Public Bus Service

4–10 TTD gets you from POS to Port of Spain

The Public Bus Service around Piarco International Airport (POS North Terminal) is the rock-bottom cost option, using regular PTSC buses and maxi taxis that pass near the airport rather than a dedicated airport coach. Expect to pay around 4–10 TTD per person to reach Port of Spain, compared with several hundred TTD for a private taxi.

These are normal commuter services, with daytime frequencies roughly every 15–30 minutes on the main routes between Piarco and Port of Spain’s City Gate terminal. There is no true “airport express” line, so the buses and white or coloured maxis are running their usual east–west routes and only happen to serve the area near POS.

To catch one, you usually walk 5–10 minutes out of the terminal area to the main road or the Priority Bus Route, because maxis and PTSC buses do not consistently pull into the arrivals curb. Locals on Reddit specifically mention walking out from the airport grounds before flagging a north- or west-bound maxi headed toward City Gate in downtown Port of Spain.

Ride time can be 35–45 minutes between the Piarco area and Port of Spain when traffic on the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway cooperates, but plan on a 60–90 minute total airport-to-city window. The extra time comes from waiting at the roadside, plus waiting on board for a maxi to fill before it actually departs.

Service is heavily skewed to daylight and early evening hours, with some locals saying late-night options from near POS toward Port of Spain are very thin or nonexistent after around 21:00–22:00. Several posts also mention safety concerns about standing on the roadside after dark with luggage, so this is a daytime-only play for most visitors.

Crowding is common at commuter peaks, especially 07:00–09:00 and late afternoon, and maxis do not have dedicated luggage holds. TripAdvisor comments describe it as “dirt cheap but not something I’d do with big suitcases,” so think backpack or carry-on, not 23 kg checked bags.

Regulars say they ask airport staff or shop workers which route number is heading toward City Gate before leaving the terminal, then walk out and wait where locals queue along the bus route. Some also mention topping up a PTSC or bus card in Port of Spain for the return run to POS, so they can board quickly without fumbling for small bills and coins.

One tip: if your flight check-in closes in under two hours or you land after dark, skip the public buses and spend the extra TTD on a taxi instead of gambling on 60–90 minute roadside waits and uncertain departure times.