Types of Transport Around the World
There are many different modes of transport. Some are more common in certain areas of the world due to cost of running, type of road/ terrain, distance needed to travel etc. This post outlines many of the different types of transport that exist around the world.
Taxi
Typically found in: All over the world
Price: moderate-high depending on location and distance travelled
Comfort level: high – usually.
Taxis (aka cabs) are found in every country. Some you have to pre-book (often cheaper), some you can wave down off the street and state your destination when you get in. Depending on where you are why will either quote a price before you start the journey, or they will go off of a metre which charges you either by distance or time. There are also different tariffs (amount to pay per mile/minute). In some countries a tourist will be put on a different tariff to a local person making them pay more for the same amount of time/distance.
In some places you are able to negotiate a price before getting into a taxi. It is difficult to know what a good price to pay is when you first arrive in a destination. We often researched how much to expect to pay e.g. from the airport to a city and looked at the time and distance of that. There are some websites that can estimate a fare such as taxi fare finder, but if you use a search browser it can give you a fairly accurate estimation. Make sure you look for other modes of transport that may be available as a taxi is usually the most expensive way to travel around.
Taxi drivers may try to rip you off because you are a tourist
In some places e.g. Kuala Lumpur, it is illegal to not use a meter. Some taxi drivers will take you to a location and just say a price at the end, but that is usually way higher than you should be paying. If there is a sign in the car saying a meter must be used, insist that the driver puts on the meter. You may feel rude but if you don’t you could be massively out of pocket. They also know that they are in the wrong and if you don’t ask you are encouraging them to continue doing this to other people! If they refuse you have every right to get out of the taxi. Most of the time they would rather put the meter on and get the fare rather than lose the fare altogether (unless they know a good spot to pick up foolish tourists).
There are usually stickers inside with the contact details in case you feel the need to make a complaint e.g. if they do refuse to use the meter. An example is shown in the image below.
We also experienced a driver who put the meter on and then 30 seconds before he stopped at our destination he turned the meter off and then quoted us double the price. He said we had to pay double so we could cover his return journey back to the city. We refused and said we will give him the amount that was shown on the meter. unfortunately we did not have the exact change so ended up paying a little over, but it was not the whole amount he asked for. After a little bit of confrontation we ended up just getting out of the taxi and walking away. Again, many people would not feel comfortable doing this so would end up paying the extra money which IS NOT RIGHT.
Remember: if it feels like you are being ripped off, you probably are.
TOP TIP
Have a translation app on your phone to use in countries where English is not their first language in case you get into a debate. You can use some of them offline which is great if you don’t have a local SIM card or wifi. Check out this article for 5 recommended translator apps.
We did not have one and it would have been very useful in India. The driver would not accept the amount that we were giving (which was quoted on the meter) and he just kept saying “no money”. He ended up locking the doors so we couldn’t get out and drove further down the street. Understandably we were a little concerned but as soon as we opened the window and started shouting at the pedestrians he unlocked the doors and let us out. To this day I still don’t know what he wanted.
TukTuk
(a.k.a Rickshaw or auto-rickshaw)
Typically found in: Asia
Price: Cheap
Comfort level: low
This is a moped with a carriage attached on the back, typically able to seat 2-6 people depending on the size. Most of the time they are pretty noisy and not the most comfortable, but they are cheap and fairly fast. They are great for navigating between other vehicles and can fit down the smaller roads and alleys that cars cannot making them great in cities. Some drivers ‘pimp up’ their tuktuks and have disco lights, loud music and stickers all over them!
Cycle Rickshaw
Typically found in: Asia – popular in Indian cities
Price: Cheap
Comfort level: low
A cycle rickshaw is a bicycle with a carriage attached to it which typically fits two people. Due to the high amounts of traffic in Indian city centred they don’t tend to be too much slower than other types of transport. See the post Using Local Public Transport- is it a Good Idea? for a video of a journey on a cycle rickshaw.
Moped
Typically found in: Worldwide but popular in Asia
Price: Cheap
Comfort level: low
Mopeds are very popular type of transport in Asia as they are cheap and easy to navigate around other traffic. It is common for mopeds to take short cuts on pedestrian walk ways in high areas of traffic. They are cheap and easy to rent in most asian countries but be very careful. I know many people who have had serious accidents whilst driving them and it has caused them to end their whole trip!
Boats
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: low-high
Comfort level: low-high
There are different types of boats depending on where you want to go, how far the journey is and the purpose of the trip. Here are the different types:
Motorised Boats
This is a photo I took of a boat in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. The boat we were on was classed as a mid range boat and we stayed on it for 2 nights.
