PH Philippines: how to get around

Subdivisions, which can be a named neighborhood within an urban barangay or a gated community, may have houses numbered by the block and lot number instead.

A 4-digit number that often appears at the beginning of an address (e.g. an Airbnb reservation may tell you that you'll be staying at "1004 Taft Ave, Manila") is typically not a building number (as in a North American address) but simply the ZIP code for the entire town or part of a city. With an address like this, make sure to get more specific direction information from the host.

Part of almost any Filipino address is the barangay (abbreviated as Brgy.), the lowest government unit of administration. Some barangays are divided into sitios or puroks, or smaller communities (sub-villages) or hamlets, especially in rural areas where settlements are scattered in far flung communities. In urban areas, most barangays no longer have sitios/puroks but contiguous residential subdivisions or communities. Urban barangays play the role that neighborhoods or districts would in other countries, and tend to have a large population in a small land area. Rural barangays are somewhat like townships or counties elsewhere, and often cover a large area.

If the address given to you includes not only the barangay name, but also the name (or, more commonly, the number) of the barangay's subdivision (zone or purok), this may actually be useful for helping you find your location, as driving through a barangay's main street you may see signs, such as "Purok 1", "Purok 2", etc.

If you take a taxi, jeepney or tricycle, ask for directions in advance. Filipinos will ask fellow locals, drivers, shop owners, or cops for the nearest landmark or building characteristics; doing the same will help you get around better. Knowing the surname of the person you are visiting is often more useful for finding the house within the block than the house number is, even if house numbers have been assigned on that block.

• Barangay halls may have detailed maps of an area, which should indicate the main roads or streets and major landmarks. Aside from local police, you can also ask barangay tanods (village watchers) stationed in roadside outposts; they will be happy to help you out but their directions can be vague to useless and they may have limited English skills depending on the area.
• Google Maps works well in large cities and even rural areas, and provides turn-by-turn navigation and traffic information, but coverage is messy depending on the place (with many places ending at odd spots being not uncommon), and barangays are often not shown in addresses. Google Maps also provides indoor maps of some malls (usually those by Robinsons and Megaworld). Bus, train, and ferry schedules can also be found through Maps, but schedules for buses or ferries are hardly reliable or barely up-to-date.
• Alternatively, you can use Waze, Apple Maps or apps using OpenStreetMap data such as CoMaps or OsmAnd. Waze is widely used in the Philippines and particularly useful if driving on your own, with real-time traffic updates and alerts. Apple Maps for the Philippines also incorporates OpenStreetMap data and has indoor maps for some SM malls.

Since the Philippines is an archipelago, the easiest way to move between islands is by plane. Philippine Airlines (and its regional carrier, PAL Express), Cebu Pacific (and its regional carrier, Cebgo) and Philippines AirAsia have significant domestic operations, linking many major towns and cities. There are also several smaller carriers which serve resort destinations (such as Amanpulo in Palawan), as well as more remote destinations. While most cities are served by jet aircraft, some destinations are served by propeller-driven planes.

The route networks of most local airlines are heavily centered around Manila, Cebu, and Clark: flying between domestic points usually entails having to transit one of those cities, although direct flights between other major cities are slowly being introduced. Reaching Sulu and Tawi-Tawi by air is a special case: travelers must fly through Zamboanga City.

A significant majority of domestic flights in the Philippines are operated by low-cost carriers and are consequently economy-only: PAL is the only airline to offer business class on domestic flights. This does not mean however that fares are affordable: domestic seat sales are a common feature throughout the year, and all major airlines regularly offer promo fares on their websites. However, fares increase significantly during major peak travel seasons (particularly during Christmas, Holy Week and Undas), and in places served by only one airline (such as Camiguin or Marinduque), fares also increase during major provincial or town fiestas. Flights are frequently full during peak travel season, so it is advisable to book well in advance. Local airlines have regular "seat sales", advertising cheap fares for flights to domestic destinations. However, some tickets booked during a seat sale may only be used on dates well after the duration of the sale (sometimes up to a year after the sale) and advertised fares usually exclude government taxes and fuel surcharges.

