It’s a free day in your program and you decide to visit the local tourist traps. Only…how are you supposed to get to them? Different countries favor different modes of transportation, and as a foreigner it may prove difficult to find the best transportation options.
Unlike the United States, many countries have been utilizing a wide range of transportation for years. While Americans favor independent commuting via their own cars or trucks, many other countries favor public transportation through the use of buses and trains.
The big questions to ponder are what your program’s country prefers and, even more specifically, what your local area utilizes, as well as what kind of transportation fits you best.
For instance, when I was in China during May 2015, my group was allotted bikes to use around town. Bikes are a big part of transportation in China, so this was nothing unconventional. Unfortunately, as we were adjusting them to our sizes, I discovered that somehow I had forgotten how to ride a bike (practicing in a busy alleyway didn’t really help either). Thus, for the rest of the month my friend (who also couldn’t ride a bike) and I took the bus around town.
This was a solution that worked for me and was still very common and affordable within the country (one yuan or fifteen cents per ride, just so you know). While I could have purchased a bus pass, my situation was fine with spending one yuan per ride.
If your area uses it and your situation leans toward heavy amounts of travel, a bus or train pass might be worth it. An example could be a program in Europe. Depending on your amount of free time and your location, purchasing a continent-wide train pass may be an enjoyable investment.
Before going through with any of these buys, it may be a smart move to check with locals, friends, or your program to find possible solutions. Locals will know reputable companies, shortcuts, and safe areas. Like them, friends both local and foreign, may have heard of a good cab company or bus line. If applicable to your location and situation, they might even let you borrow or rent their bikes or cars. Your program might offer deals on transportation or even a transportation service through the school or with the area. Even if they don’t, they’ll certainly have good travel advice for foreigners in the area.
In preparation for being in your program’s country and for using transportation, it’s good to know a bit of the language like words and phrases for “help,” or “I’m lost.” Google Maps isn’t everywhere, and Siri can only help you so far.
One night during my study in China, a few of my friends and I were waiting for two of our other friends to return. A girl in our group got a phone call. The two girls were lost at night on a bus. They had gotten on the wrong line. The girl on my end spoke Mandarin and attempted talking to passengers on the bus to determine our friends’ location. Fortunately, the passengers were very helpful and amused at our friends’ situation.
One of the passengers turned out to be an off-duty designated driver (apparently an occupation in the area) and ended up driving our friends back to our school for free after leaving the bus.
While they were extremely lucky to run into kind people, not everyone will have the same experience. Thus, knowing a bit of your area, traveling with a friend, and speaking a bit of the language are my personal encouragements.
Knowing the country’s culture will also help you when using transportation, at the very least to avoid catering to the “rude, loud American” stereotype. Chinese mass transit is often silent, or with a muffled chatter compared to the loud yelling on American buses and metros. Another useful thing I learned was that when taking a tour bus in China, one has to show their identification in order to purchase a ticket. That meant foreigners, like my group, had to show our passports just to travel an hour away.
Another reminder is to be aware that some countries, companies, and people will ask for a higher amount of money from you just because you’re a foreigner, look like one, or sound like one. In certain instances it’s best to go with the flow and culture, but in others (such as when the cashier at my school tried skipping my friends and I on our change), it might be best to politely ask why. In instances like these, it’s good to have cultural awareness and understanding. Asking locals and friends for input about certain instances will also provide insight on the cultural norms of your area. In all decisions, it’s your judgment.
It won’t hurt to investigate transportation possibilities before you leave abroad. Still, being flexible and prepared within the country will prove important to your travels. You never know when a strike or accident will occur, so don’t get too set on having the perfect plan.
[accordion_tab title=”Collegiate Correspondent: Christina Van Otterloo” default]
