's main attractions are close to each other, it is possible to walk. In addition, there are ferryboats within the city that can be reached from many ports in the Port Area near the Pasig River. If you want to travel to neighboring cities, you can also take advantage of intercity bus and train services. One of the biggest problems of Ninoy Aquino International Airport is that the inter-terminal transportation is not very strong. Unlike many airports, you cannot reach the terminals of the airport, which has four terminals, on foot. To travel between the terminals you need to get buses and jeepneys, and pass through crowded streets. While Terminal 1 is used for international flights, Terminal 2 serves to flights of Philippine Airlines. Terminal 3 hosts domestic flights, while Terminal 4 hosts eligible flights and international flights rarely. Buses depart from the immediate exit of the arriving passenger section and take the passengers to many parts of the city. In some cases, you may need to transfer to a train, based on your destination. At some times the buses can be very crowded. Under normal conditions, different buses operate to different parts of the city; but some buses can change their route at certain times and travel through many parts of the city. These buses are going to Manila, as well as to the cities of Makati and Quezon. Besides, buses are among the frequently preferred options for urban transport. The bus lines offer an important public transport alternative, which is used to reach to the points where the train lines do not reach, serving the whole city. Land vehicles, which are called Jeepneys in the Philippines, can carry a large number of passengers and they are used as minibuses. Jeepneys, which are usually very crowded, are the most popular public transport services in the country. These have gained a traditional iconic character with their special decoration. You can use Jeepneys to reach many of the places you want to go in town. You can easily find Jeepneys near buses at the airport exit. These vehicles provide transportation services from the airport to many parts of the city, just in the case of buses. Train is a cheap, fast and practical means of public transport that is not affected by the traffic jam,. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remind that trains are as crowded as all other means of public transport. Trains, known as LRT (Light Rail Transit System), travel throughout the entire Metro Manila region, including Manila. Although it uses a light rail system, the infrastructure is quite similar to that of metro. The train lines do not provide a direct service to the airport. But you can transfer to these train lines from most buses and jeepneys coming from the airport. There are two different train lines in the light rail system. The green line, LRT 1, starts at Baclaran Station, in the southernmost part of city, and travels up to the Roosevelt Station, in the north of the city, following the road by the Manila Bay, in the west of the city. The blue line, LRT 2, runs parallel to the Pasig River, traveling to west from the east. This line provides transfer opportunity to green LRT and yellow MRT (metro) lines. Metro, just like train, does not provide a direct transport service to the airport. It is possible to transfer to the trains from buses and jeepneys departing from the airport. The Metro, known as the MRT (Metro Rail Transit System), operates similarly to the light rail system. The MRT line is known as the third (yellow) line. With this line, you can transfer to LRT 1 line at Roosevelt Station. This line connects to Taft Avenue Station, the southern tip of the green line, on the southernmost part of the city, starting from the North Avenue Station, which is the first stop after the transfer, and continuing to the south of the city in the east direction. In short, it is possible to say that LRT and MRT lines draw a circle around the city, being connected from the very center of this circle. PNR (Philippine National Railways), the orange line, is operating on the heavy rail system with a single carriage engine, called railcar. These vehicles depart every half an hour and are usually preferred for transportation between neighboring cities in Metro Manila region. The most comfortable option to get to the city from the airport is, of course, taxi. However, taxi fares are much higher compared to public transport. The airport taxis are usually yellow. These taxis, controlled by the center, have the authority to stop at the entrance of the airport. Apart from that, we recommend that you stay away from the taxis serving to the hotels in the city. These taxis can cost you much higher than the taxis you can find on the street. Make sure that the taximeter is working during your journey; the drivers who understand that you are foreigners can try to charge you over normal by not turning on the taximeter. The taxis known as Pedicab, bikes mounted in cabins for two, can be used for short distances. However, we recommend you not to take these without a local with you unless you are very obliged to, for your safety. Tricycles, the three-wheeled taxis, are a practical option for traveling to the areas where it is difficult to reach with public transport. Pedicab and Tricycle vehicles have stops in central areas of the city. If you do not want to spend time in the crowds of public transport and you will travel frequently, you can rent a car from the Rent a Car offices located at the airport or book your car online before your flight. However, we remind you that the traffic inside the city can sometimes be very cramped.Bus
Jeepney
Train (Light Rail System)
Metro
Railcar
Taxi
Car Rental
Getting to Ninoy Aquino Intl. Airport from the City Center
Situated in the Metro Marina District, composed of many cities, Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is the city with the largest population in the country. The city of Manila is divided into sixteen towns. These include Malate, the hotel district, the tourist-driven entertainment district Ermita, Intramuros reflecting the city's historic charm, San Miguel and Sampaloc with their universities, and Paco, which is predominantly the center of business. Manila is the most developed city in the Philippines, with regards to transportation, business and education. At the same time, Manila is a very pleasant choice for tourists with its green nature and unique islands.
This city is home to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. In Manila, the most commonly used means of public transportation within the city are rail system and buses. In addition to traditional means of urban transport, there are also public transportation systems peculiar to the Philippines, such as phaetons, three-wheel vehicles and minibuses. When you use public transport in the city, you can take advantage of single use tickets, or the special tickets that you can load money on.
We advise you to buy these special tickets, especially if you travel frequently, so that you can avoid the long ques to buy ticket every time. You can check the departure times of the vehicles from the internet, but we recommend that you do not depend on these hours too much. Buses usually do not stick to these schedules. At the same time, as public transportation vehicles are often crowded, it is useful to pay attention to your valuable goods during your trip. If you want to travel faster and more practically, you can also use taxis, and bicycles and phaetons that work like taxis. Since the tourist areas and entertainment venues in the city are close to each other, it is possible to reach some places by foot. In addition, you can travel to many different coastal cities in Metro Manila by the ferries that you can take from the port area near the Pasig River, located in the Manila Bay.