Passengers departing on domestic flights from Clark Airport must pay a ₱150 terminal fee before entering the pre-departure area; all the other airports in the Philippines (including NAIA) have the fee included in the ticket.

Security is tight at Philippine airports, so provide extra time for landside checkpoints. Vehicles are checked by security before entering the airport, and luggage are screened at the terminal entrance and passengers pass through a metal detector. Landside in Philippine airports are usually off-limits to non-passengers.

Buses are a cheap and efficient way of travel in the Philippines by land, and cover much of the country.

Provincial buses are widely available, and include commuter services to a smaller city or town beyond 30 km (19 mi) from a large city, town-hopper services that stop practically at every barangay and small town along the way, and long-distance intercity runs (which may involve a ferry ride, which may or may not be included on the ticket price). Buses coming from hub cities like Manila, Cebu, or Davao tend to be better, with air conditioning, hard seats, and frequent departures.

There is no single bus company covering the whole country, but there are over a hundred bus companies operating provincial services of various sizes. The largest bus companies are Victory Liner and Five Star and Vallacar Transit, which have coverage of much of the country, operate multiple subsidiaries or brands, and have good customer service and safety records.

Provincial buses are available in five classes: ordinary (regular), air-conditioned, deluxe (executive), super deluxe, and luxury. Luxury buses, with wide reclining seats (or even beds), toilets and personal entertainment screens, are recommended for long-distance travel between large cities, and ticket prices are usually at par with the airlines. Ordinary buses are generally not recommended for foreign travelers; they are not air-conditioned, more crowded, less safe, and you'll find yourself the center of attention.

City buses are uncommon, and only Manila, Cebu and Davao have city bus systems. These systems are mostly privately operated (save for some government-run free local bus services), but follow a fare set by the national government. Buses used are a mix of accessible low-floor city buses and high-floor step-entry coaches. Manila and Cebu also have airport buses, and luxury express buses (branded Point-to-Point or P2P, who also serves provincial cities).

Most buses will have a conductor, who assists passengers in addition to collecting fares and punching the tickets, and in luxury buses, there will also be bus stewards or cabin attendants. They are helpful, but are less used to foreigners than airline staff.

Bus journeys in the Philippines may last more than two hours, and will involve a stopover at a roadside restaurant or a service area, usually tied to the bus company. Toilets are increasingly being equipped on buses used on long-haul routes, but older buses may not have one. Also expect food vendors hopping on and off the bus at the terminal or a major stop.

You can bring carry-ons weighing up to 10 kg (22 lb) on board, and anything heavier than that goes to the cargo compartment. You may have to pay for excess luggage or have them delivered to your final destination as freight. Pets can be carried on board on approved cages, but this depends on company rules. Policy on food and beverages vary, but are generally permitted as long as they are not messy or smelly. Smoking and vaping is prohibited on board and at the terminal or stop.

Cities and towns usually have one or more central bus stations, both government- or company-owned. Large bus stations may function like an airport or a major train station: you must purchase the tickets beforehand and go through a security check upon entering the departures area, and you board the bus through a gate displayed on the information boards. Small bus stations can be little more than a patch of concrete or dirt with basic amenities.

Foreigners are less often seen in buses, so expect exposure to common jarring behaviors like spitting and loud conversations and other annoyances like loud audio and people carrying live animals or all their heavy luggage on board. That said, a bus ride provides an opportunity to interact with locals and experience Filipino culture.

Provincial bus tickets can be bought onboard through the conductor, at the terminal, or online (through the company website or a booking portal). Tickets for long-distance or high-demand routes run out fast during major holiday seasons, so book well in advance or end up boarding the next bus with available seats and buying the tickets onboard. Tickets only apply for one journey, so you must buy another ticket when you transfer.

On city buses, you also purchase the tickets through the conductor, though it is also possible to pay the fare by tapping a smart card whenever you board and get off. As again, there are no free transfers; you have to pay another fare when you change routes.

