Yes find it one of the easiest ways to get around especially when staying in Amsterdam or Barcelona!

Definitely!

Anywhere with trams is a nightmare if you are travelling by car, and there are one-way systems to drive you mad!! Public transport is usually efficient, regular and goes to all the right places! Plus you get to meet the local folk and it's cheap!

I know exactly what you mean Juby because I'm the same. The fear is of not knowing where to get off However, we do intend using the dolmuses in Oludeniz next week wish me luck!

Yes usually use the bus in summer destinations, but on city breaks have used trams and tubes. Doesn't really matter if you land up in the wrong place, you can always get off and return to base. We once waited at a bus stop in Crete for an hour, and still the right bus didn't turn up

I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't have usable public transport. The biggest problem these days is not the quality of the transport but the quality of the info for it, so it's worth checking before you go rather than wasting time when you arrive. For example, if you go to the Algarve there is a reasonable bus and train service (well 6/10) but the only decent info is on cubsur's website (linked from this site) which is a bit difficult if you're stood at a deserted bus stop on a Saturday afternoon!!

I always find it remarkable how other countries seem to be able to run a proper public transport system that is easy to understand (even in a foreign tongue), is reasonably priced, runs on time and goes everywhere even late into the night (and all night in some instances) and is integrated so trains and buses connect. Then I come home to find yet again they have changed all the bus numbers, routes, times, hours and prices so that it is not worth even trying to use them.

Obviously it depends on where I go. If it's a city break then whatever is available.. bus, tram or underground.
On most of my short one week holidays within Europe I either have my own car or I hire one as I like to explore the small towns and villages, many of the more remote ones would be pretty difficult to visit using public transportation.
I can't say I particularly enjoyed riding the local buses in New Delhi or Cairo but have had some great conversations with locals when riding the trains in both India and Thailand.
Many of my holiday destinations are to places where public transport pretty much doesn't exist or would be too time consuming but I do use it when at all possible.

I am looking forward to using the public transport on my hols which is a cruise next month, will be stopping off at Venice so will be using the Water Taxi - what a way to get about.

Always use the buses when we go away. I remember the first time we used one, think we paid about 2 pesatas each (yes pesatas) and we were on the bus for over an hour. All the while im panicing that we hadnt paid enough and would get thrown in jail or something . It was the correct money for the destination. It just goes to show how expensive things are over here. The equivalent journey here would cost £s.

This year we experienced "bus gate". At the bus depot on the way back to resort, we checked the boards and found that our bus stopped at gate 23 so we waited here. As we were queuing another line was forming at gate 22. When our bus turned up at gate 23 everyone from the other queue realised that they had been stood at the wrong gate and just pushed into our line assuming that we would let them just get on our bus. Sorry, but we were in the right queue from the start and my opinion was they should have checked. We had two kids with us and they were almost crushed in the resulting carnage. My friend had a major pop at some woman who pushed in front of her separating her from her 5 year old son and from her partner who was already on the bus paying. It was mayhem. We stood our ground and got our seats, but it was not a nice experience.

Absolutely. We normally go to Turkey and the dolmuses there are wonderful, it is so easy and cheap to get about.

so will be using the Water Taxi - what a way to get about.

I may have misunderstood you Miss Pink, but please make sure that you are comfy in your mind about Water Taxis which go where you want in Venice but cost an absolute fortune, and the Vaporetto service which is the 'bus' system that is actually a scheduled bus system. Might I suggest you have a look at http://www.visit-venice-italy.com/travel-venice-italy.htm and http://www.actv.it/en/movinginvenice/movinginvenice to help you get some idea of routes, times and ticket prices. And if you want to feel you've been in a gondola without paying silly prices, you can cross the Grand Canal in one ... look for the TRAGHETTO services ... help here http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/traghetto-2.htm

Buon viaggio!!

yeh ofcourse, reason why I love staying in fuengirola, the bus and trains are brill, we always ge the bus to marbella/mijas/torre/benalmadena, and train to malaga its a really nice trip out, and ofcourse cheap, mingling with the locals also, im so used to going on the train to malaga I know exact stops and do my boyfriends head in, and would never use taxis to expensive in spain, although we did get a taxi up to valparasio in mijas from our hotel, just because we didnt wanna get the bus in my heels...:O) not long now I fly out next thursday morning...soon be there using the buses..

always , we use whatever is available to us even a trailer on the back of a tractor in Turkey , we love the train system on the costa brava , used the dolmus in turkey and water taxis , in rhodes used the local buses , i have even ridden in a police car one year in Malgrat but thats a nother story in tunisia last year we used the tractor train from resort to resort , also the local bus which was dirt cheap , could also have used the horse and trailer but that was rather smelly , they also had tuk tuks

I Toronto a few years back we used their underground and buses all the time. We used the underground very late one light (well late for us at midnight) and found tht they employed the homeless as night staff, the guy behind the booth on the station was the same guy who had been begging in the street when we were on the outward trip!

But how can you be sure he was homeless before they employed him?

Most places we have been to we haven't bothered travelling far.

In Benalmadena though we found the bus service brilliant and used that. Buses in Lloret are great too.

Helen

Buses,coaches, trains, taxes shankses pony we use them all .. the pendle witch wont let me drive when on holiday.. we find it fun to hop on a bus and see where we end up

wizard

The buses in Tenerife are great, we recently travelled on the new tram to Trinidad (La Laguna) from Santa Cruz for 1 euro each using the bono card wonderful value, travelling all over the Island is simple with plenty of timetables and information available with such reasonable fares. You really see some characters not in only the rural areas but queueing is unheard of they just go to the front of the queue they certainly have'nt paid for speedy boarding.

Yes all the time otherwise we wouldn't end up going anywhere. When we were in Cuba we went into the town on a horse and cart for just a few pesos and if we went further afield would get on the bus. We did hire a car when we went to America though, but I'd much rather go by public transport as you get to take in all of the sights on your way.