The most convenient thing to do when traveling abroad is hail a taxi, bellow out your destination then sit back, relax and get ripped off by the cabbie. Most taxis operators take advantage of tourists' and always charge them more. The good thing however is, you could avoid all this by opting to use local transport like taking a bus to another part of town and back again to your hotel. Or to save you even more, you could with the help of the hotel concierge, hire a motor bike which you can use for as long you stay in that particular city.
It greatly depends on what country you'll be traveling in. In Tokyo, Japan, taxi fare would cost a fortune. It would be most practical to go around by train. Sometimes you can rent bikes to be able to visit the inner cities. In the Philippines, be careful when hailing cabs from the airport. Taxi drivers tend to overcharge foreigners. Train is still the cheapest way to go around the city. If you know your destinations in Manila, use jeepneys or city buses. Prepare for the terrible traffic though. For trips outside the city, car or van rentals are practical. Again if you know your destinations well, riding provincial buses are also more practical. This is the commuting system backpackers often use.
