How to Get Around the Philippines: Flights, Ferries, Buses and Jeepneys

Three airline groups carry almost everyone. Cebu Pacific (with its turboprop arm Cebgo) has the biggest network and the lowest fares; Philippine Airlines (and PAL Express) costs a little more and includes more; AirAsia Philippines competes on trunk routes from Manila and Cebu. Small carriers fill the gaps: AirSWIFT flies Manila, Clark and Cebu to El Nido’s Lio airport, and Sunlight Air serves Busuanga (Coron), Siargao and Caticlan from Clark and Manila. Typical one-way fares are PHP 1,500 to 3,500 ($26 to $61) booked a month out on Manila-Cebu, Cebu-Siargao or Manila-Puerto Princesa, PHP 4,000 to 7,000 inside a week or at Christmas and Holy Week, and PHP 5,000 to 9,000 on the small planes into El Nido. Flight times are short: Manila to Cebu 1 hour 20 minutes, Cebu to Siargao 1 hour, Manila to Davao 1 hour 50 minutes, Manila to Basco in Batanes 1 hour 50 minutes.

Hubs. Manila’s NAIA (MNL) connects to everywhere. Cebu’s Mactan airport (CEB) is the better hub for the Visayas and reaches Siargao, Camiguin, Bohol, Coron, Puerto Princesa and Davao direct. Clark (CRK), 90 km north of Manila near Mabalacat, has a modern terminal, cheaper parking and no Manila traffic, but reaching it from the city takes two to three hours by P2P bus (PHP 350 to 450 from Trinoma or Ortigas); it only pays off if you are flying in to Clark from abroad or staying in Central Luzon. Davao (DVO) is the Mindanao hub.

NAIA has four terminals spread around the runways. Terminal 3 handles Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and many foreign carriers; Terminals 1 and 2 are split between Philippine Airlines and other international airlines; Terminal 4 is the small domestic shed for turboprops. Since a private operator took over in 2024, terminal assignments have been reshuffled and the buildings refurbished, so read the terminal on your ticket and leave a full hour for the free inter-terminal shuttle if you connect between them. The passenger service charge rose in September 2025 to PHP 950 international and PHP 390 domestic; it is built into most tickets. A second Manila airport is under construction in Bulacan but is years from opening.

Baggage. Cebu Pacific and AirAsia base fares include only a 7 kg cabin bag (one 56 x 36 x 23 cm bag plus a small personal item), and they weigh it. Prepaid checked baggage of 20 kg costs roughly PHP 600 to 1,500 online depending on route, two to three times that at the counter. Most Philippine Airlines fare types include a checked bag; check the fare rules.

Overnight ships. 2GO Travel runs the long-haul routes from Manila’s Pier 4: to Cebu (about 22 hours), Coron and Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Fares run from PHP 1,500 in an open-air economy bunk to PHP 3,500 and up for a tourist-class cabin, with meals included in some classes. Ships are big, stable and the only way to take a lot of luggage cheaply; book on 2GO’s site or app.

Fast craft. OceanJet, Weesam Express, Montenegro Fast Craft and others run air-conditioned catamarans on the short crossings that make the Visayas easy: Cebu to Tagbilaran (2 hours, PHP 800 to 1,000), Cebu to Ormoc, Dumaguete to Siquijor (1 hour, PHP 300 to 450), Iloilo to Bacolod (1 hour). Book a day ahead on holiday weekends; otherwise turn up 45 minutes early, pay the PHP 25 to 50 terminal fee and have your passport ready for the manifest.

Ro-ro ferries. Roll-on roll-off car ferries from Montenegro Lines, Starlite and Island Shipping are the slow, cheap option: Batangas to Calapan on Mindoro (2.5 hours, PHP 400 to 500), Hagnaya to Bantayan, Balingoan to Camiguin, Surigao to Siargao, Matnog to Samar. They also carry the buses on the nautical highway, so a “Manila to Boracay bus” really is a bus that boards ferries.

