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Country Guide > South-East Asia > Philippines


Travel - Internal

Air
In addition to Philippine Airlines (PR), there are several other charter airlines, including Air Ads, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Cebu Pacific Air, Laoag International Airlines, Mindanao Express and Seeair and Voyager.

Departure tax
P100 for internal flights from Manila. Children under two years and passengers in transit remaining in the airport are exempt.

Sea
Inter-island ships with first-class accommodation connect the major island ports. For details, contact local shipping lines (Aleson Shipping, tel: (2) 712 0507 or WG&A Super Ferry, tel: (2) 528 7000; website: www.wgasuperferry.com).

Rail
The only railway is on Luzon Island, from San Fernando, Pampagna in the north to Legazpi city, Albay in the south (operated by Philippine National Railways). This network runs three trains daily to and from Manila. There is also some air conditioned accommodation.

Road
There are 161,168 km (100,148 miles) of roads spread among the islands, with highways on the Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon island groups. Further roads are currently being constructed. Traffic drives on the right. Bus: There are bus services between the towns and also widely available jeepneys. These are shared taxis using jeep-derived vehicles equipped to carry up to 14 passengers on bench seats. Fares are similar to buses. Taxi: Taxis are available in the cities and in many towns. Make sure meters are used, as some taxi drivers will set an exorbitant and arbitrary rate. Car hire: Car rentals are available in Manila and in major cities. The minimum age is 18. Documentation: International Driving Permit required, together with a national driving licence.

Urban
A number of bus routes are operated by Metro Manila Transport using conventional vehicles, including double-deckers. Most journeys, however, are made by jeepneys, of which there are an estimated 30,000 in Manila alone. The metro-rail, a light rail transit link, runs from Baclaran terminal in the south to Caloocan terminal in the north. Tricycles (motorbikes with sidecars) and trishaws are a cheaper alternative for shorter distances around towns.

Travel times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Manila to other major cities/towns in the Philippines.
AirRoadSea
Baguio0.504.00-
Banaue0.50*12.00-
Batangas-2.00-
Cebu1.10-24.00
Cagayan de Oro1.25-48.00
Davao1.30-48.00
Iloilo1.00-24.00
Laoag1.257.00-
Palawan1.10-24.00


Note
*As far as Baguio City and then another 8 hours by road.


   
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