For both provincial and city lines, you can buy a smart card to pay for bus fares. Two nationally available smart cards are Beep and TripKo. Beep is originally used on the Manila LRT and MRT, but is also used to pay for city buses and modern jeepneys in Manila and Cebu City, and can also be used with certain merchants. TripKo is used on buses and modern jeepneys accepting it, and while not usable for paying for goods, it has a larger coverage area with bus companies as far as Mindanao accepting it. When paying with a smart card, tap the card on a reader found near the driver (or at the secondary door if there is one) at entry or exit, where the fare calculated will be deducted entirely.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) fell into disrepair in the 1980s. This has resulted in all intercity and overnight services being suspended.

Luzon has two commuter services remaining. The Inter-Provincial Commuter runs between Calamba, San Pablo and Lucena, while the Bicol Commuter runs between Sipocot, Naga and Legazpi. These services are however slower than the bus and have limited operating hours.

Metro Manila has one metro service and two light rail services available. Newer lines are under construction, including the first subway line in the Philippines.

Roads in the Philippines vary greatly in quality from the paved multi-lane expressways of Luzon to the narrow dirt roads of remote mountain areas, which may complicate travel by car. Most major highways have two to four lanes and are normally paved with asphalt or concrete, although roads with more than four lanes, often divided, are common near major cities. Street layouts in most cities and towns have never changed since the Spanish colonial era, and roads there are often narrow, with lots of blind corners. Road atlases and maps are available at bookstores throughout the country, and are very helpful when driving, especially when driving alone.

Foreign driver's licenses are legally valid in the Philippines for up to 90 days after arrival, after which a Philippine driver's license is required. It may also be a good idea to carry your passport showing that your last entry into the Philippines was less than 91 days ago.

Vehicular traffic in the Philippines moves on the right, and the vast majority of road signs are in English, with a few in Filipino. Road signs are a mix of American and European standards. Road marking are usually white, the same as in most of Europe, save for the no-passing lines, that uses yellow, like in most of the Americas. While most major highways have good signage and markings, it is generally less common in inner city and minor roads, more so in rural roads in the poorest regions.

Traffic rules are largely modeled on American rules. Right turns on a red light is permitted unless posted otherwise. Single or double yellow lines are used to indicate places where it is illegal to overtake another vehicle. The innermost lane on expressways are only for overtaking, and are signed as such. That being said, most drivers do not obey traffic laws, road rage is a serious problem and crashes can be deadly. Be particularly careful with motorcyclists, which frequently weave through traffic, accumulate at the stop line in intersection, and speed and bank like maniacs on sharp curves, bends and turns. A 'Number Coding' scheme bans cars from roads on specific weekdays based on the last digit of the license plate (e.g., 1-2 on Mondays).

Motorcycles and scooters (either can be called moto in Filipino English) are extremely common in the country, mostly Japanese brands plus some Filipino brands such as Rusi. Most are in the 125‑200cc range. They are available for rent (typically at around ₱300 a day) in many cities and tourist areas, and it is common for long-term visitors to buy one.

Motorcycle riding here is not for the faint of heart and motorcyclists are fairly often killed, mainly because of dangerous driving habits like drunk driving or illegal overtaking. See Driving in the Philippines.

There is a national law requiring helmets, but it is not consistently enforced in all regions.

Motorcycle taxis (habal-habal) are available, but remain de jure illegal as of 2025 pending bills legalizing them. In some places, such as Samal, they are the only transportation option, though almost all of them will be unlicensed. There are no meters; you have to negotiate a price, and some drivers may try to overcharge tourists or may feel they are entitled to something extra because you want to be the only passenger where they could carry two or even three Filipinos. If you have a choice, either a tricycle or a jeepney will usually be both safer and more comfortable.

In large cities, it is possible to hail a habal-habal through apps such as Angkas, Grab Bike and JoyRide. The app-hailed services have qualified and trained drivers identifiable through a uniform with the name of the company.

Taxis are generally available in the major cities but are usually not used for travel across the various provinces and regions.

When hailing a taxi in the cities, ensure the meter is on and pay the metered fare. A tip of ₱10 is acceptable. Also, make sure you have coins and small denomination bills, as the drivers often claim not to have change in an effort to obtain a larger tip, and in morning periods, many drivers only accept coins as payment (watch out for the ubiquitous Barya lang po sa umaga sign or sticker)! Moreover, don't be surprised if drivers want to bypass the meter during rush hour. Most taxis have the flag down rate of ₱40 with each 300 m (980 ft) cost ₱3.50 while Yellow cabs, usually available from airports, are more expensive with a flag-down rate of ₱70 with each 300 m (980 ft) cost ₱4 (April 2011).

