Ahmed Mahin Fayaz
We've all heard the refrain, "Are we there yet?" more often than we can count. But visitors love to ride on these novel forms of transportation. In fact, getting to where you are going may be the highlight of your day.
This photo: Commuters pack into a commuter train in India.
While other cities have canals, Venice outdoes them all with more than 150 of them, and no streets, just walkways. The anachronistic black gondolas are still used as ferries over the Grand Canal and remain enormously popular with tourists. Who doesn't welcome the site of a gondolier standing at the bow of the boat in traditional costume? Best yet is the ride itself; water lapping against a stone, the faint scent of decay, and a certain softness in the air. It all adds up to an unforgettable memory of an ancient city.
While Venice's boats seem designed to get you lost, the canals of Amsterdam are much more user-friendly, laid out in a tidy pattern that suits the trim gabled houses that line them. There are different boats to choose from, but the tour boats found in front of Central Station are a good introduction. You can also rent beat up bikes called omafiets or "grandmother bikes." Another great option is catching a canal bus, which allows you to hop on and off at many of the city's most famous sites.
The first tramway in Marseille was horsedrawn, but today the city boasts a thoroughly modern light rail system that has more than two dozen stations serving as connection points. Be sure to point out the nautical appearance of the new tramway cars to the kids—the exterior resembles the hull of a ship, while the driver's cabin looks like the bow. It's a nod to Marseille's status as the largest seaport in France. While most of the stations are plain, some feature themes like Notre Dame du Mont, decorated with huge vegetables on the wall to promote a nearby market.
Visitors gasp when they see the view from their train car on Tokyo's monorail, which travels at 80mph along the coast of Tokyo Bay. The line connects Haneda Airport in Ota, Tokyo to Hamamatsucho Station in Minato Tokyo, with nine stops in between. Be prepared for crowds, for this is known as the world's busiest monorail, carrying 300,000 passengers a day. Although busy, it was designed to handle travelers and features a roomy interior with plenty of room for carry on luggage.
What could be more appealing than arriving at your destination by cable car? Many of the locals use the cars for work commutes, but visitors have made the Wellington Cable Car one the city's most popular tourist attractions. Cars run from Lambton Quay in the business district and end at the breathtaking Wellington Botanic Gardens. There are other attractions from the top station including the enjoyable Cable Car Museum.
Happily, you can hear the St. Charles Avenue street car as you visit the Garden District of New Orleans along with the sounds coming from the Riverfront and Canal Street streetcar lines. Long loved by residents and tourists alike, the cars are an integral part of the city's transporation system. Although the Desire line, which inspired Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar named Desire was discontinued in the '50's, there is plenty of fun to be had riding the other lines.
This photo: Commuters pack into a commuter train in India.