“Isn’t Bangalore airport in Andhra Pradesh?” is a dig taken at me when people learn that I live in Bangalore.
Bangalore airport has become the butt of jokes across the country and the above statement has become an ice-breaker for several conversations.
One of the biggest pain points while traveling to Bangalore airport is the cost.
Since air travel has become central to most people living in the city, cab fares to the airport can be anywhere between Rs. 700–1300.
Compare this to a one-way fare between Bangalore and Mumbai (planned in advance) it costs only Rs. 1700+ taxes.
Reaching the airport is thus an expensive affair. However, I have figured out a few ways to hack this.
Note: These hacks work best only if you are traveling solo, without excess baggage and do not have to catch flights between 2-6 am.
Bangalore city to the airport
Airport travel is frequent for me and direct one way cabs cost me anywhere between Rs. 900 and Rs. 1000.
To avoid such hefty cab fares I usually take a cab/auto to the skywalk opposite esteem mall.
By traveling this way I am able to limit the cost of travel to the airport between Rs. 300 and Rs. 400.
On average it costs less than Rs. 200 till the skywalk and another Rs. 160 in a bus/cab to the airport.
Once here I take a state-run bus or the plethora of cabs that are heading to the airport.
Since ALL buses have to cross this location while going to the airport, the wait times are typically limited to 5-8 minutes any time of the day.
Direct buses from require a lot of planning and can be stressful. This way, I not only travel cheaply but also timely.
Note: For cabs, I always fix the cost and ask whether the driver will stop to pick others. If yes, I avoid these cabs. I prefer the bus as it is equally fast and most cabs use arterial roads which are longer to avoid paying the airport toll.
Bangalore airport to the city
Similarly, while returning from the airport, I have found boarding the first bus to leave to be the cheapest and fast enough.
In this case I usually get off either in front of esteem mall or at HMT Bhavan near Mekhri circle and get a cab from there.
I usually time myself depending on the traffic to hail my cab to ensure that neither me nor my cab have to wait longer than 5 minutes.
Alternative
One more option is to rent a bike to the airport or back. Check out the Bounce app if you are traveling light.
I have not experimented with this yet as I have no clue about the parking and safety on the roads.
Last words
I have been doing this for a few years now and this allows me the luxury to travel to the airport and back for as many as 3 times for the pice of 1.
Remember to leave with ample time in hand as the traffic can be unpredictable on most occasions and might end you stressing more than benefitting you.
Have you tried this or any other methods to travel to Bangalore airport? What has your experience been?
