Going on a holiday in the Philippines is probably one of the best vacation decisions you can ever make. The country is full of hidden getaways, surprising sights, exotic food, quaint customs and interesting festivals that make for a truly unforgettable experience.
Be warned, the traffic in Manila is very complicated. Without nerves of steel, you’d better think twice about driving there, notorious as the city is for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers.
Unless you intend to get around in a guided tour bus, you will certainly find yourself dealing with different means of public transportation to go from place to place.
There are lots of cheap options for traveling in the Philippines. For long distances on bigger islands, buses are your best choice. Taking the train is only possible on the northern island of Luzon. Check out the most common means of transportation across the Philippines and see whether you’d like to try all or some of them:

3 calesa street view manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1140945

Calesa or kalesa

Before the jeepneys ruled, there was the kalesa. These days, it could only be seen in tourist spots such as Intramuros and Vigan. A kalesa is a horse-drawn carriage that used to drive around the streets but is now mostly left for tourists’ use. Manila and Intramuros in particular offer a kalesa ride the old-fashioned way, with your coachman serving as tour guide, in a complete costume. I didn’t use kalesa but was allowed to get in for a picture in Intramuros.

16 calesa manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1150037

17 calesas intramuros manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1150039

Taxis

Taxis are widely available in the Philippine capital and offer a cheap way to travel. Remember to remind your driver to switch on the meter though. Some drivers deliberately neglect to do so or try to convince you to pay a lump sum, which usually amounts to more than a metered trip would. There is a wide variety of taxis to choose from in the Manila area. Some are old pieces of junk that don’t even have air conditioning. Taxi drivers generally have no scruples about ripping you off. Don’t hesitate to cut your ride short and get out if the driving is too bad. The flag-down fare is 30 PHP, and 3.50 PHP is charged for every 300 meters, as well as for every 90 seconds of waiting time, so a lump sum is an option if the traffic is too tight. My experience was taking a metered taxi from a domestic airport, and it was a pleasant trip. Both times when I caught a taxi on the street, they refused to use a meter and I agreed to a lump sum. In both cases, they asked me to pay a road toll on top of that which I didn’t like at all. Once I caught a taxi and the driver did agree to use the meter though.

1 taxis street view manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1140933

Buses

Local buses run all throughout the city, connecting major destinations in Makati and other districts of Metro Manila. While taking the bus is an incredibly cheap way to travel and explore the city, they are prone to traffic jams and, therefore, delays. Buses are also a good option for long-distance travels. However, it’s not always easy to find the right bus or even the right place of departure, as there is no central bus station and no central information centre. Most likely, your best bet is talking to a taxi driver, as they usually know all about buses. Another option is taking a bus.
Busses can be air-conditioned or not. The prices start at 4 pesos (not air-conditioned busses) or 9 pesos (air-conditioned busses). Half a peso must be added for every successive km.
I used buses to go to Capas for my Pinatubo mount trek and to get Taal and Lipa cities from Manila. The most valuable information you can get from locals is which bus station or terminal to take for a particular trip. In all cases buses were air conditioned and a few even had wifi. Quick tip: air conditioned buses are usually very cold. Make sure you have a jacket, a coat or something else to keep you warm.

10 DLTB bus philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1170141

13 dltb bus lemery philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1170442

Tricycles

For the shortest trips, you will probably end up in a tricycle. Tricycles in the Philippines resemble the auto rickshaws of India and the tuk-tuks of Thailand and other Asian countries, except that the cab is attached to the right side of the motorcycle instead of being in front or at the back. These are motorcycles with a small sidecar attached to it. These can be found everywhere, except on certain city roads, and they will take you anywhere. Costs vary, it’s often best to agree on a price before you get in. Depending on the construction and discretion of the driver, the tricycle can ferry from 2 to 7 people.
I used a tricycle in Taal to get to the bus for Manila and back, and also in Lipa city to get to my hotel. In all cases, I agreed on a price before the ride. I am not sure how good my deal was but not so expensive anyway.

11 trycicles taal philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1170154

30 tricycle coron www.thesanetravel.com 1170677

Pedicabs

These can be considered to be the silent version of tricycles as bicycles are essentially used, with a passenger cab attached to the side or in the front. The driver uses pedal power to transport passengers. Normally you will see pedicabs on side streets and some subdivisions that don’t allow for tricycles to enter. Pedicabs can seat a maximum of three passengers. I used pedicab in Intramuros, with the driver serving also as a guide.

18 pedicabs intramuros manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1150160

Jeepneys

Lots of inner-city travel is carried out on “jeepneys”. A jeepney is a combination of a jeep and a bus. An extended jeep, as you may call it. The idea came up because American jeeps had been left in the Philippines after the Second World War. Jeepneys can also be considered pieces of art. They are all decorated differently, according to the taste and means of their owners. It’s very unlikely you could find two jeepneys looking the same.
Jeepneys are pretty confusing and tend to be left to experienced expats or adventurous tourists. This is the cheapest kind of transportation here in the Philippines. If you want to try out the Jeepney, the regular fare is 8.00 pesos by now. But it also depends on how far you need to go. Make sure you have coins because paying with a 1,000 peso note will not make you popular. This equals a few days salary of the drivers. Make sure you know where you are going and where to stop because jeepneys drive around everywhere. Be ready to wait for a little while as drivers are allowed to wait until their jeepney is full.
I used a jeepney in Lipa city. The locals were very welcoming and explained to me which jeepney I have to take and where to get off.

