Travel and Transport Networks

Planning a travelling trip around the world? It will be useful to know about the transport networks that exist there. Here are a few examples below.

Here are a few examples of transport networks that will interest any kind of traveller, especially "backpackers".

Car: carpooling

TAXISTOP and BLABLACAR are networks of drivers and passengers wanting to share a car. The advantage of "carpooling" is that it cuts travel costs by splitting them between passengers, reduces your carbon footprint and… means you don't travel alone.

Bus: bus passes

Some long-distance bus networks offer bus passes that let you travel from country to country cheaply. Here are a few companies:

• Europe: EUROLINES offers several options depending on how long your trip is.
• North America: the GREYHOUND network covers almost the entire USA.
• South America: PULLMAN BUS is a Chilean company that serves the whole country as well as neighbouring countries.
• Africa: the BAZ BUS lets you visit South Africa and go on safari.
• Asia: STRAY ASIA lets you travel around Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
• Oceania: OZ EXPERIENCE will take you around Australia with its various packages.

Train: train passes

Rail networks have also created passes to make it easy to travel across different regions of the world. This kind of pass offers flexibility in choosing your destinations. However, you'll need to keep an eye on how long the pass is valid.

• Europe: the continent has a good rail network and offers plenty of passes such as INTERRAIL or EURAIL (for non-European residents), SNCB EUROPE, the BALKAN FLEXIPASS, the EURAIL SCANDINAVIA PASS and many more...
• North America: in the USA you can get around with the USA RAIL PASS. In Canada you can discover the country with the CANRAIL PASS.
• Africa: the SHONGOLOLO EXPRESS connects South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia (careful, though — it's not cheap).
• Asia: the famous TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY crosses Russia and takes you all the way to China. There's also the JAPAN RAIL PASS, which will take you from Kyoto to Tokyo (careful, though — it's not cheap).
• Oceania: Australia is covered by RAIL AUSTRALIAN ALLIANCE and New Zealand by the TRANZ SCENIC RAIL PASS.

Plane: "Round-the-World" tickets

Some airline alliances, such as Star Alliance, Sky Team and Oneworld, offer "round-the-world" tickets or regional passes. This type of ticket lets you make several stopovers, so you can plan your itinerary the way you want. These tickets can be valid for up to a year and offer some flexibility on dates. Always make sure to check whether your flight dates can be changed.