This free website/app tells you the cost and travel time between Points A and B anywhere in the world via plane, train, bus, ferry, rideshare, car, or walking. It works for trips with multiple stops, too.
Rome2Rio is a website (there’s also an app for iOS and Android) that lays out your transportation options from Point A to Point B—and Points C, D, and E, if that’s what your travel plans call for.
Enter your starting location and your first destination. Rome2Rio comes back with air, rail, mass transport, bus, ferry, rideshare, and driving options, providing times and approximate costs so you can weigh all the possibilities at once.
It’s also a transportation and accommodation booking site, providing links so you can complete your booking. I use other sites for making plane and hotel reservations, but always start with Rome2Rio to figure out the best way to get where I want to go.
The interface is easy to use and accuracy is topnotch, thanks to input from over 5,000 sources in more than 160 countries. And you don’t need an account to access most of Rome2Rio’s features.
1. Enter your departure and travel locations.
The locations don’t have to be specific addresses or airport codes. You can enter a city or even just the name of a country. In this example, I input Denver, Colorado as my departure and the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain as my destination.
2. Select a travel option.
Click “Search” and a list of suggested routes appear beside a map showing each one.
In this example, you have the choice of flying to one airport or flying to one of two other airports and taking a train. (Note: Screenshots taken prior to the pandemic limiting travel schedules.)
After you click on an option, you’ll receive details on the estimated travel time and cost. This is where Rome2Rio excels, because you can see each segment of your trip all on one screen. This is better than sites like Google Maps, which may not provide as many options and requires you to enter a specific address.
In this example, I selected the option a flight + train option. It shows everything from ways to get to the Denver airport to walking directions from public transport to the W Hotel.
3. View specifics of your choice.
If you’d like, you can delve deeper to find specific information. For example, if you click on the flight segment, a screen appears with a list of airlines that fly the route, along with dates and flight times.
You then have the option of checking specific flights’ prices and times, and can even make a booking via Omio, a travel-booking platform. The site also gives you the option of booking hotels and rental cars through Expedia, plus there’s a link to recommended things to do at your destination.
Besides flight info, you can see options for other parts of your trip, such as ways to get from the airport. When I click on the subway connection from the bus to the stop near the hotel, the subway hours, cost of the ride, estimated trip time, and photos of the subway train appear. The detailed walking route from the subway to the hotel is also shown.
You can also compare alternative transportation options. For example, in this example I requested ways to get from Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris to the Hyatt Regency. Rome2Rio came back with information on metro, bus, taxi, Uber, and self-driving. You can then select one of these (click on the small arrow to the right of the option) to update the estimated travel time and cost of the trip.
4. Add multiple travel destinations.
If your trip isn’t ending at one spot, you can add other destinations. And you can reorder the destinations by dragging and dropping on the website. Here I’ve asked how to get from Greece to Cape Town, South Africa to a specific address in Sunshine Beach, Queensland, Australia. The map is zoomable, so you can see as much detail as you like.
5. Print, share, or save your trip.
After you’ve finished researching your itinerary, you can print, share, or save your trip. The print view can include maps. To save your travel plan, you’ll have to sign up for a free Rome2Rio account.
Twist’s Take: Rome2Rio is a free, helpful tool that lays out all your travel options for getting from Point A to B, including estimated costs and travel times.
