How to use Public Transport A guide for people using public transport for the first time by Adrian Higgins

How to use this guide Each heading has a link to subsequent information so it is easy to drill down to the exact type of transport and get step by step information on how to comfortably navigate your way through it. This guide is written for people that have never encountered public transport before and as such may provide unnecessary information for the seasoned traveller. It can however, assist as a refresher for those less frequent travellers. A further purpose of this guide is to provide information for those unfamiliar with or not linked to the web. It is important to remember that there are many people willing to help. Sources of information Types of Transport

Sources of information Your Travel Agent Your Governmental Department of Foreign Affairs Your Foreign embassy in the country you intend to visit. The local tourism office in the city you intend to visit. The local information office in the city you are visiting The information office of the transport service provider (remember this person may not speak your language) The concierge at the hotel where you are staying Online Wikihow.com will offer step by step ways to do things Google.com

Type of transport There are many types of transportation offered. Choose the hyperlinked headings below to jump to that section Ground Water Air Space (not available yet)

Ground Ground Transportation consists primarily of two distinct options Road and Rail Road Rail Type of Transport

Road There are a number of forms of road transport principally divided into Intercity Road and Intracity Road. Intercity links major towns and cities. Intracity are comprised of routes within a city or individually tailored transport Intercity Road Intracity Road Type of Transport

Intercity Road Type of Transport These are generally large single or double decker busses or coaches designed for comfortable travel between cities. To travel using this service: Contact the service provider You can do this in a number of ways By phone Through travel agent By internet At a ticket office or shop At the bus station. Book a ticket Arrive at the bus station 30 minutes before departure Count your belongings before you board the bus. Ie Suitcase, laptop, shopping bag and Jacket = 4 items Board the correct bus (always ask the conductor to confirm as you board that you are on the correct bus, bus stations have many services departing from them and the same service provider may have multiple departures at the same time to different destinations). Some journeys have multiple stops and change the bus personnel, if you leave the bus at a rest stop, ensure you know what time it departs and what the number of the coach is (normally printed on the front and back) it may have moved while you are away from it. Arrive at destination and make sure you take all your belongings off the bus and out of the trailer or underneath. Make sure it tallies with the number when you boarded. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Intracity Road There are several forms of transport offered ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive: Municipal bus Bus-Rapid Transit Minibus Taxi Airport / Train / Event Shuttle Bus Minibus Taxi

Municipal bus Locate a bus stop When the bus approaches raise your arm When it stops, board the bus Pay for your journey. Depending on the service provider you may be able to pay in Cash Coupons Paper ticket Smart Card Credit Card Debit card Ask the bus driver to indicate your stop if you don’t know where to get off When the bus stops take your belongings and leave. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Bus-Rapid Transit This service uses dedicated bus lanes and is quicker than municipal busses Locate a bus stop or bus station When the bus approaches raise your arm at a bus stop, in a bus station the bus stops automatically When it stops, board the bus Pay for your journey. Depending on the service provider you may be able to pay in Cash Coupons Paper ticket Smart Card Credit Card Debit card Ask the bus driver to indicate your stop if you don’t know where to get off When the bus stops take your belongings and leave. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Minibus Taxi Locate a Taxi Rank or hail one in the street When it stops, board the bus Pay for your journey in Cash Tell the driver your destination Ask the bus driver to indicate your stop if you don’t know where to get off When the bus stops take your belongings and leave Type of Transport

Airport / Train / Event Shuttle To use this service Call or book on-line, event organisers generally provide their own ticket services which are free to participants Reserve a ticket or collect one from the event organiser Find out from the service provider or your hotel where to board the bus Be on time, however shuttle services generally make several trips daily or hourly. Make sure there is sufficient time to make a connection to other transportation should you require this. Board the bus At the destination make sure you take all your belongings with you. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Taxi It is quite possible to travel from one continent to another by taxi but you might have to mortgage your house. Taxi’s are the most expensive form of public transport. To use one: Call the taxi by Phone (or your travel agent or hotel concierge can do it for you) Hail a Taxi in the street Some taxi’s can be booked on line Board the taxi Arrive at your destination Pay the fare (this is the only form of public transport where the fare is not pre- determined, because it is metered i.e. measured from start to finish) It is however, the most flexible form of public transport because you the customer determine the point of collection and disembarkation Type of Transport

