Bali transport: Grab, private driver or scooter

Bali looks small on the map, but the traffic, the roads and the mountain areas mean a 20 km trip can easily turn into an hour or more. That's why the question of how to get around matters so much. This is the combination we recommend and what each option costs, in rupiah with the approximate equivalent in euros.

The combination that works

For this itinerary we recommend Grab or Gojek, a private driver and fast boats, and using a scooter only if you have experience riding one.

From the airport to Ubud

The journey takes between 1 and 2 hours depending on traffic. A private transfer, 300,000 to 500,000 IDR (about €17 to €28 per car), is the most comfortable option for the first day. Grab or Gojek is cheaper, at 250,000 to 400,000 IDR. Official taxis exist too, but always ask the price before you get in.

Grab and Gojek

They work like Uber: you enter your destination, see the price and accept. Download both before you travel, because sometimes one has better availability or price than the other. For short trips around Ubud, between 30,000 and 100,000 IDR per ride. You can also use them to order food.

The private driver

For the long excursion days, a private driver costs between 600,000 and 1,000,000 IDR (about €34 to €56) for roughly 8 to 10 hours. It's probably the best transport decision of the whole trip, and if there are four of you it works out far cheaper than it sounds. Split between a group, the difference compared with Grab is small and you gain comfort.

The scooter

It's the most freeing way to get around, but also the riskiest if you have no experience. A simple automatic scooter costs between 60,000 and 100,000 IDR a day, and models like the NMAX or PCX between 100,000 and 175,000. We recommend it for Canggu, Uluwatu and short trips. We don't recommend it for long journeys, unfamiliar roads, heavy rain, or if you've never ridden a motorbike. Also check that your insurance really covers the activity.

Traffic in the south, in Canggu, Seminyak and around the airport, can turn 20 minutes into a long hour, especially at sunset.

What transport adds up to

Daily transport with shared Grab or Gojek comes to about €5 to €15 per person per day. A private driver is about €40 to €70 per car per day. Across the whole itinerary, transport adds up to €100 to €180 per person, not counting the boats between islands.

Our recommendation

A private driver for the long excursions, Grab or Gojek for day to day and, if you're unsure about the scooter, skip it. You can see how it fits the whole trip in our 14-day Bali itinerary and what it costs in how much it costs to travel to Bali.