One of the significant considerations no matter where in the world you travel is how to get around, including with luggage. Will you rent a car, drive a moped, navigate a river, walk, or something else? Navigating public transportation overseas can be quite challenging, especially for first-time travelers.
Native Language Speaking
In my case, English is my first language. This means that around the world, there is a chance that there will be printed signage I can read. Popular tourist destinations often include English along with their own language in the public transit system. This really does make navigating public transportation overseas easier.
When I’m trying to determine if this is the case before I get on the plane, I will look two places. The first is the city’s public transit site, which may appear in multiple languages to match the available signage. The second is by typing the city name and public transit into Google. Since there are so many people with cameras wandering around, chances are high someone took a photo with the public transit signage.
With a little bit of knowledge gleaned, I learn whether I need to put more effort into planning my exploration routes or if I can wing it. Having my own language as an option is nice but by no means a necessity.
Foreign Language Only
One of the fun things about the modern world is that we can go anywhere, not just to places where we speak the language. While this level of cultural immersion is unique, it also has some risks. Getting lost can take up quite a bit of time and cause frustration.
Navigating public transportation overseas comes down to preparedness when it’s not in your native language. Many accommodations supply internet access, which makes it easier to figure out routes to destinations before leaving for the day. The internet also offers easy access to translation services.
One of the most useful ways to get around I found when I was living in China was to carry a pad of paper. In the morning, I would figure out where I wanted to go that day. Then I would print the English name with the Chinese name written underneath. That way when I got off track, I had something I could show people, rather than hoping they understood my accented Mandarin.
Navigating public transportation overseas doesn’t have to be an ordeal. With a little planning and the internet, it’s significantly less daunting. Of course, things like always having the name of where you’re staying in the local language and a cab fare around solves the problem of getting lost on public transit as well. Part of the fun though is exploring a new place!