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INTERNAL FLIGHTS

If you have plenty of time and plan to travel to different areas of the vast Indonesian archipelago, you will have to resort to airlines that provide connections within the country. The national and most popular company is the Garuda. The panorama of airlines operating in Indonesia is quite unstable, but at the time of this text, the Lion Air a Air Asia, to Tiger Air and CitiLink, in addition to dozens of smaller ones with regional service. Depending on the distance covered, internal flights can cost from €40 to €250 (one way).

TRUCK

Buses run everywhere and are the livelihood of many families. As a rule, they work on the basis of “only part when it is full or overcrowded” but on the other hand, they have ridiculous prices and are perfect for living with Indonesians. The vast majority are noisy, smoky old museum vehicles without air conditioning. In Java, Sumatra and Bali, some companies provide medium and long-distance travel in more modern and comfortable buses. 

CAR RENTAL

Indonesian cities can prove exasperating places to drive cars or motorbikes. If, even so, you are determined to explore the islands of the archipelago at the wheel, know that you must drive with extreme patience and care to compensate for traffic jams, the poor quality of many roads, the permanent disrespect of local drivers for the rules and for others, and in certain areas, the imminent crossing of pedestrians, carts, animals and who knows what else.

Motorbike and motorbike rental is far more popular than car rental. It is normal for Indonesians with small rental businesses to approach foreigners to convince them to rent their motorbikes or even cars, as a rule, at very low prices, as little as €3 per day for a simple motorbike. A car costs significantly more if rented at a multinational company at an Indonesian airport (20€ or 30€ a day) but, assuming the risks involved, you may be able to rent a car for half from a small business. If you do, carefully examine anything involving insurance and surety bonds.

TRAIN

The rail network is limited to the islands of Java and Sumatra. In Java, trains are an excellent alternative to longer journeys by car or bus and are guaranteed to be more uncomfortable. In Sumatra, the rail network is more limited than in Java.

SHIP

As an archipelago nation, Indonesia is served by a huge fleet of ferries but safety records are far from the best. The company PELNI (outdated and barely functional site for passengers) has the best boats but also the highest prices. Ferry trips range from €9 per day in 4th Class (single bed in a stuffy dormitory) to €30 per day in first class (in a cabin with just two beds, air conditioning, TV, private bathroom).