Air
Considering the nature of the landscape, Nepal has an excellent network of domestic flights. Engineers have created runways deep in the jungle and high in the mountains, clinging to the sides of Himalayan peaks. However, pilots must still find their way to these airstrips using visual navigation and few years pass without some kind of air disaster in the mountains. All of Nepal’s domestic airports are functioning after the 2015 earthquake.
Because flights are dependent on clear weather, services rarely leave on time and many flights are cancelled at the last minute because of poor visibility. It is essential to build extra time into your itinerary. Even if you take off on time, you may not be able to land at your intended destination because of fog. It would be unwise to book a flight back to Kathmandu within three days of your international flight out of the country.
Bicycle
There are plenty of bicycle-rental shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara, and this is a cheap and convenient way of getting around. Generic Indian- and Chinese-made bicycles cost around Rs 350 to Rs 450 per day to rent, but the clunky gears make even a downhill stretch seem like hard work. Several cycling agencies in Kathmandu rent out imported mountain bikes for around US$12 per day. Cycling around Kathmandu and much of the Kathmandu Valley was once a popular activity, but increased traffic and urban sprawl make this far less appealing today.
Bus
Buses are the main form of public transport in Nepal and they’re incredibly cheap. Often they’re also incredibly uncomfortable. Buses run pretty much everywhere and will stop for anyone, but you’ll find it much easier to get a seat if you catch a bus at its source rather than mid-run. For longer-distance buses, it’s best to book a couple of days in advance.
Public Buses
Most towns in lowland Nepal are accessible by bus from Kathmandu or Pokhara, but Nepali buses are slow, noisy and uncomfortable, and breakdowns are almost guaranteed, even on the so-called ‘deluxe’ buses. Fortunately, services are frequent enough that you can always hop onto another bus if your first bus dies on a lonely stretch of highway.
Tourist Buses
Travel agencies run a number of useful bus services to popular tourist destinations, leaving from the Tourist Bus Park in Pokhara and the Thamel end of Kantipath in Kathmandu. These are more comfortable and less crowded than local buses but cost a little more.
Car & Motorcycle
Hire
There are no drive-yourself rental cars available in Nepal, but you can easily hire a car or jeep with a driver through a travel agency. Expect to pay between US$60 and US$100 per day, including fuel. Taxis are cheaper but less comfortable and you must negotiate a fare directly with the driver. Remember that you’ll have to pay for the driver’s return trip whether or not you return, as well as their food and accommodation for overnight trips.
Motorcycles can be rented in Kathmandu and Pokhara for around Rs 600 to Rs 1500 per day depending on the type of bike. You’ll need an international driving permit or a licence from your own country that shows you are licensed to ride a motorcycle – a car drivers’ licence won’t cut it. You must also leave your passport as a deposit. It’s not a bad idea to take some digital photographs of the bike in case operators complain about damages that existed before you ever set foot on the bike.
Hitching
While it’s generally best avoided, hitching can be useful in remote areas and accessing trailheads, where public transport is almost non-existent or extremely unreliable. It is possible to hitch rides on trucks and private vehicles but you will be expected to pay for your ride. The usual rules apply – never hitch alone and don’t ride with drunken drivers.
Local Transport
Autorickshaw & Cycle-Rickshaw
Cycle-rickshaws are common in the old part of Kathmandu and in towns in the Terai, and they provide an atmospheric way to explore the crowded and narrow streets. Prices are highly negotiable. Nepal’s two-stroke, three-wheeled autorickshaws are being phased out everywhere in favour of electric models, but a few are still hanging on in a couple of Terai towns.
Taxi
Metered taxis are found in larger towns such as Kathmandu and Pokhara, and these can be hired for both local and long-distance journeys. Metered taxis have black licence plates; private cars that operate as taxis for long-distance routes have red or green plates. Taxis can be flagged down anywhere, and they loiter at official stops in tourist destinations such as Bhaktapur and Patan. On most routes, taxi drivers will refuse to use the meter – this is often an attempt to overcharge tourists, but it may also reflect rising fuel costs and traffic delays.
Tootle
In Kathmandu there is a new motorbike ride-hailing app, Tootle (https://tootle.today), that offers a cheaper and faster alternative to taxis, although it only works until 8pm.
Tempo
Tempos are outsized autorickshaws that run on fixed routes in larger cities. Kathmandu’s archaic, polluting diesel tempos have been replaced by electric and gas-powered safa (clean) tempos and petrol minibuses. Drivers pick up and drop off anywhere along the route; tap on the roof with a coin when you want to stop.
E-Rickshaw
The humble rickshaw began its life as a two-wheel cart pulled by a man. The first advance was pedal power, in the form of the bicycle rickshaw. Then came the auto-rickshaw, with its petrol engine. Now, finally, we have the battery-powered e-rickshaw, the perfect choice for a more sustainable age.
Since 2012, when they were first introduced to Nepal, the e-rickshaw has taken over the country. Apart from the environmental gains, it has revolutionised the lives of thousands of rickshaw drivers, who can now go up to 20km in a single trip – and thereby make a lot more money – without the significant cost of petrol.
Train
A new narrow-gauge train is due to begin service between Janakpur and Jaynagar, over the Indian border, sometime in 2018. This promises to be an atmospheric way of seeing the countryside of the Terai, and crossing from Janakpur into India.
