Getting Around Indonesia
Getting around while traveling in Indonesia can be quite a challenge considering its huge and archipelagic location. There are many types of transportation available. However, it is best to plan ahead to minimize the risks.
Plane
If considering a time constraint during your journey, traveling by planes might be the fastest. Indonesia has many affordable local carriers to travel between cities and islands. The biggest one is Garuda Indonesia, followed by Lion Air, Citilink, and many others.
Train
If traveling in between cities in Java, do check the train route and schedule. Despite the more expensive price, trains are faster than buses. There are different classes of travel, which are executive, business and economy. Food and beverages can be obtained onboard.
Boats
Boats and ferries are essentials vehicles to get around. Ferries are still commonly used for inter islands transportation, for example when traveling in land by cars or buses from Java to Sumatera. Visitors can also use boats through big ports and continue the journey using smaller boats, even a simpler kind of boats are still used in remote areas.
Buses
Indonesia has an extensive network of inter-city and inter-island buses (ferries are used between the islands) that depart and arrive from city terminals. Three classes of buses are usually available for long distance travel: economy (non-air-con), executive and VIP/luxury. While luxury is a relative term, these buses are reasonably comfortable and are often worth the extra money. For day-time travel, get to the terminal earlier in the day, since it is more frequent compared to night time. You can also book your fare through online apps or travel agents.
