You've landed — now what? Between Tenerife South Airport and your hotel lie 20 minutes or an hour and a half of road, depending on the resort, and three ways to cover them: the green guagua (that's what Canarians call the public bus), a metered taxi, and a pre-booked fixed-price transfer. This guide runs the numbers honestly for all three — for the south coast, for Puerto de la Cruz, and for the special case of the North Airport. Every price was checked on 9 October 2026, and the sources are named.
Two airports, 60 km apart: South (TFS) and North (TFN)
Tenerife has two airports, and mixing them up is the island's most expensive beginner mistake. Tenerife South "Reina Sofía" (TFS) receives the vast majority of international holiday flights. It sits close to the southern resorts: Los Cristianos about 19 km away, Playa de las Américas about 20 km, Costa Adeje about 24 km. Santa Cruz is some 60 km up the motorway, and Puerto de la Cruz about 90 km.
Tenerife North "Los Rodeos" (TFN) borders La Laguna, only about 10 km from Santa Cruz; it mainly handles flights from mainland Spain and inter-island hops — more on that below. Check the airport code on your ticket before you settle on accommodation: land at TFN with a hotel in Costa Adeje and you've booked yourself the longest arrival on the island. To pick your coast, our guide north or south: where to stay in Tenerife covers exactly that.
The guagua: lines 111 and 343 — the cheapest way
The green Titsa buses are the island's public network, and they serve both airports properly. From the South Airport, line 111 runs both ways: to Costa Adeje for €3.70 (via Los Cristianos and Las Américas) and to the capital Santa Cruz for €9.35 — prices checked on 9 October 2026. Line 343 is the airport crossline: it links both airports directly in around 50 minutes and continues to Puerto de la Cruz (€13.55 from the South Airport).
Two money-savers: the rechargeable ten+ card costs €2 and cuts fares by 20 to 30 percent depending on the route — it pays for itself within a few rides. And plan with the season: the winter timetable has applied since 5 October 2026; the day's departures are on titsa.com. At night the service thins out sharply — late arrivals should check the last departure, or switch to a taxi or transfer. Suitcases travel in the luggage hold.
Taxis: meters, regulated fares, honest ranges
Official metered taxis wait outside both terminals; fares are regulated by the Cabildo and the municipalities. For orientation: the flagfall was recently around €3.15 by day and €3.45 at night, on Sundays and holidays, plus a €1.70 airport supplement. For the short hops along the south coast, taxis hold their own: to Los Cristianos, around €18–22 was quoted in October 2026, to Costa Adeje around €22–28.
The honest limit of the taxi is distance: for the roughly 90 km to Puerto de la Cruz or the north, you'll pay several times the bus fare — there, the 343 or a pre-booked transfer nearly always wins. Board only at the official rank, let the meter run, and ask for a receipt if you need one. What this all weighs in the overall trip, from bus ticket to guachinche dinner, is in our article what a Tenerife trip really costs.
The pre-booked transfer: fixed price, name sign, driver waiting
The third option is the transfer booked online in advance: a driver waits in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name, your flight is tracked (if it's delayed, the pickup shifts automatically) and 90 minutes of waiting time are included. The price is fixed at booking — whether you land at 2 pm or 2 am. Cancellation is usually free up to 24 hours before pickup, child seats can be added, and vehicle classes range from a 3-seater to a 19-seat minibus.
Indicative prices checked on 9 October 2026 from the South Airport: Los Cristianos from €50, Playa de las Américas from €53, Costa Adeje from €68, Puerto de la Cruz from €173 — note, that's per vehicle, not per person. For a solo traveller on a short hop the taxi stays cheaper; the maths flips from three people up, for night arrivals, with children and their seats — or when your destination is at the far end of the island and bus connections with luggage appeal to no one.
Arriving at the North Airport (TFN): the special case
Los Rodeos is the older, smaller airport up on the ridge by La Laguna — it handles the mainland Spain connections and the island hops by Binter and Canaryfly to La Gomera, La Palma or El Hierro. Santa Cruz is only about 10 km away; Titsa lines such as the 20 and the 102 run down to the capital and La Laguna, with the 102 continuing to Puerto de la Cruz. By taxi, reckon on about twenty euros to Santa Cruz, and roughly €35–45 quoted for Puerto de la Cruz.
Two notes for TFN: the modern tram links Santa Cruz with La Laguna but does not stop at the airport — don't let the map fool you. And if you land at TFN but stay in the south, take the 343 straight to the South Airport and on to Costa Adeje, or book a transfer outright: crossing the island on connections with suitcases is the most tiring leg of the journey.
Bus, taxi or transfer: what fits whom — and what to check before paying
The short decision guide: small budget, light luggage, daytime arrival → the guagua; €3.70 to Costa Adeje is hard to beat. Two of you, short distance, no patience for bus stops → a taxi from the official rank, €18–28 to the southern resorts. Family with kids, group of three or more, night arrival or a destination in the north → a pre-booked fixed-price transfer — counted per vehicle, the premium shrinks fast. And if you're planning a hire car anyway, you can collect it right at the airport; the pitfalls are in our guide to renting a car in Tenerife.
Before you pay, four checks: ① Does your ticket say TFS or TFN? Every other calculation depends on it. ② Is the price per vehicle or per person? Private transfers are billed per vehicle, shared shuttles often per head. ③ Landing after 10 pm? Taxis switch to the night tariff, a fixed-price transfer doesn't — and the last guagua leaves earlier than you'd think. ④ Travelling in the winter half-year? The winter timetable has applied since 5 October 2026; check the day's departures on titsa.com. To see where the transfer fits into the whole trip, follow our 7-day Tenerife itinerary.
