Five Reasons To Take The Public Transportation For Your Travels

When I was younger, trains and buses meant the freedom to get out and see the world prior to having an automobile of my own. Although I have an efficient vehicle that has served me for decades, it is still enjoyable to sit in the passenger's seat.

Renting a car is easier, and you'll be able to get to your destination faster with private taxis and flights. However, there are plenty of advantages to taking a train or bus to travel the world if you are able to.

Here are my top five reasons to take public transportation when traveling:

You get to meet real people

Trains and buses are two of the places in which you're most likely to meet other people who live in the town or country that you're in. Too often when visiting the new location, I feel like I get caught up talking to fellow travellers I meet at my hotel or hostel. It's fine but in order to get to know a place you need to connect with locals as well, and it's really easy to strike up a conversation on a subway or bus. You may get additionalinformation about public transport by browsing http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/may/22/amazon-futuristic-new-downtown-seattle-hq-microsoft-nintendo site.

Perhaps it's just me but I find people friendlier on buses and trains as opposed to planes. The whole process of flying today is exhausting enough that by the time I board I'm in a state of numbness, ready to tune out the world around me and get lost within my "portable electronic device" just as soon as they let it. It's probably just me. I'm sick of flying lately!

2. The views are breathtaking. It is possible to sit down!

Most of the time, the surface rail or bus lines can connect the main attractions of cities, allowing you to understand the layout of the land before you begin to explore the neighborhoods within. Subterranean subways are wonderful however, they don't allow for much.

It's not necessary to walk as far or cover as many hills as you did in the past, which is great in cities such as San Francisco and Lisbon!

Quirky drivers and decor

Bus drivers, particularly in cities that have buses owned by an independent firm and spend a significant amount of time in their bus. The buses may be creatively painted with bright colors on the outside, and the driver's space will be all decked out as his/her home away from home. Velour curtains have been seen covering the driver's area, as well as altars dedicated to Buddha or Virgin Mary and family members, and safety amulets. If you are seated in the front, the drivers will often talk to you to break the monotony of their route, and will make sure that you are at the right place.

It's how the rest of the world travels

Even if you are in a car-centric culture such as the United States, it is crucial to keep in mind that not all people is able to afford a car. The majority of people use public transportation like buses or train to get where they need to be, whether at home or in foreign countries.

This makes cities more attractive.

This article is a result of my experiences as an urban planner and environmentalist. Using public transportation reduces the amount of private cars that are on the road, which leads to less traffic and lower air pollution as well as making cities more pleasant places to go for travelers, and to live in for the community you're visiting. The fees paid to use the lines of public transportation in the city is a vote for system expansion. If nobody uses it, then no legislator would approve of funding them.