You may book a taxi using GPS enabled mobile apps such as Grab or Easy Taxi for a small fee on top of the metered fare. This is better than hailing a cab because you can see the number of available taxis and their location via GPS. Promos to make your journey cheaper are also occasionally available — check with the app. First-time users should look for promo codes to avail of discounts before registering. Once you have a confirmed taxi booking, the driver's name, photo, plate number, and a computer-generated model of the vehicle will appear on your mobile device and you can communicate with your driver to let him know exactly where you are. Grab is available in many major cities across the country.

Ridesharing services (legally Transport Network Vehicle Service, commonly shortened to TNVS) are available in major cities such as Manila, Cebu, Davao and Baguio, with the major operators being Grab and JoyRide. Fares are twice as metered taxis, but it is possible to pay with credit/debit card or QR-based payments instead of cash.

After planes and buses, ships are the next cheapest way of travel in the country.

Ferry trips to other islands can take over 24 hours, depending on distance. The only nation-wide ferry line is 2Go Travel. From Cebu City, there are smaller ferry lines: Trans Asia Shipping Lines, Cokaliong Shipping Lines, Lite Ferries and Oceanjet. Montenegro Shipping Lines and Starlite Ferries operate out from Batangas City, but Montenegro also have routes from Manila and between other islands.

Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferries are common. Most RORO services form the nationwide Nautical Highway System (NHS), composed of three separate routes including the ferry routes themselves and highways connecting the ports. Interisland bus trips usually take these, and are included to the fare as additional charges. With the RORO ferries, it is possible to drive across islands. On shorter routes, instead of RORO ferries, vehicles are carried onto barges.

Schedules can be found on shipping line websites or on newspapers with sections for ferry ads. Ferries can sometimes be delayed because all the cargo and passengers has not yet boarded, or because of weather.

For shorter hops, you'll be likely to board passenger pump boats (motor bancas), outrigger boats fitted with an outboard motor. Longer, high-capacity pump boats operate on some high-demand routes such as Batangas City-Puerto Galera and San Jose-Coron.

Travel by boat is generally unsafe, and overloaded ferries are not uncommon. The Philippines has had some of the world's worst maritime disasters in peacetime. Check the latest weather reports before travel by ferry, as some captains are willing to sail even when a typhoon is approaching. Bringing your own life preserver is strongly recommended (but no substitute for common sense). Better travel by plane than take the risk.

As of late 2022, the fare from Bulalacao (Mindoro) to Caticlan (Panay) is about ₱800, with a ₱600 fee for a bicycle.

Get around Manila with Pasig's Ferry Service, waterbuses are available in stations around the historical river of Pasig. In 2022, the ferry was made free; it's not clear for how long this will continue. Previously, fares ranged from ₱25, ₱35 and ₱45. For students and youth fares are ₱20 regardless of distance.

UV Express (Utility Vehicle Express, also known in Cebu as "V-Hire" and formerly but still commonly called "FX", from their use of the Toyota Tamaraw FX minivan), is a minibus or passenger van shuttle service, using either white passenger vans (usually Toyota HiAce or Nissan Urvan) with route and operator markings, or truck-based minibus modern jeepneys with front-facing seats and additional "Modernized UV Express Service" markings to distinguish them from regular jeepneys that can pick and drop passengers anywhere. They are common in short routes in the provinces, and are faster than the bus or jeepney as they travel with only a few stops, but the vehicles are often packed full, the ceiling is low for tall foreigners, there is little space for bulky luggage, and fares are more expensive than the regular bus (but cheaper than the jeepney).

UV Express have fixed routes like buses or jeepneys, but they have fewer stops, with pick-up at the starting terminal and drop-off near and at the end terminal. The fare is a fixed rate, being ₱2 per kilometer times the point-to-point length of the route, and is collected by the conductor who occupies the front passenger seat or a fare collector at the terminal. UV terminals are usually at a bus station or mall, but there are also dedicated stations, which may serve one or more UV routes. Departures are irregular.

