Almost everything that goes wrong on an international trip after arrival is a transport problem: the transfer that was not arranged, the rental agreement nobody read, the night drive that should not have happened. Road crashes are also the single highest-risk thing most travelers do abroad. This section covers the mechanics that are the same everywhere. What the roads are actually like where you are going belongs to that destination’s own guide.
The short version
- Road crashes are a leading cause of death among travelers, on the CDC’s own assessment.
- Decide the airport transfer before you fly. The first hour is when you are most tired and least oriented.
- An International Driving Permit is a translation, not a license. Only two organizations can issue one to a U.S. driver.
- 85 of 211 destinations have transportation information that addresses travel or driving at night.
- Not driving is a legitimate answer, and often the right one.
What This Section Covers
Twelve guides on moving around a country you did not grow up in: on the road, on public transport, in a taxi, on a train, a bus, a ferry or a domestic flight, alone or with twenty other people. Each covers the part that travels with you from country to country (what an insurance waiver means, how a fare system works, what to check before you get into a car) and points you at your destination’s own guide for the local specifics.
What this section deliberately does not do
It does not tell you which metro line to take in Accra or whether the coastal road in Costa Rica is paved. That is destination knowledge, it changes, and LABUSA Travel publishes it per destination. A generic page that names a bus route is a page that will be wrong within a year.
The Decisions You Need to Make
- Will you drive? This is the largest single decision and it is not obligatory. If yes, an International Driving Permit and a reading of what changes when you drive abroad come first.
- How do you get from the airport? Settle it before departure. See getting from the airport to your hotel.
- How will you move between cities? Train, bus, domestic flight or ferry are rarely equivalent.
- How will you move within a city? Public transport and taxis and ride-hailing both need a little preparation.
- Are you a group? The arithmetic changes. See transportation for groups.
Start Here
If you read one page in this section, read road safety for international travelers. It is the page with the numbers behind it, and the one most likely to change what you actually do.
Guides in This Section
On the road
- Road Safety for International Travelers: what the global figures say, and the habits that follow from them.
- Driving in Another Country: what changes when you drive somewhere you did not learn to drive.
- International Driving Permits Explained: what an IDP is, and who is selling a document that is not one.
- Renting a Car Abroad: the counter, the waiver and the deposit.
Around a city
- Using Public Transportation Abroad: fares, validation and where to pay attention.
- Taxis and Ride-Hailing Abroad: which car to get into.
- Getting from the Airport to Your Hotel: the first hour.
Between cities
- Train Travel Between Cities: tickets, reservations and passes.
- Long-Distance Buses and Coaches: often the only link, and the mode to choose carefully.
- Domestic Flights Within Another Country: not the same as a domestic flight at home.
- Ferries and Boat Travel: the mode travel writing forgets.
With a group
- Transportation for Groups: chartering, headcounts and the cost of one late passenger.
Related Travel Tips
- Getting Around in Another Country: the short orientation this section expands on.
- Travel Safety Checklist
- Offline Maps: the single most useful transport app is a downloaded map.
Plan Your Trip With LABUSA Travel
Transport is the part of an itinerary that decides whether the rest of it works. A day that looks reasonable on paper becomes a night drive once you add a border queue, a comfort stop for twenty people and a road in worse condition than the map suggests. LABUSA Travel arranges vehicles, drivers and transfers as a matter of course, and builds itineraries whose driving days end before dark.
Talk with a LABUSA Travel advisor about an itinerary you are considering, or browse our destination guides, each of which carries a transport section for that specific country.
Not sure whether to drive, or how a group of twenty should move between three cities?
Verify Before You Travel
Road conditions, traffic laws, public transport guidance, aviation oversight status and maritime information are published per destination by the U.S. Department of State and independently by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Road-safety guidance for travelers comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the global figures from the World Health Organization.
Travel requirements, health guidance and safety conditions can change. Always confirm current requirements with the appropriate government or official authority before departure.