Public Transport - the expensive or cheap option!

Public transport is the alternative for those of you not wanting to brave the Tenerife highways and byways, driving yourself, and one option is to take a TAXI! (By the way, not all of them are white Mercedes. See if you can spot any exceptions to the rule during your stay.)

Now, you'd think that, as taxis are "public transport" - serving the public - there should be no problem, but it is an unfortunate fact that the blue-shirted Tinerfeño taxi driver tends to rip off anyone he believes to be a tourist. For your information I’ll put a list of correct fares below. Taxis now have a queuing area off to the right as you leave the airport terminal building. When a few flights arrive in quick succession, it is not unusual for there to be a shortage of taxis. Just like car hire, it is possible to book your taxi in advance, online.

Official list of charges

• 1.70 for flagging down during the day
• 2.10 for night time and festivals
• 0.40 callout charge
• 0.40 per kilometre
• 8.37 per hour (!) waiting time
• 0.40 extra for Los Cristianos harbour
• 0.35 bag charge (it's not clear if this is per bag, or for all luggage)

Just to give you some idea, a taxi from the airport to Los Cristianos/Las Américas should cost between 22 and 25 euros. For Golf del Sur, for example, we’re talking around 13 euros or just under. If you’re unfortunate enough to have to be taken all the way to Los Gigantes, the fare is a whopping 42 euros!

There is a leaflet called “Guia de Horarios” [ghee-a day oh-RA-rioss] at the airport (you can get one from the information booth next to arrivals). This has the approximate taxi fares to various island destinations, so if a problem arises, you can point out the correct fare in this official guide.

Remember that (most) taxis are spacious Mercs and some are estates. They should be able to take four adults, all with large suitcases. If you need anything bigger, there are minibuses available (ask for “un grande” [grand-ay]).

It is said that it pays you to ask how much the fare will be before you get in the taxi. The phrase “Cuanto por [your destination]” is a useful one. If you do still end up getting ripped off, console yourself with the knowledge that you’re not the only one!

BUSES - CHEAP PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Even when I lived in Tenerife and had my own car, if I had go to Santa Cruz for any reason, I would use the bus. There is an express one (number 110) which hardly ever stops and you are there in no time, travelling in comfort. It is possible to purchase a return ticket, which, as you’d expect, works out cheaper than buying an individual ticket for each journey. The phrase to use when asking for this is “ida y vuelta” [eeda ee vuelta] - literally “there and back”.

If you're intending to use the bus from the moment you arrive, one of these cards can be purchased at the airport in the shop called "La Alpizpa", next to The Gift Shop.

They are available at either 12 or 30 euros, are fully transferable and valid for one year. A couple may share one, simply by inserting the card twice into the ticket machine.

Should you find yourself in the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, they are also valid for the tram system there.

I gather that single tickets for local bus journeys cost no more than 1:25 euros and most are under 1 euro. For full details of Tenerife bus times plus other information, visit the TITSA website.

(Bus image on this page licensed by Creative Commons. Click on it to view license.)

travel site links:

Visit Chiang Mai, Thailand - Real life experiences of how to get the very best from your visit to Chiang Mai & surrounding areas, linked to Chiang Mai Arts & Crafts our online shop.

China Travel Golden Route - Travel China with a native Chinese. Learn about Chinese history, culture, artifacts, plan a fascinating itinerary and even learn a few Mandarin phrases.

Completely-Crete.com - Enjoying the Greek Island of Crete could not be easier! A true insider's guide to getting the most from the Greek Island of Crete, its beaches, its resorts, its food, its culture, its history - and lots more!

return from public transport to tenerife information centre

leave public transport and check out car hire information