Beware of unlicensed, colorum passenger vans, which do not have any markings and have private vehicle license plates or "not for hire" markings. Such vehicles mostly use informal terminals near private bus stations and malls, but they also turn up at government-run terminals. These vehicles often involve many stops than their licensed counterparts, fares can be higher than their legal regulated counterparts and journey times are longer as they make frequent stops. Such services are most commonly found around Metro Manila and the provinces south of it.

Licensed, government-accredited tourist van shuttles that are booked through the phone and provide door-to-door service to your hotel from the airport (and vice versa) are also available in some tourist areas. They are slower than a taxi as they stop at hotels along the way, but are often cheaper.

You can also rent a van if traveling with a group of 10-18 people; rental rates usually start from ₱1000 a day (and the cost shared by the group), and meals at a restaurant and stays at a hotel, resort or guest house upon your request are usually included. Listings for these are often hard to find, however, and generally cater to Filipinos.

Jeepneys are common throughout the country and are by far the most affordable way to get around most major urban areas. Traffic signs referring to them usually call them "PUJ", Public Utility Jeep.

The original jeepneys were based on jeeps left behind by the Americans after World War II; Filipinos lengthened the body and added benches along the sides to seat more people. Since the late 2010s, newer jeepneys have been "modern" jeepneys, truck-based minibuses around 7 m (23 ft) long with curbside entry but you can still ride the iconic, traditional jeepneys with rear entry and exterior decoration. Jeepneys typically have seating for about 20 people, but they often carry 30 or more with people in the aisle or on the running boards (or on modern jeepneys, standing passengers). A few passengers can sit up front with the driver; these are the best seats.

Jeepneys are often quite crowded and generally not very comfortable (especially if you are tall), there is usually little space inside for luggage (though most have a roof rack), there may be pickpockets, and you might encounter annoying behavior such as drivers smoking or passengers engaging in loud conversations, However every visitor should try them at least once since they are definitely part of a "Philippines experience". For a budget traveler, they will likely be one of the most used transport options.

In cities jeepneys generally run on fixed routes, have fixed fares depending on distance (₱12 for the first 4 km (2.5 mi) and an additional ₱2.25 per km on traditional vehicles, and ₱14 for the first 4 km (2.5 mi) and ₱1.40-1.70 per additional km on modern ones), and will stop if you wave at them. Usually there are signs on the side of the vehicle indicating the route. Within Manila and other major cities, you will find multiple jeepneys per route so you rarely need to wait long to catch one. Payment is usually in cash, but on modern jeepneys, you can pay the fare with a stored-value smart card such as Beep.

In the provinces, jeepneys also connect towns and cities. For these longer trips there are often discounts for seniors or students, though not usually on trips within a city. For a trip of a few kilometers from a city to a suburb or a few dozen kilometers to a nearby town jeepneys are often the best way to travel. For longer journeys, however, buses are more comfortable.

Some jeepneys have a conductor to collect the fares, but on others you pay the driver. It is fairly common for people sitting at the back to get other passengers to relay their money to the driver; this is easier if you have exact change. It is also common for passengers to clink coins against metal parts of the roof when they want off; the sound carries forward to the driver.

Beware of colorum jeepneys which do not have a marked route. They are best avoided, but in some places, they are common, and may be the only ones available. See #Stay safe. Even on legitimate jeepneys there can be problems with drivers illegally "cutting trip", which is when you pay the full fare to your intended destination and you will be forced to alight midway on the route or somewhere near your destination without getting a refund due to a traffic jam, roadblock or lack of waiting passengers.

In some areas there are vehicles much like a jeepney, but built on a smaller chassis so they can carry only about a dozen passengers. Locals will usually call these multicabs.

Traysikels (Filipino word, pronounced much like the English one) are tricycles, motorcycle-and-sidecar rigs; the motorcycles are typically Japanese machines in the 125-200cc range. The design seems to vary from region to region, but within a given town most of the traysikels will be of the same type. In some places the sidecars seat four, in other places only two.

In many of the smaller cities, these are the main means of transport within the town, and jeepneys are used only for journeys between towns. In a few areas tricycles are used for out-of-town journeys of up to about 25 km (15 miles) as well.

