Transportation Used for Getting Around Manila

Let me give you a brief description of Metro Manila and what to expect once you arrived here. Then we'll proceed on ways of getting around town.

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is part of the National Capital Region or Metro Manila which is made up of 16 cities and 1 municipality. The city of Manila is bounded by 7 cities, so in a tourists point of view it is really hard to know what city he or she is in. Locally the whole metropolis is referred to as Metro Manila, but internationally it is simply known as Manila.

Metro Manila is the most populous region in the Philippines and it's population is estimated to be around 12 million. When getting around Manila, do expect to see a mass of humanity. The traffic will also rival that of other cities around the world. Very few foreigners have dared drive the streets of Manila. Road lanes don't mean a thing here and even pedestrian lanes are invisible to motorists, so be very careful when crossing the streets. It is not the law but drivers think they have the right of way over pedestrians.

The kinds of transportation are:

Light Rail Transit System (LRT1) or Yellow Line is a north and south route that traverses through the cities of Pasay, Manila, and Caloocan. Baclaran is the south end terminal and Monumento is the north end terminal.

Light Rail Transit System (LRT2) or Purple Line runs east and west and covers the cities of Manila, San Juan, Quezon, Marikina and Pasig.

Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT) or Blue line is a circumferential route that runs along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA). It covers the cities of Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Quezon, and now also Caloocan.

All three lines are the most efficient way of getting around Manila but they are always packed to standing capacity especially during rush hour. It's not like the trains are not enough. It's just that there are way too many people in Metro Manila.

For cities and other places not covered by the Metro Rail System,the alternatives are the taxi cabs, buses, jeepneys, and even tricycles. These vehicles, except for the taxi cab, are a challenge for the unfamiliar tourists and can be really traumatic. Others however find it fun and even consider it as an exciting adventure.

When riding a bus or jeepney, just tell the driver or the bus conductor where you need to be dropped off. Fares are normally collected upon boarding a jeepney and this is where you tell the driver where you need to get off. He will then collect the appropriate amount of fare. Be sure to always carry loose change and smaller bills when using public transportation for getting around Manila.

A tricycle is a motorcycle with a side cab. Using it is similar to a taxi where you flag one and tell the driver where you need to go. They are used for short distances where often times you could actually just take a walk had you knew the direction to where you wanted to go.

Metro Manila is packed with shopping centers, movie houses, and even night spots. There are also historical and cultural attractions as well as parks and recreations.