For many, public transport can be a huge source of travel anxiety. There's nothing more confusing (or terrifying) than arriving somewhere new not knowing if the trains, buses, trams, or ferries are connected and reliable enough to get you to all the attractions on your itinerary, and on time too. That's not to mention public transport costs, which can really take a chunk out of your vacation budget.
That's why we had to include questions about public transport in our annual survey of city-dwellers globally. We figured that locals would know best – after all, they're the ones commuting around their cities day in, day out. 18,500 transport users in more than 50 countries answered our call to rate their city's network, which we've distilled down into a neat ranking.
A whopping nine Asian cities made it to Time Out's global list of 19 cities with the best public transport in the world. These nine destinations received the highest percentage of locals that would describe their public transport systems as either 'good' or amazing'.
The denizens who are proudest of their local public transport network? Hong Kongers, who gave their public transport a near-perfect 98 percent approval rating. The nostalgic double-decker trams aside, Hong Kong has a sprawling and efficient network consisting of the MTR (Mass Transit Railway), buses and minibuses, which you can easily pay for with an Octopus card. The city even has ferries, promising a scenic journey across the Victoria Harbour.
Want to travel at super-speed on a Maglev train? You can hop onto one in Shanghai, the city with the second-best public transport in Asia. It makes a great impression right off the bat: the Maglev train zips tourists from the airport to Longyang Road metro station in just 8 minutes (normally a 30 minute drive). From there, there are 20 metro lines, around 2,000 bus routes, and a network of ferries you can use to explore this foodie paradise.
Another Chinese city came in third: Beijing. It received an approval rating of 91 percent, standing out for its bike-friendliness. Known as a 'Bicycle Kingdom', Beijing has numerous bike-sharing apps like Didi Bike, Hellobike, and Meituan. All you need is a local SIM and your passport to start exploring China's capital on two wheels.
These are the Asian cities with the best public transport, according to locals:
- Hong Kong, 98 percent
- Shanghai, 94 percent
- Beijing, 91 percent
- Taipei, 88 percent
- Seoul, 84 percent
- Mumbai, 83 percent
- Delhi, 83 percent
- Singapore, 82 percent
- Jakarta, 79 percent
ICYMI: This uber-urban Asian city has the most green spaces in the world
Plus: Taiwan overtakes Singapore as the happiest country in Asia
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