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Manila Getting In and Out

How to get in and get out of Manila with your sanity intact.

By air - In and Out of Manila

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Metro Manila is the primary gateway to the Philippines. From overseas, most visitors arrive by plane. NAIA consists of 3 terminals as well as 1 domestic passenger terminal:

Terminal 1 — All international carriers excluding Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines/PAL Express and Cebu Pacific
Terminal 2 — All Philippine Airlines flights
Terminal 3 — All Air Philippines/PAL Express and Cebu Pacific flights
Manila Domestic Passenger terminal — Zest Air domestic flights, Interisland Airways and SEAIR flights.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) usually provides seamless transfers between their international and domestic network whereas you would generally not be given this service on other carriers. Terminal 2 has free internet access, NAIA is voted and rated as one of the worst airports in the world along with London-Heathrow this is because Terminal 1 (where most passengers arrive from international flight) has over reached the capacity of 5 million, Terminal 3 however is the newest of all terminal but not fully operational because of some legal issues, T3 is the most comfortable of all 4 terminals, it is expected to replace T1 in the near future, Manila Passenger domestic terminal is uncomfortable, it is small and often crowded. T2 is the only terminal which is comfortable which is fully operational, it serves flights for the Philippines' major carrier; Philippine Airlines.

Getting around the Airports:

All the terminals are divided however use the same runways, transferring from one terminal to another may take 10-20 minutes depending on how the traffic is. Taxis are available while a free airport shuttle between T1-T3 is provided from all terminals if you're in transit. Taxis are the only way to get to Manila Domestic Passenger terminal.

Getting out':

Coupon (pre-paid) taxis are available at the airports to bring you to your hotel or wherever you may be going. Rates are fixed and dependent on the destination and generally are more expensive compared to what you would pay in a metered taxi. Coupon taxi counters usually are found immediately after exiting customs in both Terminals 1 and 2. The usual metered taxis are generally not allowed at the Arrival Terminal so you would either need to catch one unloading at the Departure Area or outside the airport complex. This may be easier said than done however, particularly when lugging around kilos upon kilos of baggage.

Getting in: Taxis are the best option for getting to NAIA.

(Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino) (IATA: MNL) (ICAO: RPLL)

The other closest International airport is located in Clark, Pampanga.

Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

Low cost carriers such as Air Asia and Tiger Airways utilize the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) (IATA: CRK) in Clark,Pampanga, which is a 2-hour drive north of Manila. These airlines have dedicated bus transfer services that transport passengers to and from the DMIA via newly renovated toll roads. You can catch the bus by Philtranco either from it's terminal in Pasay City, Manila or from SM Megamall (behind building A) in Mandaluyong, Manila. From Pasay the fare is 350 pesos and from SM Megamall 300 pesos. Departure tax for this airport has been increased to 500 peso

About Manila Philippines

By boat - In and Out of Manila

Ferries run all over the Philippines, but should you not reserve a first class cabin be prepared for uncomfortable cramped conditions. There seems to be lax enforcement of Western safety standards.

Supercats and fastcrafts connect short distances between islands on high-speed air-conditioned hydrofoil crafts. Not only do they provide a faster option than ordinary ferries, they are also much better maintained and have a remarkable safety record. Among the major routes serviced by fastcrafts in and around Manila are: Manila-Bataan, Manila-Cavite and Batangas-Puerto Galera.

By bus - In and Out of Manila

The Strong Republic Nautical Highway has made inter-island travel by bus possible. Major islands are connected by Roll On - Roll Off ferries which can carry cars, buses and cargo trucks. An example is the Manila to Boracay route which goes via Batangas, Calapan and Roxas in Mindoro then Caticlan. Philtranco serves various inter-island routes and has a terminal in Cubao, Quezon City. Needless to say however that these trips can take quite a bit of time and may not be worth the savings if you have only a few days to spend in the Philippines.

Normal provincial buses serving other parts of Luzon also have terminals in various portions of Metro Manila. The Cubao area in Quezon City and the Bonifacio Monument area in Kalookan City is where buses serving the northern portions of Luzon (e.g. Baguio, Zambales) have their terminals.

The Buendia Ave. cor Taft Ave. intersection in Makati and the area near the Taft Ave. and EDSA intersection in Pasay is where buses from the south (e.g. Batangas, Laguna) have their terminals.

About Manila Philippines