As an alternative to traveling to neighboring cities, you can also use intercity buses and train lines. More options are available in the city center to provide transportation to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is possible to reach the airport from various parts of the city by buses or Jeepneys, which are used as minibuses. There are also taxi or car rental options to access the airport. One of the most serious problems at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is that there is no regular connection between the terminals. There are four terminals in the airport, but the connection between them is provided by vehicles; a way that is not common in many other airports. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to which terminal you should get off when you travel to the airport. If you get off at the wrong terminal you may need to take a bus or Jeepney again. While Terminal 1 is used for international flights, Terminal 2 is reserved for the flights of Philippine Airlines. Terminal 3 is used for domestic flights and Terminal 4 is for eligible flights and, in some cases, international flights.
Bus
Buses, passing through many areas of the city, take the passengers to the stations at the exit of the arrival gates of the airport. You may need to transfer to a train, where the airport buses do not pass through. You should keep in mind that airport buses are very crowded during heavy traffic hours. The buses that go to the airport from the area where you are located usually change, and they travel around many parts of the city changing their routes, especially at busy times. Buses are one of the most preferred means of urban transport. Bus lines are an important public transport option throughout the city, especially for travelling to the points that trains cannot reach.
Jeepney
The land vehicles which have large capacities, called as jeepney, are used as a means of public transport. As with many public transports, Jeepneys can be overcrowded. Jeepney, the most popular public transportation system in the country, has also become a traditional symbol of the Philippines with its unique style of decoration. These vehicles provide transportation services to many of the areas you want to go in the city.
Train (Light Rail System)
If you want to use a cheap, fast and practical means of public transport that is not affected by the traffic jam, train is the best option. Nevertheless, trains are as crowded as all other means of public transport. Trains, known as LRT (Light Rail Transit System), travel throughout the entire Metro Manila region, including Manila. Although it uses a light rail system, the LRT lines are similar to the system that the metro uses. Although the train lines do not provide a direct service to the airport, most buses and jeepneys to the airport offer connections from these train lines.
There are two different train lines. The green line, LRT 1, starts at Baclaran Station, in the southernmost part of city, and travels up to the Roosevelt Station, in the north of the city, following the road by the Manila Bay, in the west of the city. The blue line, LRT 2, runs parallel to the Pasig River, traveling to west from the east, linking LRT 1 and MRT (metro) lines.
Metro
Metro does not provide a direct transport service to the airport, as in the case of the trains. It is possible to transfer to the buses to the airport from some metro stations. The Metro is known as the MRT (Metro Rail Transit System) and operates similarly to the light rail system. The MRT line is known as the third (yellow) line, as the continuation of the LRT 1 and LRT 2 lines. With this line, you can transfer to LRT 1 line at Roosevelt Station. From the North Avenue Station, which is the first stop on this line, you can travel to the south of the city in the east direction, and transfer to Taft Avenue Station, the southern tip of the green line, on the southernmost part of the city. So the LRT 1 and MRT lines draw a circle around the city and the LRT 2 line connects these two lines, from the very center of this circle.
Railcar
The heavy rail system operating with a single carriage engine, called railcar, is also known as the orange line, PNR (Philippine National Railways), among the rail systems in the Philippines. These vehicles depart every half an hour and are usually preferred for transportation between neighboring cities in Metro Manila region.
Taxi
In the Philippines, all means of public transportation are crowded; this is why it cannot be said that public transport provides a fast and comfortable transportation service. For this reason, taxis are one of the most comfortable options for airport transportation from the city. However, taxi fares are very high compared to public transportation. Taxis that are especially serving to the hotels can charge higher fares compared to ordinary taxis, so we advise you not to trust the taxis in general. Especially drivers who do not open the taximeter can charge much more than normal fare.
In addition to the standard taxis, there also taxis known as Pedicabs; these are bikes mounted in cabins for two. These are much more affordable than standard taxis, but they usually work at short distances and their safety can be questioned. So these do not offer a convenient option to go to the airport.
If you are in a region where you are having difficulty reaching public transport, you can also use three-wheeled taxis, called Tricycle. Tricycle and Pedicab vehicles have stations in the city center. If you wish, you can use these to get to the city center, and continue your trip from here by transferring to other vehicles.
Car Rental
Another option for quick and practical transportation to the airport is renting a car. Especially if you are going to spend time in the city before going to the airport, we recommend you to rent a car. It is possible to find a car from the Rent a Car offices located in the city center. You can also reserve your car online in advance. However, we remind you that the traffic inside the city can sometimes be very cramped.
Airport Information
Ninoy Aquino International Airport is an airport serving not only to Manila, but to all cities in Metro Manila region. Known as the largest airport in the Philippines, Ninoy Aquino cannot please its passengers in terms of service provided.
The fact that it is not possible to travel between the terminals on foot can lead to serious troubles in transportation. In addition, due to organizational shortcomings, flight annulations and delays are frequent. Within the airport, each terminal has ATMs and machines to exchange money. In Terminal 1, which is also used for international flights, there are two duty-free shops where you can find quality favors, as well as many cafes, restaurants and bars.
Passengers who plan to fly domestically within the Philippines can spend time in a large four-storey shopping mall linked to Terminal 3 while they are waiting for their flight.