These may not be to the liking of most foreigners, as they are cramped and quite open to noise and weather. In most places they are shared vehicles; expect to ride along with other people going approximately the same way and to take the odd detour as the driver diverts to deliver a passenger at his or her destination.

Most fares in any town are ₱10-80, depending mainly on the distance. Most fares are per person, but some are per tricycle. In some places the fare is legally regulated. Sometimes there are fixed fares. In more rural areas, rates are different. Sometimes, especially for longer runs, you will need to bargain over the fare, and some drivers will try to overcharge foreigners.

In general, most journeys are reasonably safe and pleasant, and quite cheap by foreign standards, but there can be problems. Some drivers may smoke while driving (despite smoking bans on public utility vehicles, including tricycles) or overcharge, and quite a few drive rather adventurously, frequently violating traffic rules, like illegal overtaking or ignoring tricycle prohibitions (primarily on heavily travelled highways). Some of the motorcycles are quite noisy, belch smoke or have inadequate headlights or taillights.

There is usually a luggage rack on the back. If you use it, make sure the driver ties your things down; otherwise they might be stolen or fly out when you hit a bump. Large or valuable luggage should ride in the passenger area; on tricycles with four-seat sidecars the front seat can be folded up to make room. You will usually have to pay extra for this, which is fair since the luggage prevents the driver taking more passengers.

You may find tricycles resembling Indian auto rickshaws or Thai tuk-tuks in some areas, especially in Mindanao (e.g. the four-wheel motorelas of Cagayan de Oro); they have passengers sitting behind the driver instead of in a separate sidecar. Indian-made auto-rickshaws (often Bajaj or TVS) – some powered with compressed natural gas – are also becoming common in the Philippines. The downside is they can only carry 3 to 4 passengers (there is no extra seat for little kids or another passenger), but the upside is that they have higher headroom, less engine noise, and more comfortable seats.

In many areas, pedicabs, also called trisikad or padyak in some areas, refers to a pedal-powered vehicle, either a bicycle-and-sidecar rig or a cycle rickshaw with two seats in back and the rider pedaling up front. In other areas, "pedicab" is used for motorized sidecar rigs as well.

Electric trikes can be found in some areas, like in Manila.

One can see a lot of Filipinos bicycling, both for utility trips in cities and towns and as recreation. Bicycle stores are available in most cities; in Manila, they concentrate in Quiapo, along the block of Quezon Blvd north-east of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. Generally, bicycle stores can be found with Google Maps. A used bicycle can also be bought through a Philippines classified web site, such as Carousell (formerly OLX). Many Japan Surplus stores have used bikes at good prices.

As of 2022, there is no national bicycle helmet law in the Philippines, although some politicians opine in favor of introducing one. Some municipalities do have helmet ordinances, however, such as Quezon City (where it is enforced) and Makati. Bicycle helmets are available from purchase in many bike stores from ₱500 and up.

Once you are outside of the snarled city center traffic, riding on a Philippine road may be remarkably pleasant. Many highways are 4 lanes wide, where the inner lanes are for faster vehicles (cars, trucks, and good motorcycles), while the outer lanes are used by slower conveyances. Elsewhere, good shoulders often exist, but do watch for illegally parked vehicles and passing vehicles.

Cycling across cities is possible, but hard. Many bicycle lanes often share with traffic lanes (or none marked at all), and are often not observed. Vehicle-bicycle collisions are quite common and can be deadly.

In most areas one does need to carry a lot of drinking water, because when passing through small towns and even some villages you are likely to see drinking water distribution kiosks; those primarily serve to distribute water to local residents and business in large 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal) bottles, but the staff will be glad to refill your water bottle for free. These kiosks typically operate during normal business hours.

Riding at night is possible, provided you have good lights and reflectors. The hours between 10PM (when it gets cooler) and 4:30AM (when traffic seems to start) are perhaps the best, as this allows one to both beat the traffic and avoid the day's heat.

When traveling between islands, it's usually possible to take the bicycle on a ferry. Expect to pay a fee on the order of 2/3 or 3/4 of the passenger's fare. Sometimes you pay for the bike when buying your own ticket at the ticket office; sometimes, you just give cash to the ship crew when boarding.