Currently, I live in Germany, and I like trams the most (Because I get to see the city while still being faster than cycling or driving). S-bahn (On street metro train), and U-bahn (Underground metro train) would be my next preferred options. However, the place I live in is not connected by any of them for intra-city transport, so I use buses the most. So, I would like to know what are your favourite ways of transport, and how would you rank them?
4 comments
High speed trains are top, the regional trains are good but often late.
Autobus and metro in milan are good and punctual, autobus in bologna were good but sometimes late, autobus in mestre were.. always late of 10 min. But venetian vaporetti were nice. Where i live, pordenone, i use the bike, but the autobus are decent and punctual
Here in Palermo,we don’t have very good public transport at all.
I rarely use it anyway (I walk if possible,if not I go around by scooter) but if I do,I use the bus.A couple of the bus lines work well, most of them do not… long waits and slow journeys are normal.
There are trams but they only go from various suburbs into the centre,so I never take them.
There is also a type of ‘underground’ which is also often overground, but wherever it is, there are few trains and they don’t stop in useful places for me… the wait times are even longer than the buses.
Unfortunately this is very much still a city for private transport, particularly cars.
From [https://studyinginswitzerland.com/swiss-public-transport-system-useful-information-for-trains-travelcards-more/](https://studyinginswitzerland.com/swiss-public-transport-system-useful-information-for-trains-travelcards-more/)
>The fastest and most convenient way to get around Switzerland is by using trains. If one were to sum up all the railway tracks running across the country, they would end up with over 5,200 kilometers.
[That’s on a total country area of just 41,285 km².]
>The railway network in Switzerland is very well developed. To meet the growing demand, SBB continually upgrades its rolling stock. Currently, its rail network reaches rural areas and there are connections between cities that operate every hour or half-hour. There are many different types of trains in Switzerland, from long-distance trains (how they’re commonly called) to regional trains (how they’re commonly called).
Where there’s no train, you go to your destination by bus, tram, boat or cable car. There is no community worth that name which can not be reached by public transportation, as far as I am aware. And some of them are in pretty elevated altitudes.
I’m not European but I want to answer because this question is fun!
My San Francisco transport rankings
1. [Muni Metro](https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/hero-images/2017/11/171030_lrv4_26.jpg?itok=u6-xaAax), our electric tram. Clean, quiet, comfortable. Great views.
2. [Ferry](https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/sites/sfbf/files/inline-images/Hydrus-Photo_0.jpg). Lots of space, very comfortable. Kind of expensive though ($5-$9 one way depending on how far you travel).
3. [Lyft e-bike](https://www.sfexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/24110617_web1_210202-SFE-bikeshare_1.jpg). You rent these by the hour using your mobile phone. I think some people have a monthly membership too.
4. [Cable Car](https://upload.travelawaits.com/ta/uploads/2021/04/c6edaae0eb8c2ef51794d6d7185adc6edaa.jpg). Mainly for tourists but some commuters use them. I don’t like that 60% is exposed, and because it is 10C all year, the wind makes it cold.
5. [Electric scooters](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/38a6d3b5f0e4f85656d099a57f884ffdefbb052e/c=0-100-1023-678/local/-/media/2018/06/20/USATODAY/USATODAY/636651180228368262-soocterbirdApril17.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=1200). Rent by the hour using your phone.
6. [BART](https://www.sftravel.com/sites/sftravel.prod.acquia-sites.com/files/field/image/BART%20airport%20header.jpg). Our subway. It used be SO LOUD (80-100 decibels) that you couldn’t even talk to a friend next to you. But now maybe 50% of trains are new and similar to the London Underground.
7. [Bus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Muni_5_Fulton_trolleybus_at_Temporary_Transbay_Terminal%2C_December_2017.JPG). Cheap to ride and they run on electricity by connecting to wires everywhere in the city. But they’re loud inside from loose metal parts, no noise insulation from the road, and people in my neighborhood are always talking or listening to music.