The only drawback of Baguio, which is surrounded by mountains, is that access from the airport is poor. And the information about it is sometimes uncertain. In this article, I would like to introduce Victory Liner, a bus company that provides detailed information on Clark Airport, which I used for my return trip to Baguio, and how to get there from Baguio. (*Information is current as of February 2024.)
About Clark Airport
Clark Airport is located in the city of Angeles, 170 km south of Baguio. The Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila, which many people use, is another 90 km south of Baguio, and is by far the easier airport to use in terms of travel distance from Baguio.
Access to the airport from the city is relatively easy, and it is only a 20-minute cab ride from the lodging area and long-distance bus drop-off points. There are many ways to get to the airport, including cabs, tricycles, and buses, but using Grab to take a cab is the easiest way. The cab fare was about 380 pesos (about 988 yen) at 4:00 a.m.
Clark Airport is not a major airport for Japanese visitors. There are still very few direct flights between Japanese airports and Clark. The day I used the airport was Saturday, and there were only 10 or so flights a day. On the other hand, there are major flights to Korea, so Korean students often use them.
In terms of LCCs, as of February 2024, Cebu Pacific Airlines only offers flights between Narita and Clark to Japan. Therefore, if you choose Air Asia or Zip Air, you will have to go to Manila.
Inside Clark Airport (before passing the baggage check point)
The airport itself is small, as you can see from the number of daily flights, but overall it is quite clean. The design is warm and wood-like, and the high ceilings give it a very open feeling. This time, being early in the morning at 4:00 a.m., there are quite a few people.
Cebu Pacific counter 2 hours and 30 minutes before departure.
There is a cafe in front of the baggage checkpoint where you can order snacks. Waffles and sandwiches cost about 300-400 pesos…. Well, that’s the price at the airport.
There is also a 7-Eleven. Breads, snacks, beverages, side dishes, etc. are sold at almost the same price. The aisles are filled with products, which is a pity….
Next is the food court, but it was not open early in the morning at 4 am. In addition to Wendy’s, you have a chicken shop and a steak shop lined up. It is quite a heavy lineup.
There are also two other currency exchange shops lined up next to each other in the airport. The rate is 0.3700, which is not a bad number considering how much it has dropped in the past few days.
The restrooms are also kept clean.
Inside Clark Airport (after passing through baggage check)
After passing through the baggage check, there is still a wide open departure lobby. In addition to the hard, inorganic chairs often seen in airports, there are soft, well-designed chairs where you can take a break.
Inside, there are three restaurants: a Japanese/Korean restaurant, a café, and a rice/noodle restaurant. It is nice to see that the restaurant is open even in the early morning.
This is a Japanese/Korean restaurant.
This is the menu of the rice and noodle restaurant.
The menu of the café. I bought a bottle of water to bring on board here, and it cost 80 pesos for 500 ml. In town, it costs about 25 pesos at most.
Duty free store was closed. Because it was early in the morning.
Wifi speed in the airport. I guess it is fast enough for working and watching videos. There is no such thing as registration or authentication to connect, just access and you are connected.
Access to Clark Airport
The most common way to get to Clark Airport from Baguio is by bus. There are two bus companies, Joy Bus and Victory Liner, which I used.
I did not use Joy Bus because of the bus schedule. Above is the schedule at the bus ticket booth in Baguio. There are not many buses. My flight was at 7:00 a.m., so I had too much time on my hands.
Moreover, I checked with the staff at the ticket counter and they told me that it is not possible to make a reservation for the bus between Baguio and Clark. The fare is 480 pesos and is given to the driver after boarding on the day. I could make a reservation for the bus to Manila airport…. Furthermore, I was even told that the last flight at 5:30pm may or may not come on the same day….
Thus, I chose Victory Liner. There are quite a few flights available here, from early morning to late at night. However, there are no flights directly to Clark Airport. Basically, you take a bus heading to Manila and make a stopover in an area called DAU in Angeles.
The fare to DAU is 423 pesos, and this bus company allows advance reservations and payment in advance. Credit cards are accepted. I chose to take the bus to an area in Manila called Caloocan, get off on the way, stay overnight, and then head to Clark Airport.
Baguio-Angeles Victory Liner Ride Report
The Victory Liner terminal is newly renovated and clean, and there are food and drink stalls inside and a Jollibee nearby, so it is easy to kill some time. It is easy to pass the time.
If you have reserved a ticket, your seat will be reserved for you, and you can simply hand your reservation slip to the fare clerk on board the bus as it starts running. However, since most of the people who buy bus tickets are tourists or foreigners, there may be people already seated in the bus. In that case, show them your ticket and ask them to take your place.
Now it is time to depart, but there is something you must keep in mind. In Japan, long-distance buses usually stop nonstop to the destination after loading passengers. Here in the Philippines, however, buses pick up passengers at the side of the road and drop them off where they want to go.
That is why it takes 5 hours for a trip of only 170 km. I left Baguio at 11:20am and arrived at DAU at 4:00pm. I think there were 15 times about people getting on and off during that time. It was rather stressful and mentally tough to have to stop every time.
The ride out of Baguio was quite slow as we had to go through several crowded towns. However, the right side of the two stretches of road is like a so-called highway, and we were able to proceed quite lightly.
Regarding the interior facilities and environment, the chairs are simple and, well, at least they don’t hurt my back. The air conditioning was adjustable to some extent, and although I often hear that the air conditioning was too cold, this time it was just right. As is often the case in the Philippines, it is one’s luck that one can be listening to video without worrying about one’s surroundings.
On the way, there are two 15-minute breaks after riding for 1 hour and 30 minutes and 2 hours and 30 minutes, respectively. You can shop for bread and skewers to eat on board.
The Victory Liner bus terminal at DAU is in this area. It is easy to get around as tricycles are stationed at the entrance and Grab cabs can be easily found.
Best way to get to Clark Airport (unconfirmed information)
This time, I chose to stay overnight in Ángeles. The reasons are as follows.
(1) I was not sure if I would be able to catch a cab when I arrived at 3:00 a.m.
(2) Because there was a possibility of sudden time change because of LCC.
(3) Because we wanted to minimize the impact of bus delays.
When it was over, I was glad that I did not have to stay overnight because everything went as planned without a hitch. The total amount I spent was 1,893 pesos: 423 pesos from Baguio to DAU, 1,100 pesos for the hotel, and 370 pesos from the hotel to the airport.
Actually, there is another option. The Joy Bus, as mentioned above, has a limited bus schedule, but it probably goes directly to the airport and does not load people on the way. However, this is just a guess and has not been confirmed yet.
The van charter is priced around 6,000 pesos, which is 600 pesos if divided by 10 people, so it is the least burdensome option since it can go directly to the airport. If you are able to gather a good number of people, this option is also available.
Baguio is a long way away, and therefore, it is difficult to get around, but it is a very satisfying place to spend time. We hope that many people will overcome this obstacle and come to Baguio.