Rail There are a number of forms of rail transport principally divided into Intercity Rail , Suburban Rail and Inner City Rail. Intercity links major towns and cities. Suburban are comprised of routes linking outlying areas with a city and Inner-city Rail is very localised transport commonly referred to as metros Intercity Rail Suburban Rail Inner-city Rail Type of Transport

Intercity Rail Type of Transport This is long distance (stops are infrequent usually in cities or major towns) high speed (trains usually move at more than 150km/hr) mass transportation. Trains on this type of service frequently travel internationally so you may require a passport. To use it: Buy a ticket at a ticket office or from a vending machine or online from the service provider . Tickets take many forms; Single journey ticket – often paper Travel Passes – usually only available to foreigners so you will have to book this through a travel agent before you leave your home country Monthly or multi-journey ticket – sometimes paper or card Pay as you go smart card Get a map of the complete network before you board If it is an international service you will be required to go through passport control Some services require you and your belongings to be scanned by an X-ray device prior to boarding Scan your ticket at the turnstile, in some stations there is no barrier between the station concourse and the platform, in these cases it is sometimes necessary to verify the ticket at a scanner at the beginning of the platform (failure to do this may get you evicted from the train by a conductor) Locate the correct platform for the direction of travel This is important because some networks designate trains according to where they are going to and others where they have come from. Board the train (courtesy dictates that you let passengers alight before you board). Most modern services have a scrolling board highlighting the next station and final destination as well as verbal confirmation. Caution: this may not be in your language if there is no advice on the train, check at the next stop that the train is in fact going in the direction you wish to travel. If not disembark and find your way to the platform in the opposite direction and board that train. Count the number of stops to your destination and also determine the name of the station before it, this will enable you time to move to the door as trains stop only briefly. As these are generally longer journeys there will be ample time between stops When you leave the train make sure you have all your belongings. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Suburban Rail Type of Transport This is medium distance (stops are frequent but usually more than 5km apart) moderate speed (trains usually move up to 150km/hr) mass transportation. To use it: Buy a ticket at a ticket office or from a vending machine. Tickets take many forms; Single journey ticket – often paper Monthly or multi-journey ticket – sometimes paper or card Pay as you go smart card (these are often able to be used on multi-modes of transport like rail, bus and river within the same city) Get a map of the complete network before you board Scan your ticket at the turnstile, some services do not have turnstiles but use conductors to randomly check validity. A fine and eviction are usually levied for invalid travel Locate the correct platform for the direction of travel This is important because some networks designate trains according to where they are going to and others where they have come from. Board the train (courtesy dictates that you let passengers alight before you board). Most modern services have a scrolling board highlighting the next station and final destination as well as verbal confirmation. Caution: this may not be in your language if there is no advice on the train, check at the next stop that the train is in fact going in the direction you wish to travel. If not disembark and find your way to the platform in the opposite direction and board that train. Count the number of stops to your destination and also determine the name of the station before it, this will enable you time to move to the door as trains stop only briefly When you leave the train make sure you have all your belongings. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Inner-city Rail Type of Transport This is short distance (stops are often less than 1000m apart) slow speed (trains usually move at 80km/hr or less) mass transportation. Sometimes the rails are embedded in the road surface (trams), elevated above it or located underground To use it: Buy a ticket at a ticket office or from a vending machine. Tickets take many forms; Single journey ticket – often paper Monthly or multi-journey ticket – sometimes paper or card Pay as you go smart card (these are often able to be used on multi-modes of transport like rail, bus and river within the same city) Get a map of the complete network before you board Scan your ticket at the turnstile Locate the correct platform for the direction of travel This is important because some networks designate trains according to where they are going to and others where they have come from. Board the train (courtesy dictates that you let passengers alight before you board). Most modern services have a scrolling board highlighting the next station and final destination as well as verbal confirmation. Caution: this may not be in your language if there is no advice on the train, check Check at the next stop that the train is in fact going in the direction you wish to travel. If not disembark and find your way to the platform in the opposite direction and board that train. In addition most services have a strip map of the route above the door. In some cases this is electronic Count the number of stops to your destination and also determine the name of the station before it, this will enable you time to move to the door as trains stop only briefly When you leave the train make sure you have all your belongings. Make your way either to the exit or to another line to travel to a new destination. At Stations there are often links to other transport services and you may wish to continue your journey on one of these Type of Transport

