Hop On In!

Public transportation can seem scary enough in the U.S.. Now imagine hopping on a train in another country. Where people pile in like cattle. You are literally pressed against a human being that you don't know and may not even be able to communicate with.

But, aside from the general strangeness of having so many people in your bubble, public transportation can actually be a really fun way to get from place to place in new countries. And you can meet all sort of fun people during your ride.

Public transportation can greatly differ in each country. (Luckily for Americans, Uber is in over 60 countries.) In India, a lot of people use rickshaws. RICKSHAWS ARE SO FUN.

India also has trains. Not bullet trains, or subways, or anything remotely luxurious, but like legitimate cattle cars. The seats are metal, the doors and windows are open the entire time, beggars wander around the cars, people jump on while the train is moving (one of those people being me...), and no one cares about your personal space.

Japan's public transportation system was TOTALLY different from India's. While people do overcrowd the trains, they don't talk to each other (or on the phone), the trains are air conditioned, enclosed, and actually clean. They also have an app for the subway system in Tokyo called Tokyosubway.

These are just my experiences with public transportation, and I know there are people out there with far more experiences. But, when traveling try it out sometime!