Not Just Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

We have found that being flexible as we travel 
is a requirement for having a good time.

So while planes, trains and automobiles are the most common forms of transportation, sometimes we find that ourselves getting from point A to point B in a way that we did not really anticipate.  But it's all part of the experience.......

And you'd best hang on, 'cause there are no seat belts!

Such as the tuk tuk's in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

Or the "ordinary train" headed to Kanchanaburi 
(there's a whole story here that I will save for another post!)

Or the "truck taxi's" in Kanchanaburi

It looks like a pick-up truck but.....It's really a taxi!  I promise!

Here's your air conditioned seat in the back.  Mr. C tried to tell me this is the main form of taxi in this little burg.  I didn't really believe him until our 5-star hotel called a taxi for us one night, and yup!  This is it for Kanchanaburi.  There is good reason for this, though. These "taxi's" double as touring vehicles, and most of "what's to see" here is pretty rural ~ waterfalls, elephant adventures, and the like. 
 

But after dinner, we discovered that this sidecar motorcycle was the only option after the truck taxi's were already "retired" for the evening.  Yes, I was ready to make the concession that they weren't so bad after all, compared to this home-made hand-welded side car.

But, it was either this or walk the 8 miles back to the hotel!

Then there's the canoe at "The Lakes" in Australia 
that we took across the water to go to dinner
 

Of course there's the gondola's in Venice

Yeah, girls, he's the real deal!

But there's also the water taxi, which is how we got 

from the airport to our hotel (doesn't that just sound so weird!?)

And the water buses, called Vaporetto, 
which is actually their form of public transportation, and which I somehow failed to get a decent photo of.

Or by long boat on the Chao Praya River in Thailand  
(It's the James Bond boats!)

Or the river boat tours in Prague

And in Paris

Or the elephants in Thailand

Or the horse & carriage in Prague, Czech Republic

And in Seville, Spain

Or by camel in Morocco

Or the ferry in Sidney, Australia

And Seattle, Washington

And Lake Balaton, Budapest

 

And to get to the island of Miyajima off the southern tip of Japan

And at Cinque Terra on the coast of Italy  
(It really is the best way to see those villages clinging to the cliffs)

And @ Positano to the island of Capri

Where this lime green convertible was our taxi for the day.

I know, technically it's an automobile, but I included it in this article because, you have to admit, it's pretty unique.

Nope, just kidding.  

We did see them going out in this little tiny thing, though!

Or by cable car in San Francisco

Or by bicycle in Snow Canyon, Utah

Or by kayak in Hawaii

 And then there's the Funiculars in Ito and Koyasan, Japan
They are so much fun they have their own post 
(See "Who Put the Fun in Funicluar?")

We can't forget the cable cars in Salzburg, Austria 
 which is how we got to the top of Untersbergbahn

and Montserrat, Spain, which is how we got to the Monastery 

And to the top of Mount Misen in Myajima, Japan

Or by catamaran  in Oahu,  Hawaii

And Lanai, Hawaii

By boat @ the Golden Triangle ~ 

where the borders of Thailand, Laos, & Burhma meet

And on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia

In the summer @ Lake Powell, Arizona, it's the houseboat

And the Mastercraft 

But you can't get to "Lover's Cove" without the jetski

 

Occasionally it makes sense to hire a car and driver for the day.  Like the Amalfi Coast in Italy;  or to get to the Golden Triangle from Chiang Rai.

 

And occasionally it's by bus, as when we went from 
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai in Thailand

And we sometimes use the "Hop-on-hop-off" buses in the bigger cities, like Barcelona, Rome, and Paris.  They are usually an economical way to get to some of the sites that are too far for walking, and we like the fact that we can set our own pace.  You just hop off when you want to spend time at a site, and hop back on when you're done.

And sometimes a Bus Tour is the way to go, such as our 

"Sound of Music Tour" in Salzburg, Austria.  

It's one of the most entertaining days I can remember ~ 

after all, how often are you with 30 of your newest 
best friends from all over the world, 
visiting the sites where this wonderful musical was filmed, 
all singing "The hills are alive!" at the top of your lungs?!?

We've also used city buses in places like Rome, Italy and Toledo, Spain.  Using public transportation gives us more of a feel for what life is like in that particular city.  It's real people who are going about their real lives ~ working, commuting, shopping ~ living their lives.

As does public transportation like the subways in Paris, and Budapest; and New York City and DC here in the states.  
 

But nothing comes close to the subways in Japan.  
The subway stations are like small cities, with miles and miles of shopping malls and restaurants, all underground.  It's staggering!

But by far, our favorite mode of transportation is this.  By foot.  Our own little footsies.  We acquire between 10 - 15 miles a day on foot, wherever we are.  It's the very best way to experience a city, to absorb the sights and sounds and smells that are otherwise missed. We never call a cab when we could walk instead.  We never take a car, a local bus, a taxi, or a cable car when we could walk instead.  If I have any travel advice, it's this.  Walk when you can.  You will see more, feel more, hear more, and experience more than any other mode of transportation.  I remember vividly the feel of the heartbeat of every city, every neighborhood, every time, because we've walked it.  We are intimately acquainted by the time we leave, because we have spent time on it's streets and alleyways, mingling with those who live there.  We take time to touch and taste and experience where we are, we discover small hidden gems that we otherwise would have missed, and we stumble upon some of our best memories, some of our best travel stories, all because we are on foot.  It's the difference between being a traveler and being a tourist!