How to Get Around Indonesia

Getting Around

Flying is unavoidable. The country is 5,000 kilometres wide, and Garuda, Lion Air, Citilink and Batik Air run a dense domestic network from Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Makassar. Book ahead around public holidays, and note that baggage allowances on the low-cost carriers are strict.

Trains, on Java only. Java has a good rail network and the trains are comfortable, punctual and cheap, with executive class worth the small extra. The Jakarta–Yogyakarta–Surabaya line is the backbone. Sumatra has a few disconnected lines; the other islands have none.

Ferries. Pelni operates long-distance passenger ships between the major islands, and short crossings — Java to Bali, Bali to Lombok — run constantly. Fast boats to the Gilis and Nusa islands are convenient and have a mixed safety record; choose the established operators.

On land. Ride-hailing apps — Gojek and Grab — work in every city for cars and motorbike taxis and are the easiest way to move. Scooter hire is universal and cheap; an international permit with a motorcycle endorsement is legally required, insurance depends on it, and road injuries are the commonest thing that goes wrong for visitors.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

If you are in an accident, stay in the car

This is the one to know before you hire anything. You may face mob anger if you are involved in an accident that causes serious injury. The instruction is specific: remain in your vehicle and wait for a police officer to arrive. Getting out to apologise or to help is the instinct, and here it is the wrong one.

Roads

Road conditions and road safety vary greatly across the country, and driving can be hazardous in the rainy season. The advisory lists what makes road travel challenging: reckless driving, perilous road conditions, inadequate lighting, poor signage and high traffic congestion. If you plan to rent a car, consider hiring a driver — which is cheap here and removes most of the problem. Avoid driving after dark outside the major cities and main roads, because some drivers do not use lights.

Scooters: the financial risk as well as the physical one

Motorcycle and scooter accidents are the main cause of death and serious injury among foreign visitors to many parts of Indonesia, including Bali. An international permit with a motorcycle endorsement is legally required and your insurance depends on it.

The part people do not expect: rental motorcycles are often targeted and stolen, and you may have to pay the replacement cost of a new machine. That is a bill measured in thousands, arriving at the end of a holiday, over a bike you parked outside a warung.

Taxis

The condition of taxis varies, and foreign travellers have been robbed by drivers or by other passengers. Four rules: pre-arrange transport with a reliable company; use only a company whose vehicles have a meter; never enter a cab that already has a passenger; and do not hail off the street or use unmarked taxi services. Ride-hailing apps — Gojek and Grab — work in every city for cars and motorbike taxis and sidestep most of this.

Buses and trains, and where each exists

Public transport can be crowded and safety standards are poor, and many remote parts of the country have poor transport networks at all. Crashes involving overcrowded buses are common. Geography matters here: large buses are generally available only on Java, and elsewhere it is minibuses — where drivers may try to overcharge foreigners, so agree the fare, and pickpocketing is common, so keep bags on you.

Java also has the rail network: comfortable, punctual and cheap, with executive class worth the small extra, and the Jakarta–Yogyakarta–Surabaya line as the backbone. Sumatra has a few disconnected lines and the other islands have none, which is why flying is not optional in a country 5,000 kilometres wide.

Ferries

Ferry accidents are common and are often caused by poor safety practices or extreme weather. Before boarding: check the vessel is carrying appropriate safety equipment and that life jackets are provided for all passengers and accessible at all times, do not board anything that appears overloaded or unseaworthy, and verify a ferry's safety standards with your tour operator. Pelni runs the long-distance ships between the major islands; the fast boats to the Gilis and the Nusa islands are where the mixed record sits.

The paperwork that governs movement

A permit is required to travel to Indonesian Papua, and the entry regulations and permission to remain there may change at any time — confirm close to departure rather than at booking. And an International Driving Permit obtained outside Indonesia may have to be approved by local authorities before it is valid here, which is not true anywhere else in this guide.

Papua carries an avoid-non-essential-travel advisory with one large exception, and the reasons are on Stay Safe.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Global Affairs Canada — A permit is required to travel to Indonesian Papua, and the entry regulations and permission to remain may change at any time, You may face mob anger if involved in an accident that causes serious injury, and in such cases should remain in your vehicle and wait for a police officer to arrive, Road travel in Indonesia can be very challenging due to reckless driving, perilous road conditions, inadequate lighting, poor signage and high traffic congestion; hiring a driver should be considered when renting a car, and driving after dark outside major cities or major roads should be avoided because some drivers do not use lights, Motorcycle and scooter accidents are the main cause of death and serious injury among foreigners visiting many parts of Indonesia including Bali, and rental motorcycles are often targeted and stolen with the renter potentially liable for the replacement cost of a new motorcycle, The condition of taxis in Indonesia varies and foreign travellers have been victims of armed robbery by the driver or other passengers; transport should be pre-arranged with a reliable company, only companies whose vehicles have a meter used, a cab never entered when it already has passengers, and taxis not hailed off the street or unmarked services used, Public transport in Indonesia can be crowded with poor safety standards and many remote parts have poor transport networks; crashes involving overcrowded buses are common, large buses are generally available only on Java with minibuses elsewhere, minibus drivers may try to overcharge foreigners, and belongings should be kept secure because of pickpocketing, Ferry accidents in Indonesia are common and often caused by poor safety practices or extreme weather; the vessel should be checked for appropriate safety equipment with life jackets provided for all passengers and accessible at all times, vessels that appear overloaded or unseaworthy not boarded, and ferry safety standards verified with the tour operator, A permit is required to travel to Indonesian Papua and the entry regulations and permission to remain may change at any time, An International Driving Permit obtained outside Indonesia may have to be approved by local authorities, A permit is required to travel to Indonesian Papua, and the entry regulations and permission to remain may change at any time, You may face mob anger if involved in an accident that causes serious injury, and in such cases should remain in your vehicle and wait for a police officer to arrive, Road travel in Indonesia can be very challenging due to reckless driving, perilous road conditions, inadequate lighting, poor signage and high traffic congestion; hiring a driver should be considered when renting a car, and driving after dark outside major cities or major roads should be avoided because some drivers do not use lights, Motorcycle and scooter accidents are the main cause of death and serious injury among foreigners visiting many parts of Indonesia including Bali, and rental motorcycles are often targeted and stolen with the renter potentially liable for the replacement cost of a new motorcycle, The condition of taxis in Indonesia varies and foreign travellers have been victims of armed robbery by the driver or other passengers; transport should be pre-arranged with a reliable company, only companies whose vehicles have a meter used, a cab never entered when it already has passengers, and taxis not hailed off the street or unmarked services used, Public transport in Indonesia can be crowded with poor safety standards and many remote parts have poor transport networks; crashes involving overcrowded buses are common, large buses are generally available only on Java with minibuses elsewhere, minibus drivers may try to overcharge foreigners, and belongings should be kept secure because of pickpocketing, Ferry accidents in Indonesia are common and often caused by poor safety practices or extreme weather; the vessel should be checked for appropriate safety equipment with life jackets provided for all passengers and accessible at all times, vessels that appear overloaded or unseaworthy not boarded, and ferry safety standards verified with the tour operator, A permit is required to travel to Indonesian Papua and the entry regulations and permission to remain may change at any time, An International Driving Permit obtained outside Indonesia may have to be approved by local authorities (September 2026).