Kathmandu Travel Forum

Hi ,


what's the taxi fare from Tribuvan airport to Thamel ?
Is it a fixed price or do you have to negotiate ?

Marina

Hi Marina -- I Disagree with the previous poster, Apart from spamming he has mislead you on the taxi fare !! It's a Maximum of 200NPR from Tribuvan Into Thamel, In fact I have written it up on my Nepal page under transportation tips, If you want to take a look. - Happy Travels -- Rob

Hi! Marina.Taxi fare is Rs.250 to Rs.300. According to Rob i think it was last year. Sent you mail please check it.

Hi again, Just to Clarify how old my information is, I was last in Neal Last Month, March2007) and The taxi fare was Definitely 200NPR (Or less if you wanted to bargain) Because That's what I paid !! (Airport to Thamel Chowk and the Same for the return trip) -Hope that helps -Rob

Easy question, difficult to answer; I'll try to make it fairly clear:
As you emerge from the arrivals hall there is a taxi counter to your right and they will offer you a ride for a fixed price and no nutty haggling on top of that. You will get a receipt also. Very decent service in my experience, but the cars are dilapidated. They have a rate card which they post and can show you. This taxi service cost about 250 to 400 rupees depending where in the city you will go and the price is not over the top expensive. In fact where I live the taxies start out not from 8 rs as in Nepal, but from 700 rs if you pre-order, so I do not feel cheated if I pay 50 rs too much in KTM for a decent ride. The thing is, and here the old Nepal hand Rob is absolutely right, that this taxi service is a monopoly=near mafia run by one company and all other taxi companies who will deliver passengers at the airport cannot use this service, thus they are happy to take you to town for less. So if you are in no need of a receipt, and want to travel cheaper, do walk past the taxi counter and hail a taxi or get a taxi driver in the area behind the hotel sign holders. Typically this is one of the small Maruti taxis. I have taken these many times from the airport. And they are probably ok with 200 rs as Rob says to escape from the airport, but they may wish to negotiate an upping of the price if they find an excuse (e.g. much luggage, many passengers, not exactly the place you told him etc.). If you know your hotel or know you will go to a particular hotel, the hotel cars will take you for free.
And do remember that 1 dollar is about 72 rs, so do not feel cheated or get angry if you happen to pay a dollar more than you guessed - it is in any case affordble for the international business or tourist traveler.
Saagar

In airport price is fix. Acctually taxi fare is Rs. 250. To make confirm i asked one of taxi driver. Dont pay more then that.

Thanks everybody for the info ( even the epic one).
Your answers made it clear what I already worried about:
that there is no simple answer.
I don't mind paying a fair price to a taxi driver ( 50 RS more or less who cares) but my Nepalese travel agent asked 10$/person (yes TEN PER PERSON!!!) for the airport pickup.That's tends to be robbery.
Anyway I'll just have to be careful and negotiate.

xxx
Marina

hi. try to do all the ticket purchasing or hotel booking yourself becoz anything that goes thru the travel agencies will cost a lot more. i've learnt my lessons when i was there. have fun.

Hello everyone,

1 Euro = 91 Ruppie, i really think that between 200-250 or 300 Ruppie is not such a big con to get upset.

Plus when you will get off the airport you will be surrounded literarily by tens of people try to get to do the taxi service for you, which might just be a bit tiring after a long flight.

OK -- Someone asks for a piece of information on here and the Genuine Members try and supply that information, Unfortunately this site also gets bombarded with Non genuine members, we call these Non genuine members "Spammers" and they try to generate business from the unwary / inexperienced traveller. Often these Spammers are just annoying, however in this instance I feel that they have tried to mislead a traveller, hence my slightly stronger than usual replies. Also I have contacted VT management about this increased Spamming, Especially on the Nepal Forums.
By far the best answer to this question was posted by Saagar. he took the trouble to explain the different taxi services that are available form Kathmandu Tribuvan Airport and if it was myself that posed the original question I would have been most pleased wit this answer.
The first reply was just plain spamming, this provoked my original answer, The third reply, I again suspect Spamming, probably in the email ?? So I clarified my original answer in the next reply, Then there was Saagars Excellent reply, followed my more untruths from a Spammer, followed by a thank you from the question poster, followed by some fair advice and finally a reply that I understand but also wonder if this poster would be happy paying up to 50% extra for a taxi in their home country + The fact that most people who do travel to Nepal are on some kind of budget so I think that it is Always best to start off as you intend to carry on !!?? And the reason, I suspect for the original question !!
Happy Travels to one and All -- Rob.

Indeed into-thin-air you are right about the spamming.
Remember that guy with India's biggest travel bureau that had spelling faults on his homepage ( I make mistakes to but not on a commercial web page)
Even asking for a taxi fare got me several dates with Nepalese men!
Maybe I'll start a page with all the different proposals and unshameful mails I never asked for.
Even Nepsguy (look above) he mailed me to ask for a date.
Didn't even take the effort to ask if I was married or have a boy friend.
But never mind , tips from members who joined recently and/or have no homepage/tips are filtert out unless they provide to the point info.
found some useful information on your page and several others.

XXX
Marina

Hi guys...all you have to do is use the 'report inappropriate posting' link on each forum and we will swiftly and mercilessly remove the offenders and log them for future return deletions. It really works as long as you guys report.