12 jeepney taal philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1170313

15 jeepneys manila philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1140906

21 jeepney factory philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1150556

22 jeepney factory philippines www.thesanetravel.com 1150554

26 jeepneys banaue www.thesanetravel.com 1160521

27 jeepneys banaue www.thesanetravel.com 1160923

LRT

During the latter years of the Marcos era, the Metro Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT) was established to provide cheaper and faster direct routes in Metro Manila. Currently, there are 29 LRT stations. I have no experience with them.

Flights

Three major airlines – Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and Air Philippines serve for domestic routes while several smaller airlines offer flights to and from selected destinations. Rates are higher than sea travel but most airlines offer discounts to those traveling with a single hand carryon luggage. One thing I did not like too much was that in many cases you have to make your way through Manila because smaller cities are not directly connected. I have my own experience with Cebu Pacific Air going to Cauayan and Sky Jet going to Busuanga for Coron island hopping. SkyJet was cheaper than Cebu Pacific Air for Busuanga. It’s why I chose it. In all cases, flights were on time. Just SkyJet plane windows were unbelievably scratched so I had no chance to make good quality pictures from my window seat. By the way, did you know that the Philippines is one of the comparatively cheap Asian destinations to fly to

23 philippines airplane www.thesanetravel.com 1160102

24 cebupacificair airplane www.thesanetravel.com 116019028 skyjet airplane busuanga www.thesanetravel.com 117045528 skyjet airplane interior www.thesanetravel.com 117046029 skyjet airplane scratched window www.thesanetravel.com 1170461
What is your favorite mode of transport for in-country travel? Share your opinion in the comments section!

Check out the most common means of transportation across the #Philippines and see whether you’d like to try all or some of them. #visitPhilippines #travel #publictransport

  • Published by Anita on November 21, 2016

 

Author: Anita Sāne

Anita 03 18

About the author
Anita is a part-time traveller, passionate photographer and a retired career woman from Latvia, 
travelling mostly solo for more than 15 years. She is a skilled travel planner who plans and executes her travels by herself. Anita wants to show you how to travel the world and open your mind to new experiences. Follow her on FacebookInstagramPinterestTwitter and Bloglovin.

 

 

 
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Anablas A. Corpus
Great tips it so very useful. And very interesting!
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Eva
Loved the public transport options and pictures in the Philippines!
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LimoTaxi
Breathtaking Pictures! Great guide. Thanks for involvement this piece. A complete guide for those who need to travel in the Philippines. Modest and Easy to read. I like it!
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Maureen
Great post! It is surprisingly difficult to find detailed info about public transportation in different countries. Thank you for sharing :)
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Maureen
Awesome tips! This is so useful! especially when it comes to something important like transportation, safety is always the utmost concern!
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berry
Informative content on public transport in Philippines.Loved to know about Kalesa, which have been the resource in most of the countries for transportation almost 100 years back.
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hi
If you would like to obtain a good deal from this paragraph then you have to apply such methods to your won blog.
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jony jin
Wow! this article is really interesting in reading. nice work..
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Geemiz Traveler
Comprehensive list of Philippines transportation. This is surely helpful to visitors of our country. Thank you so much for the list.
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Anthony Jury
That is some awesome transport, very unique but to be expected in Southeast Asia. I want to get on the tricycle or pedicab. they look cool.
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Agness of Fit Travel
Excellent tips! I would love to explore the Philippines with a tricycle! Do you have to be an experienced driver?
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Elena
Great post! It is surprisingly difficult to find detailed info about public transportation in different countries. Thank you for sharing :)
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Dean
Now I have another reason for wanting to visit the Philippines... to try some of these crazy forms of transport.
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Sara Fergie
It's interesting that you know more of my country's public transport than me. But, then I am from Cebu so I know so little of Manila's transport system. Thanks to your post I know a little bit better now :)
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The Travel Captain
There are some very cool, retro looking modes of transportation here :) The traffic sounds nuts, experienced something similar when i traveled to India. Great tips included here, thanks for sharing
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Chiera
the tricycles and pedicabs look amazing! I would love to try one of them out! Coold post and relaly lovely photography :)
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Soumya Nambiar
I would love to use all forms of public transportation. Taxis are always the last option for me but looks like if you are careful enough, they would be the most convenient. I remember the Jeepneys from Amazing race, I think.
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Arzo Travels
Great to hear about the different options. Love the tricycle the most (because it is the most unusual for me :)
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Faith Coates
Love those jeepneys what an ingenious way to recycle a vehicle. The pictures are just perfect all that colour it reminded me of the chicken buses you see in the caribbean.
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Liza
This is a very nice article! Thanks for sharing. I hope to come to Philippines next year, so it will be really useful :)

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