I made the same trip by plane one month and by truck the next. Not to test a point — I genuinely didn’t know which one suited me better, and I preferred to have the answer with my own data rather than someone’s opinion on social media.
The time from door to door, not just the flight time
The most common mistake when comparing is simply looking at the duration of the flight or the truck journey, not counting transfers. You have to arrive at the airport well in advance, queue up, and then transfer from the destination airport to where you really are going — that easily adds up to two or three extra hours that aren’t included in the ticket price. The truck terminal, on the other hand, is usually centrally located, and you arrive practically where you need to be.
The total cost, not just the ticket price
The same thing happens with money: checked baggage, taxi or app transfers to and from the airport, and food purchased inside the terminal add up to more than one would expect when booking. I won’t give you a figure because it varies depending on route and date — what I recommend is adding those extras before comparing ticket price against ticket price, because that’s where the comparison gets distorted.
When an airplane is really useful
For very long distances or when the total available time is short, the plane still wins — there's no turning back. This isn't an article that will tell you that the truck always wins, because that's not true.
When is a truck advisable?
For medium distances, when the destination terminal is central and you don't have such a tight schedule that every hour counts, the truck competes head-to-head — and in several cases wins, especially if you add up the transfers that the plane doesn't include.
Another advantage when arriving by central
Getting there by public transport usually leaves you closer to areas with practical accommodation — like hotels. City Express by Marriott— that’s what you get when you go from the airport to the city center.
Create your own account: compare price and schedule BUZ before deciding how you're going to do next time.