Water Water transportation is divided principally into three areas, river, coastal and oceanic Type of Transport

Air Air transport is divided into three groups, local, regional and intercontinental. It is important to remember a journey may comprise of all of these Local Flights Regional Flights Intercontinental Flights Type of Transport

Local Flights Type of Transport These are flights within the same country of short duration less than 3 hours. To use this service: Book a flight With a travel agent Direct with the airline By Phone Online Arrive at the airport – How do I get to the airport? Ground Transportation Locate your airline Ask information Large overhead displays provide check in counter details – i.e. Scare Air counters 48-52 Check in You can do this on line before you even reach the airport Using this option, you will still have to go to the baggage deposit counter for the airline You can do this at the check in counter You can do this at self check in terminals Travel through security Board the aircraft Enjoy in flight services on-board the aircraft Disembark Follow signs to luggage carousel Leave airport Type of Transport

Regional Flights These are flights within the same continent of medium duration between 3 and 6 hours. To use this service: Book a flight Arrive at the airport Locate your airline Check in Travel through security go though passport control/ customs Board the aircraft Enjoy in flight services on-board the aircraft Disembark Follow signs to luggage carousel Leave airport Type of Transport

Intercontinental Flights These are long distance flights to different continents usually more than 6 hours. To use this service: Book a flight Arrive at the airport Locate your airline Check in Travel through security go though passport control/ customs Board the aircraft Enjoy in flight services on-board the aircraft Disembark Follow signs to luggage carousel Leave airport Type of Transport

In flight services

Online Booking of tickets Online pages differ but most will have the following: Number of Passengers This may be divided into passenger ages (some airlines offer discounted travel for children but the definition of child varies from airline to airline) Date of Travel It is sometimes cheaper to travel on different days of the week (Fridays and Monday mornings tend to be more expensive) Whether a return ticket is required Logically you cannot return before you depart (check dates before entering) Once all the info is entered and submitted the next page will normally reveal various options The top list is usually a group of options for the outward leg, the bottom list is for the return journey Prices may be published next to each option Once you submit your choice of flights the next page will normally reveal your choice and the overall cost of the flight Read carefully, sometimes taxes and other charges are not displayed At this point some airlines offer additional services like booking cars and hotel rooms You should now be invited to book A page requesting payment (usually by credit card) appears In addition the personal details of the passenger are requested You will not be able to book without a passport or ID If you have an e-mail address and include it here, a copy of your ticket will be forwarded to you If you include a cell phone number, an SMS should confirm your booking Clicking submit will elicit one of 2 options Insufficient funds(This means sadly that you are not going to fly) Confirmed (congratulations your suitcase may be filled as your bank account is emptied, you are now ready to fly A confirmation of your ticket should be sent to your e-mail address Sometimes an SMS confirmation is sent to your cell phone If you do not have either a cell phone or an e-mail address, providing your id or passport at the airport will enable the airline to print out a ticket Local Flights Regional Flights Intercontinental Flights Type of Transport