Places around the world have various forms of public transit. Some are better than others, some are basically non-existent, while others are vast but underutilized, so how can you decide if you should take transit on a trip?

I’m from Montreal, where transit is at times, the ONLY way to get around. We have so much construction, so many road closures and the roads are… a little rough most of the time. The metro is usually pretty reliable, fast and runs most of the day, though not 24 hours, and it can get you all over the island and off it in a few places.

Places with incredible transit systems that I’ve visited include New York City which is home to one of the most famous transit systems in the world, Sydney & Melbourne in Australia, Germany, Austria, France, England (Specifically Paris and London) which are two of the oldest systems in the world, being founded in 1890 and 1900 respectively.

So, what’s so great about using public transit while on a trip? Some of the same things that make it great in your home city.

Using these transit systems have allowed me to get around quickly, efficiently and quite frankly, cheaply. Taking transit instead of taxis, shuttles or Ubers has probably saved me hundreds because it’s so much more affordable, and typically takes the same amount of time to get from point A to Point B. It’s also quite environmentally friendly. I love the option of transit because it allows me to cover a lot of ground in less time and because its an easy way to plan out my day or even an entire trip. The systems are also historic in many places with old artwork and even placards with information explaining the history of the system or individual station. You also don’t have to worry about finding parking somewhere relatively safe, paying for that parking and maintaining it so you don’t get a ticket.

They allow me to see the city the same way a local does and I often plan my accommodation around the fact there’s transportation nearby. Many places have 24-hour transit options so you don’t have to worry about being stranded anywhere if you stay out late after taking in the sights or an event at night or later than expected after getting lost (accidentally or on purpose) on your way to the transit stops.

Other places that have great transit include Japan, China, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and cities all over Europe, Australia, The United States of America and my home country of Canada.

What’s not so great about transit? Again, the same stuff that makes it a pain at home and even some of the things that make it great…

It’s not always easy though, travelling with my bags on and off transit can get tricky, especially if it’s rush hour. If you travel on transit during rush hour already, you’re probably cringing at the idea f having any kind of luggage with you during rush hour. The crowds of people who use transit can be huge, especially if there was an event like a hockey game that lets out thousands of people at once all going in one of two directions. Not to mention the scent that some people admit because they’re overheating on the metro because it is so DAMN HOT, or because the think Axe body spray smells good.

If you’ve never been on the tube in London, you may not get this, so I’ll link some stuff below that gives a better explanation than I may. “Confusing” is the KINDEST way I would put the tube, at least it was when I visited, it’s since gotten an upgrade map wise, but there are still multiple tickets for those who don’t take the oyster card, and this is London which is fairly tourist friendly. This is also not taking into consideration potential language barriers or getting lost in different corridors.

Other places that don’t have as many tourists or business travellers may not have as large an infrastructure or may have one but it is not as reliable.

Remember how I said some of them are historic? Yeah, that means some are out of date, slow, under renovation or just entirely run down and unable to support the number of people who use or would like to use it, others are incredibly modern but there are so many people they have people hired to push everyone in.

Do be aware as well that sexual assault reports have gone up overall in the past few years, so they are not always safe for women, but that is not something that should discourage you per se because many believe the numbers have stayed the same, but more people now choose to report these events and broadcast them on social media, along with assaults in Ubers and Taxis.

There are a few other ways that are kind of public, like car sharing programs, like car2go, Communauto, Turo and Zipcar just to name a few allow you to have a private vehicle to get around in and in some cases have prime parking spots in places where it can be hard to find. Many places now have public bicycles which I have mixed feelings about, but that’s a whole other topic.