Public transport or self-drive

Should you rather travel with the general public or take the wheel yourself in a rental?

We have tried a little bit of both on our travels so far. Both have benefits, depending on the type of trip you are on, the place you are visiting and the budget.

Public transport:

• Most big cities and larger towns have extensive public transport infrastructures in place including bus routes, trains and many even subways. This should allow you to get around the city without having your own vehicle or using more expensive taxi services.
• Most subway systems are very well designed and easy to understand.
• Most trains and subway systems allow for quicker travel than vehicles, especially in peak traffic.
• In most cases, public transport will be more affordable than renting a car.
• You don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot in a busy area.
• You don’t have the responsibility of taking care of a vehicle that doesn’t belong to you, being careful of scratching it or getting into an accident.
• You don’t have to worry about the car breaking down. If a train or bus breaks down, it is not your responsibility. You can simply wait for it to be fixed or catch the next one.
• You don’t have to worry about getting speeding fines.
• If you are not born with a built in GPS (like my husband), you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You just have to make sure you are on the right place at the right time and then you can sit down and relax all the way; even take a nap.
• It might be difficult to get around large, busy cities or historical old towns with a rental car, especially if you are used to driving on the other side of the road.

Rental Car:

• Renting a car and driving around the smaller streets is certainly the best way to get to know a place and its unique culture in depth.
• Driving around with a rental car gives you freedom of choice with regards to the places you can visit, as not all towns have a variety of public transport options in place.
• It also allows you freedom of choice with regards to the times you want to travel. You are not dependent on public transport schedules, hurrying to catch a train or waiting at a station for the train to arrive. You can stay longer if you want to and leave when you prefer.
• Having a rental car makes it easier to get around with your luggage, as you can leave it in the car wherever you go. If you have ever tried to get a 20 kg suitcase on to a subway train before the doors close, you would understand!
• A rental car allows more privacy – hygiene, control over the air-conditioning and radio and control over stops along the way.

In order to choose the right option, one must decide on the objective of the trip. Exploring a big city calls for public transport while getting to know the countryside is much easier with a rental car. We found that with some detailed planning, a little bit of both might be the perfect solution.