3 Great Public Transit Options for Travellers

Many travellers who arrive in a foreign destination without a vehicle head straight to the rental car counter at the airport. While that can be the best strategy in some situations--if you're visiting a largely rural place, for instance--I'd argue that in many cases, you're better off taking public transit. Depending on the place, it's usually cheaper, faster and more fun. Plus, you get the added benefit of meeting locals, who aren't likely to jump in your rental car unless you're a contestant on The Amazing Race.

The following list is by no means exhaustive. It just highlights a few of the fun public transit experiences I've had in the last few years.

1. Swiss trains

Not surprisingly in a country famed for its watches, Swiss trains run largely on time. Well, at least they do in comparison to North American trains; last year, news reports that "only" 94 percent of Swiss trains ran on time had the country in a tizzy (oh, that Amtrak had such worries).



I was surprised, however, at how extensive the Swiss train network is. In international airports, train service comes right into the terminal. Out in the countryside, even small mountain towns like Lauterbrunnen, where I stayed, have great connections. (And in places where trains just can't get through, there's a good bus network.)

For visitors, the icing on the cake may be the luggage transport service. You can check your bag at an airport in North America and pick it up at one of 60 train stations across the country. On the way home, leave your bag at the train station and kiss it goodbye until it rolls off the carousel at the airport back home. Very, very civilized.

Want to see for yourself? You can buy a Swiss rail pass before leaving home.

2. Venetian vaporetti

By all means, take a gondola ride. You'll kick yourself all the way home if you don't splurge on this classic tourist experience. But gondola rides are usually leisurely round trips to nowhere. For practical trips, hop on a vaporetto--the Venetian version of a public bus.

In the photo, you can see a vaporetto stop at the very bottom of the picture, at middle right: two rectangular buildings with white roofs, at the end of a short dock.

You won't be alone on the vaporetto; water taxis are extortionately expensive, so many tourists travel like locals. One bit of advice: pack light. Huge suitcases (especially runaway ones on wheels) won't make you a lot of new Venetian friends, particularly during rush hour. If nothing else, don't forget to take off bulky backpacks and put them on the floor (a good piece of advice when travelling on any form of public transit anywhere, come to think of it).

Check the Venice Connected website for passes and fares, and read more about the vaporetto system at Europe for Visitors.

3. The bus from Santiago to Buenos Aires

This trip isn't for the faint of heart. Especially on the Chilean side, the road across the Andes consists of a series of steep switchbacks, with not a guardrail in sight. (See the photo for a glimpse of the view from the bus window.) And there have been accidents--not on our trip, luckily. Instead, my husband and I had the weird pleasure of watching a Thai martial arts movie dubbed into Spanish on the overhead TV screens, while surrounded by a team of teenage Argentinean water polo players cheering madly.

The kids were a blast, actually; we ended up practising our second languages on each other for much of the trip. And once we switched buses in Mendoza, we were treated to at-seat meal service (complete with wine). In the morning, we awoke to the sunrise over Argentinean ranch country.

If we had been better organized, we could have booked berths on the overnight bus from Mendoza to Buenos Aires, but even our coach seats were spacious and comfortable. And the price for the 21-hour trip? About US$55 for each of us.

For information on buses travelling east, see the Santiago bus terminal website (Spanish only). If you'd like to do the trip in the opposite direction, Omni Lineas has an English-language page.

What's greener: Planes, trains, automobiles...or buses?

Feeling virtuous because you drove from Ottawa to New York instead of flying? Patting yourself on the back for driving a hybrid car on vacation instead of taking the bus? 

Don't be so hasty.

According to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the greenest choice isn't always the most obvious one. It all depends on where you're going, what route you're taking and how many people are travelling with you.

For instance, if three or more people are travelling together, driving may be more eco-friendly than flying, depending on the type of car (think Prius, not Hummer). However, if you're travelling alone or with just one other person, a non-stop flight in economy class may be the greenest choice, particularly if you're travelling farther than 500 miles (800 kilometres). 

As for trains, those in the Northeast Corridor (which run on electricity) have lower carbon emissions than their diesel cousins in the rest of the Amtrak system. Both are greener choices for single travellers and couples than the average car.

But here's one of the most intriguing findings, from my point of view: intercity buses (or motor coaches, to use the more elegant term the UCS panellists preferred) are often the greenest options for people travelling alone or in pairs. They emit just 0.17 pounds per passenger mile (0.05 kilograms of carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre), compared to 0.37 pounds for electric trains, 0.45 pounds for electric trains, and 1.08 pounds for an average car with one passenger. (The figures for planes vary quite a bit, depending on route and plane type, so I won't get into them here. But they're higher than bus emissions.)

Yes, the lowly bus--maligned by many as the "loser cruiser"--suddenly has something going for it. 

Travel agent Bonnie Lee, one of the news conference panellists, pointed out that intercity buses have upgraded their offerings in recent years. These days, you may find anything from movies to wi-fi on board, at least in the U.S.

So what does all this have to do with travelling like a local? It highlights yet another benefit of bus travel--one of the best ways to immerse yourself in local life.

In 2006, my husband and I travelled by bus over the Andes from Santiago to Buenos Aires. As well as taking us through some spectacular scenery, the 22-hour trip (which included a couple of hours in Mendoza, while we waited to change buses) featured free food and wine served at our seat, along with a selection of movies on suspended TV screens. All for the princely sum of US$55 per person, one way. As a bonus, we spent the Santiago-to-Mendoza leg surrounded by a bunch of teenaged Argentinean water polo players. To a man, they were eager to practise their English and help us practise our Spanish. It was a blast. 

But will North Americans be queuing up in the months and years to come to board their local Greyhound bus? That remains to be seen. That South American bus by far surpassed any scheduled intercity bus I've seen on Ontario's roads. To be honest, I far prefer VIA Rail when travelling in Canada. But if Canadian buses came with wi-fi, iPod jacks and food service, I might reconsider. Hey, Greyhound...are you listening?