15 Interesting Ways to Get Around Across the Globe

There’s more to transport around the world than just taxis and trains. A new graphic from Gocompare.com looks at the cultural icons used to get their passengers from A to B.

When you’re travelling abroad, it’s not always possible to get an Uber, and trains might not get you where you need to go. Even the local taxis might not work for what you want – so why not get involved with the culture and try the local transport instead? 

Depending on where you are, there could be anything – a Thai songthaew, perhaps. The part-bus, part-pickup truck offers seating with an open back and a platform to cling onto – mind those bumps!. Or, how about the Dutch Amfibus, which can take you along the road, but has no problems getting you across the River Clyde either. 

You take the Suspension Motorail, and I’ll take the Burro Taxi

Although they’re used for different purposes – some get you across water, some get you to remote villages, and some are purely for tourists in modern times – they can be the best way to get around, and more importantly, they’re often the best way to get a sense for the local culture. Some of the most prominent include:

• Felucca – an Egyptian sailboat made of wood, these can hold up to ten people – and have been doing so for thousands of years.

• The Wuppertal Suspension Motorail – one of the most popular routes on the list, the German Motorail system transports nearly 82,000 passengers each day. It’s also the oldest elevated railway with hanging cars in the world.

• Coco Taxi – they’re quite loud, but the Cuban take on auto-rickshaws are worth the trip just to say you rode in something named after a coconut – because it looks like one.

• Burro Taxi – On the other end of the taxi scale from Cocos is the burro taxi. Used in Mijas, in Spain, it consists of a donkey, which carries tourists around. The capacity is a little lower than a motorised vehicle – each can only take one person.

• Habal-Habal – Not an option for the faint-hearted, the Philippine Habal-Habals seat up to 13 people on a single motorcycle, thanks to the addition of planks on either side. Hold on tight!

“Sometimes the journey is as much of an experience as the destination,” said Matt Oliver, from Gocompare.com van insurance, “Taking a boat or a rickshaw can be a much more interesting trip than hopping on a bus.”

Wherever you’re going, and however you want to get there, make sure you check out how to get around using the infographic from Gocompare.com.