El Nido to Coron. The one tourist ferry everyone takes: Montenegro, Phimal, Atienza and Jomalia fast craft do the 3.5-hour crossing most mornings for PHP 2,750 to 3,250; it is rough in Habagat season and cancelled when the Coast Guard says so.

Bangkas and island-hopping tours. The wooden double-outrigger is the last mile to every small island (Malapascua, Apo Island, Puerto Galera’s beaches) and the vehicle for every tour. The lagoons of El Nido, the lakes of Coron, Siargao’s three islands and Bohol’s Balicasag are reachable only by licensed boat: joiner tours (PHP 1,200 to 2,000 per person with lunch) sail at 9am and return around 4pm, private charters (PHP 6,000 to 10,000 a day for up to six) let you reverse the route and beat the crowd. Book through your hotel or an accredited agency the day before, bring cash for the fees that are never included (El Nido’s PHP 400 eco fee and PHP 200 per lagoon), a dry bag and reef-safe sunscreen. Expect spray, sit low and count the life jackets.

Buses go everywhere a road goes and cost PHP 1.50 to 2.50 per kilometre. Victory Liner runs north from Manila to Baguio (4 to 6 hours, PHP 500 to 800, with a First Class service that has 29 seats and a toilet), Olongapo and Pangasinan; Genesis, Partas and Solid North cover the rest of northern Luzon; DLTB and Philtranco head south to Bicol and on to Samar and Leyte by ferry. In the Visayas and Mindanao, yellow Ceres buses (Vallacar Transit) are everywhere: Cebu’s South Bus Terminal to Moalboal and Oslob, North Bus Terminal to Hagnaya and Maya for Bantayan and Malapascua, plus Negros, Panay and northern Mindanao. Air-conditioned buses cost 20 to 30% more than “ordinary” ones with open windows and are worth it on anything over two hours.

Manila has no central bus station. Northern buses leave from Cubao and the PITX terminal in Parañaque near the airport, which also hosts southern services; Victory Liner has its own terminals in Pasay, Cubao and Caloocan. The P2P (point-to-point) buses from Trinoma, Ortigas and Alabang to Clark and Batangas port have fixed fares and no stops.

Vans (UV Express) fill the gaps: Puerto Princesa to El Nido (5 to 5.5 hours, PHP 720 to 790), Kalibo airport to Caticlan (1.5 to 2 hours, PHP 200 to 400), Baguio to Sagada. They leave when full, cram 12 to 14 people into a Toyota Hiace and drive fast; sit in the front row if you get carsick and pay for an empty seat if you want legroom.

Metro Manila’s three elevated lines are the fastest thing in the city at rush hour. LRT-1 runs north-south from Fernando Poe Jr. (Roosevelt) through Monumento, Doroteo Jose (for Quiapo and Binondo), Central (Intramuros and Rizal Park), EDSA and Baclaran, extended in 2024 south into Parañaque, with a Ninoy Aquino station that is a long walk, not a connection, from the airport. LRT-2 runs east-west from Recto to Antipolo via Cubao. MRT-3 follows EDSA from North Avenue (Trinoma) to Taft Avenue via Ortigas, Shaw, Buendia and Ayala for Makati. Fares are PHP 13 to 35; buy a single-journey ticket or a stored-value Beep card (PHP 30 for the card, load from PHP 100) that also works on the EDSA Busway and some P2P buses. Trains run roughly 4.30am to 10pm, are packed from 7 to 9am and 5 to 8pm, and have women-only cars at the front. No line reaches the airport, Poblacion or BGC in Taguig; use the EDSA Busway, Grab or a motorbike taxi for those.

The long-promised upgrades are still building sites. The Metro Manila Subway (33 km from Valenzuela to the airport and Bicutan) is tunnelling, with full operations now targeted for 2029 or later; the North-South Commuter Railway from Clark through Manila to Calamba is due to reach substantial completion on its northern section in 2027; and MRT-7 from North Avenue to San Jose del Monte is scheduled to start partial operations in 2027. As of late 2026 none carries passengers, so plan on roads.

