The national airline is Philippine Airlines (PR) (website: www.philippineairlines.com).

Note: The period over Easter, from Good Friday to the following Bank holiday (and sometimes beyond), is a major holiday in the Philippines, as are Christmas and New Year. There may be some difficulty booking a flight during these periods.

From London to Manila is 18 hours, and from New York is 22 hours.

Ninoy Aquino (MNL) is 12km (7 miles) south of Manila. To/from the airport: Bus and taxi services are available to the city (journey time – up to 1 hour 30 minutes by public bus, or 25 minutes by taxi). Facilities: Banks, post office, medical clinic, baggage deposit area, duty-free shops and car hire.

Mactan International Airport (CEB) (Cebu Island) (website: www.mactan-cebuairport.com.ph) is 45km (28 miles) from the city centre. To/from the airport: Hotels and tour operators provide their own coaches; taxis can be hired.

PHP750 for international departures. Children under two years of age and transit passengers are exempt.

Main ports: Manila. The port is a crossroads of trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
Shipping lines which call at Manila include Evergreen Lines (website: www.evergreen-shipping.us), Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) (website: www.fesco.ru/en) and Italia Marittima (website: www.italiamarittima.it). Schedules and rates are listed in the shipping pages of daily newspapers. For more information, contact the Philippines Ports Authority (website: www.ppa.com.ph).