Getting Around, Surabaya Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia)
The transportation options presented in Surabaya range from traditional horse-drawn carts (becak) and small shuttle buses (bemo), to modern, air-conditioned buses and high-speed trains. Wherever you intend to travel in Surabaya, taxi transport is usually close to hand for short journeys.
Most bus transport in Surabaya tends to operate on the Jalan Basuki Rahmat, and so this is always a good place to purchase your ticket and compare the various routes. Those renting a car in this part of East Java are now able to travel all the way to the nearby island of Madura, following the completion of the cable-stayed Suramadu Bridge (Jembatan Suramadu) in 2009 - which remains the longest and arguably the most impressive bridge in Indonesia.
Juanda International Airport (SUB) / Arriving by Air
Address: Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 1, Sedati (Sidoarjo), near Surabaya, 61253, Indonesia, ID
Tel: +62 031 298 6200
Located roughly 17 km / 11 miles to the south-east of central Surabaya and in nearby Sidoarjo, the Juanda International Airport is Indonesia's second-biggest and second-busiest airport, after only the Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta. Surabaya's airport now handles more than 11 million passengers each year and this impressive figure continues to slowly climb, year upon year. Passenger airlines are based either at Terminal A (domestic), or at Terminal B (international). Local Indonesian airlines travel to
Bali, Balikpapan,
Bandung, Banjarmasin, Batam,
Jakarta,
Lombok, Palangkaraya, Pontianak,
Semarang,
Solo (Surakarta), Sorong,
Sulawesi, the
Maluku Islands and
Yogyakarta. International flights connect Surabaya with Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei),
Hong Kong (
China), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Johor Bahru and
Kuala Lumpur (
Malaysia), Singapore and Taipei (Taiwan).
Car Rental
If you are looking to explore East Java and wish to travel at your own pace, then a rental car is often the best option, many of which come with their own driver for the duration of the hire period. Juanda International Airport provides the most extensive selection of car rental agencies, both local and national. Following the recent completion of the Suramadu Bridge in June 2009 (currently Indonesia's longest at 5.4 km / 3.4 miles), it is now possible to drive between Surabaya and the neighbouring island of Madura.
Buses and Coaches
The Purabaya bus terminal is located on the very outskirts of the city, being approximately 10 km / 6 miles to the south of central Surabaya, in Bungurasih. DAMRI shuttle buses connect this bus station with central Surabaya, collecting and dropping passengers at the corner of the Jalan Pemuda and the Jalan Tunjungan. Bus transport is relatively cheap and travel to Banyuwangi (six hours), Malang (two hours), Probolinggo (three hours), Solo (six and a half hours) and Yogyakarta (eight hours). Luxury bus transportation also operates at the Purabaya terminal, with long-distance runs to Solo, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and even Bali (Denpasar), crossing the sea by vehicle ferry.
A further bus terminal is situated some 10 km / 6 miles to the west of Surabaya city centre and known as the Oso Wilangun. From here, bus transport regularly plies the north coast, travelling to Kudus (eight hours) and Semarang (nine hours). If you are looking for sheer convenience, then consider using one of the many door-to-door minibus services, although due to multiple pickups, these minibuses can be a little on the slow side.
Trains
Trains on Java are a very fast and comfortable way to travel to and from Surabaya. From Jakarta, trains regularly use the scenic northern line and head to Surabaya's Pasar Turi Station, which is to be found standing close to the Pasar Turi market. For journeys along the southern line, you will need to use the south-westerly Koto railway station or the more centrally located Gubeng station, both of which offer good rail links to Banyuwangi, Malang and Yogyakarta.
Taxis
Taxi transport is in good supply on the streets of the city, although not all are reputable, choosing to fix fares, rather than to use a meter to calculate the price. Blue Bird taxis are particularly reliable and favoured with tourists in Surabaya, along with Silver and Express taxis. Tipping is always optional, although minimum fares may be charged for short distances.
Boats and Ferries
For a very different way to travel around Java, consider using one of the passenger ferries, which depart from the port of Tanjung Perak and sail to Madura and Makassar (South Sulawesi).
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