River Boats
These look different in each location. On the left is a photo from the Yangtze River in China, and on the right a photo taken in a town in Vietnam. Below is a river boat which also took us inside some caves in the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. These are intended for short trips up and down a river to another location, not for sleeping in.
Kayak
Kayaks can be used as transport from one part of the coast to another e.g. in Abel Tasman you can kayak to a starting point of a hike. You can also just use the kayak as a form of exercise or a fun activity.
Canoes
In the Mekong Delta this is how the locals and tourists navigate around the small water channels.
As a tourist you will usually be accompanied by 1-2 people rowing and starring the boat.
Don’t forget to tip them as this is expected and custom of their culture.
Cruise Ship
For longer trips and the highest level of comfort. They also come with the highest price tag. There are often food and drink packages with evening entertainment, or you can opt to take your own food and drink on board. There is also the option of taking excursions from the boat for an extra fee if you are interested.
Bicycle
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: low
Comfort level: low- moderate (usually the bike is not set up for your measurements and the saddles aren’t that comfortable!).
One of the best ways to explore is by bicycle. It is cheap, easily accessible and you can go where you want on your own time scale. Usually you can rent a bike by the hour, half a day or a whole day. I have cycled in many different countries including around the coast, through cities and through the countryside and rice fields.
Aeroplane
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: High
Comfort level: moderate- high
The size of the aeroplane depends on how long the flight is and the number of passengers that it needs to carry. Usually the higher the demand, the larger the plane. It is often preferred to get internal flights in some countries as it can save a lot of time and energy. Travelling is exhausting so a lot of people choose to fly for an hour rather than catch 5 different buses, and a train over 15 hours. It costs a bit more (in some cases not much more), but if you have a limited time in a country this can be the best option.
Train
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: low-moderate
Comfort level: moderate
Trains tend to be a fairly fast type of transport and affordable. There is the option to take a sleeper train for longer journeys which can also save money on accommodation. See the post Using Local Public Transport- is it a Good Idea? for more on this.
In the city there may be a subway/metro/underground train to get around for either a fixed rate or based on zones/ distance travelled.
Bus
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: low-moderate
Comfort level: low-moderate
Catching the bus can be tricky if you don’t know where to go. It isn’t always easy to find a transport guide online with the bus routes. Sometimes asking locals is very useful, although we did get directed to the wrong bus once which although lead us to seeing an amazing waterfall, left us stranded in the middle of nowhere. We had to walk a few miles to the nearest shop and ask the owner if he knew a way to get back to civilisation. He ended up taking us back for a price and we then had to find an alternate way to our original destination. BUT saying that it can also be super easy.
Now technology has advanced you can usually use apps that will plan your journey for you.
Private Bus/ Coach
If there is a large group of people travelling together you can hire a private bus or coach, sometimes at a discounted rate. Ask the company for more details.
Tram
Typically found in: Some cities
Price: low-moderate
Comfort level: low-moderate
Trams are usually in cities and are a mixture between a train and a bus. It stops at certain places around the city and you can get on and off where you please.
Car Rental
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: High
Comfort level: High
Car hire is one of the most expensive forms of transport depending on the type of car you get, the duration of the rental, and the additional costs such as insurance and petrol. It does, however, give you the most freedom to explore and reduce time constraints. There are many different rental companies that provide cars.
If you are short like me, you can also get away with folding down the back seats and sleeping in the back of the car which can save on accommodation costs. Do be selective about where you do this though as some areas can be pretty dodgy to sleep in!
Camper Van Rental
Typically found in: Worldwide
Price: High
Comfort level: low-high
Similar to car rental but more expensive. Camper vans are designed to both travel and live in.
We didn’t get a full camper van due to the expense and they were all sold out. The closest thing they had available was a station wagon which was basically just a long car. We didn’t even get given a mat to lay on so we were on the cold hard metal floor of the car with hooks in our backs. Again, we emptied the contents of our backpacks on the floor for some padding. (We were in the outback of west Australia and there were no shops anywhere). It was also really really hot and there was no temperature control overnight so we were basically cooking alive in 40 degree heat. BUT. You can get a proper camper van and it would probably be a much more comfortable experience. It is still on my bucket list!
Top Tip
I used a combination of google maps and an app called Rome2Rio to plan journeys. The app is free and gives an estimated price and time for your trip so you can compare and decide how you’d prefer to travel. For example, it will tell you which bus to take and how much that will cost vs. which train to take and how much that will cost. It shows each mode of transport and an estimated price alongside the estimated journey time. I’m sure there are many others out there but this one was great.