Travel & Transport

FINDING LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Rome to Rio is an excellent tool as a jumping off point when you are visiting a location where you will need to travel between regions, islands, or if you have to map your way between several countries. This resource will connect you to multiple options for each leg of the journey.

Essential Transportation Tips:

1: Do a quick search engine dive to learn which taxi apps are local or in use in the region. The same goes for the best local metro, train, or ferry apps.

2: For some specific directions or routes, it’s far better to ask a local once there because often the simplest and cheapest option is not clearly obvious or even accessible online. For example, in Naples, the ferry schedules and options can be confusing online but when there in person, its simple, and locals will help you navigate the options with more clarity.

3: You will have heard this everywhere, but always negotiate the cost before setting off in a taxi. Cash will usually get you a better price, and if pushed, insist you simply don’t have any more cash. Ask a local what a fair price is.

FINDING FLIGHTS

Google flights is a great place to start. Their top features include the option to compare rates on different dates easily, charts to show how prices have risen or fallen recently, the option to get alerts on a flight search so you will be notified if the prices for your potential trip drop or rise, the ability for the flexible traveler to select “explore” and look at flights to “anywhere” from your choice location.

Keep in mind however, some airlines will have specials that won’t be on google and some countries have airlines that are not going to show up on a Google Flight search. You can research the regional airlines and go to those sites directly, pop in your dates and compare pricing. An example would be Egypt Airlines. They will not pull up on a Google Flights search but may be the best option for your flight needs. Likewise local airlines in many (particularly eastern) countries will not show up on a google flights search.

We recommend using google flights as a tool to hone in on good prices and dates but to always book directly through the airlines.