On the road
Public transport in a city you don't know: sorted in ten minutes
Which ticket to buy, how to validate and what to check before you get on. The method that works in any city in the world.
Claudia Ferrán 5 min Photo by Oren Yomtov on Unsplash Every city has its own system and they all resemble each other more than it seems. With these four questions settled before you get on anything, transport stops feeling like a chore.
The four questions
- Which ticket is worth it: single, a book of journeys or a day pass?
- Where do you buy it: machine, ticket office, app or on board?
- How do you validate, and do you have to validate on the way out too?
- Can you pay directly with a card or a phone?
The third is the one that generates fines: there are cities where not validating is an offence even with a ticket, and others where you have to tap out or be charged the maximum.
Card payment, which has changed everything
In more and more cities you get in by tapping your bank card or your phone, without buying anything. Where it exists, it is usually the simplest option for a traveller, and sometimes it even applies the daily cap automatically.
Check beforehand whether your card charges a fee on small transactions in foreign currency, because one journey a day for a week is a lot of transactions.
How to avoid that fee is in paying by card abroad.
Before leaving your accommodation
- Download the city map and the transit map, which is often a separate app that works offline.
- Mark the accommodation on the map.
- Check the time of the last service, which in many cities is earlier than you think.
- And have a plan B: what a taxi or a ride-hailing car would cost from wherever you are going to be.
Taxis
Where there is an app, use it: fixed price, recorded route and no haggling. Where there isn't, ask at the accommodation for the going rate before heading out, because that is what avoids the awkward conversation on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Which ticket should I buy in a new city?
It depends how many journeys you will make: a single for a few, a book of journeys or a day pass if you move around a lot. And check whether you can pay directly by card.
Do you have to validate the ticket?
In many cities yes, and not doing so is an offence even if you have one. In others you have to validate on the way out as well.
Can I pay with my phone?
In more and more cities yes, by tapping the card or the phone at the gate. Check the fee per transaction in foreign currency.
What should I download before heading out?
The city map, the transit app if it works offline and the accommodation marked on the map.
