US$7 from curb to car makes Taxi Oficial the “safe bet” option
Right outside T1 arrivals at El Salvador International (SAL), Taxi Oficial Aeropuerto lines up in the signed “Taxi Oficial / Acacya – Acopacific” area, just past customs. Cars belong to cooperatives like Acacya and Acopacific and are generally well kept, according to regulars on FlyerTalk. This is the go‑to choice if you land at 23:00 and want a vetted driver standing in the official queue instead of dealing with touts or waiting on an Uber ping.
Figure on around US$7 as a floor for short rides, with airport‑to‑city or airport‑to‑beach trips scaling up from there based on distance. One FlyerTalk user compared a US$3 Uber to a US$7 taxi for a similar distance and still took the official cab from SAL because of the set‑up right at T1. Long runs into San Salvador or coastal towns like El Tunco come in at what frequent visitors call “acceptable” by airport standards, but high compared with local minimum wage of roughly US$10 per day.
Stands operate whenever flights land, effectively 24/7, which is a big deal on those 01:30 arrivals when bus options are thin. The process is simple: desks or marshals at T1 arrivals quote you a flat fare in US dollars to San Salvador, La Libertad, or other common destinations. Official airport taxis are mainly recommended for this airport segment; frequent visitors say that once they reach the city, they switch to Uber or radio taxis because the same style of cab becomes expensive for short 3–4 km hops.
Step-by-step: how to use Taxi Oficial Aeropuerto at SAL
- 1. Exit customs into T1 arrivals and follow the “Taxi Oficial” signs toward the curbside rank, about a 1–2 minute walk.
- 2. Ignore informal drivers inside the terminal and walk straight to the official taxi booth or uniformed coordinator by the marked line of cars.
- 3. State your destination (for example “San Salvador centro” or “El Tunco”) and ask for the price in US dollars before you move your bags.
- 4. Confirm if the fare is per taxi, not per person; for most city trips it should be a flat rate for the vehicle.
- 5. Once you agree on the fare, note the car’s plate number and cooperative name (Acacya or Acopacific) and only then load your luggage.
- 6. Pay in cash USD at the end of the ride; drivers typically do not take cards, and ATMs are available inside T1 before you exit.
- 7. In San Salvador, switch to Uber or local radio taxis for later trips; FlyerTalk regulars report this cuts routine rides from roughly US$7 to around US$3.
Watch the meter situation: many official airport cabs run on flat quotes instead of meters, so lock in the fare at the booth and keep a US$5 and US$1 bills handy to avoid awkward change debates on the curb.