Why airport transfers are where budgets die
A family of four landing at Heathrow and grabbing a black cab pays roughly £90–£110 to reach central London. The Piccadilly line costs £5.60 per adult off-peak with contactless. That's a £70+ swing on the first hour of the trip — enough for a decent dinner. Every major European airport has a rail or bus link that most first-time visitors ignore because the signage points at taxis. Here are the six routes I use most, with real prices as of late 2026.
London Heathrow: Piccadilly line or Elizabeth line
The Piccadilly line is the budget pick: about £5.60 off-peak to Zone 1, roughly 50 minutes to Piccadilly Circus. If you're near Paddington or the City, the Elizabeth line is faster — 30 minutes to Tottenham Court Road — for around £12.70. Both take contactless cards; no ticket machine needed. The Heathrow Express at £25+ is only worth it if someone else is paying.
Paris CDG: RER B, not the taxi
The RER B train runs to Gare du Nord in about 35 minutes for €11.80. A taxi to central Paris is a fixed €56–€65 depending on the bank you arrive at. Buy the ticket from the machine in the station — the RER B is fine, just keep an eye on your bags at Châtelet. If you're staying on the Left Bank, transfer at Denfert-Rochereau rather than hauling luggage through the Métro.
Amsterdam Schiphol: the easiest train in Europe
Schiphol's station sits directly under the terminal. Trains to Amsterdam Centraal take 17 minutes and cost about €5.60. No transfer, no stairs with luggage beyond one escalator. A taxi runs €50+. This is the one airport where the train is so obviously better that I've never once considered a cab.
Rome Fiumicino: Leonardo Express vs. the regional train
The Leonardo Express is the tourist default: €14, 32 minutes, nonstop to Termini. The cheaper move is the FL1 regional train to Trastevere or Ostiense for €8, then a local connection. If your hotel is near Trastevere, take the FL1 and save €6 plus the crush at Termini. Taxis are a flat €55 to the city center — fine at 2 a.m., wasteful at noon.
Madrid Barajas and Lisbon: Metro and Aerobus
Madrid's Metro Line 8 runs from T4 to Nuevos Ministerios in about 25 minutes for €5 (including the €3 airport supplement). A taxi is a flat €33. In Lisbon, the Aerobus to Marquês de Pombal or Rossio costs €4.50 and takes 25–30 minutes; the Metro red line to Alameda is €1.85. A taxi from Lisbon airport to Baixa runs €15–€20 — the smallest gap on this list, so take the cab if you're tired.
The rule that saves the most money
Before you book a hotel, check the rail or bus link from the airport. A hotel 10 minutes from a train station can save you €40–€80 in transfers each way. And always buy transit tickets at the station machine or tap contactless — airport kiosks selling "city passes" at arrivals are marked up 30–50%. The cheap option is almost always the one with the least signage.