Jeepneys are the cheapest transport in the country and the most confusing. Routes are painted on the side and front; the minimum fare is PHP 14 for the first four kilometres (PHP 17 on the air-conditioned “modern” jeepneys with doors and card readers) after fare increases approved in 2026, then PHP 2 or so per kilometre. Board from the back, pass your fare forward with “bayad po”, say “para po” to stop, and hold your bag on your lap. The government’s modernisation programme is replacing the old chrome-and-paint jeeps with mini-buses on consolidated routes, so in Manila and Cebu you will ride both; small towns still run the classics.

Tricycles (motorbike with a sidecar) do the last kilometre everywhere outside Manila’s main roads: PHP 20 to 50 per person shared on a fixed route, PHP 100 to 300 for a private “special” trip in tourist towns such as El Nido, Coron, General Luna or Panglao. Agree the fare before you get in; many towns post official rate cards at the terminal. In Manila, pedicabs (bicycle sidecars) cover side streets for PHP 20 to 50.

Habal-habal are motorbike taxis without a sidecar, common on the islands for PHP 50 to 200 a trip or PHP 800 to 1,200 for a day’s touring with the driver as guide. They are unregulated, helmets are often missing and several Western governments advise against them; ask for a helmet.

Grab is the default in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Baguio and Cagayan de Oro: fixed upfront fares (Makati to BGC PHP 150 to 300, NAIA to Makati PHP 350 to 600 with surge), card or cash, and a record of the driver. It does not operate on most tourist islands. Motorbike taxi apps (Angkas, JoyRide, Move It) are legal in Metro Manila, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro, cost about half a Grab car, provide a helmet and are the only way to beat EDSA traffic. Metered taxis start at PHP 45 and add about PHP 13.50 per kilometre; the white taxis are fine if the meter is running, while the yellow airport taxis at NAIA charge a higher rate but are reliable. Refuse any driver who quotes a fixed price “because of traffic”, and photograph the plate. Outside the cities, hotels and tour desks arrange vans at PHP 2,500 to 4,000 a day with driver.

You can drive on a foreign licence written in English for 90 days from arrival; licences in other languages need an official translation or an International Driving Permit alongside them, and the Philippines recognises the IDP. Traffic drives on the right. Car rental costs PHP 1,500 to 3,000 a day for a small automatic from the international brands at NAIA and Cebu, more useful in northern Luzon (Ilocos, Cordillera) and Bohol than anywhere with ferries; Manila traffic and provincial overtaking habits mean most visitors hire a car with a driver instead for PHP 3,000 to 5,000 a day. Scooters are the way to see Siquijor, Bohol, Siargao, Camiguin, Bantayan and Batanes: PHP 400 to 600 a day for a 125 cc automatic, petrol about PHP 70 a litre, passport or a cash deposit held as security. Helmets are compulsory and police checkpoints fine riders without one, and most travel insurers will not pay for a motorbike accident unless you hold a licence valid for motorbikes at home, so check your policy before you ride.

• Airlines direct: Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia apps give the lowest fares and sales alerts; third-party sites add fees.
• 12go.asia: the easiest place to compare and pre-book ferries, buses and vans in one basket, with e-tickets for OceanJet, Montenegro, 2GO and the El Nido-Coron boats, at a small mark-up.
• Biyaheroes: Filipino bus and ferry booking site covering Victory Liner, Ceres, Philtranco and others for the long overnight routes that sell out before holidays.
• 2GO Travel app and Barkota: ferry tickets and seat maps for the overnight ships and fast craft.
• Grab, Angkas, JoyRide, Move It: ride-hailing; set up with a foreign number, pay cash or card.
• Beep card: stored value for Manila’s three train lines and the EDSA Busway.
• Sakay.ph maps jeepney routes in Metro Manila, which Google Maps covers poorly.
• Facebook: every ferry operator and tourism office posts cancellations there first.

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