21 Striking Pictures of How the World Gets Around

From the mighty train to the humble hoof, see unique modes of transportation across the globe.

BANGALORE, INDIA

‘The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously; not to achieve salvation here after, but to make the best use of it here now; and not to realise truth, beauty and good only in contemplation, but also in the actual experience of daily life – Bhagat Singh’. Vibrant street shoppers enjoying their daily lives during Ramadan in Commercial Street, Bangalore.”

GAZIPUR, BANGLADESH

“The photo was taken on 23rd of July’16 at Tongi Railway Station, Gazipur, Bangladesh. I was there for taking photos and waiting for a moment. A train from Dhaka toward another district has reached and stopped at the platform for 5 min for lifting passengers. It was huge raining. Suddenly I found a pair of curious eye was looking at me through the window and on his left an umbrella has been put for protect the rain. I got the moment.”

BANGKOK, THAILAND

“A traditional floating market boat near Bangkok, complete with plastic containers selling coconut ice cream in a traditional hat to people too busy with their technology to care. This is modern day travel. It is mostly floating around chasing an experience that no longer exists.”

MERZOUGA, MOROCCO

LONDON, ENGLAND

CUBA

“Traveling through Cuba in a vintage 1950 Chevrolet with a speedometer which no longer works. We were passing by the city of Camagüey known for its winding streets. The modern American Hawaiian hula figure and yellow taxi cab sign on the dashboard adds to the time travel-esque element of the classic Chevrolet, set against the backdrop of an old and perhaps dilapidated, but not forgotten, Cuba.”

 

PARIS, FRANCE

“A cyclist rides on the Bir Hakeim bridge early morning with the Eiffel tower in the background. Early in the morning the whole of Paris is yet to wake up and the bridge is empty save this lone rider who is riding fast to his destination.”

 

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NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A.

“Aerial view of the Scenic drive and the beautiful Fall colors of New Hampshire. I used a drone to capture the fall colors that cannot be seen from the road.”

 

BAGAN, MYANMAR

“This photo was taken during a sunrise in Bagan, Myanmar.”

JAIPUR, INDIA

ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY

QUANG NAM, VIETNAM

“The bridge is made of bamboo, build by the people living in the surrounding villages . The villagers use the bridge daily to cross the river to the vegetable field. The vegetables are brought home at the end of the days to prepare for sale on the next day at the village’s market place. Their lives are routinely like that everyday.”

 

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

“Heavy traffic Jam during the rush hour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.”

 

TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE

“My wife, Allie, leads our trek into Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. On this day, the clouds swept into the valley and hugged the towers as we entered the park to the sounds of avalanches in the distance.”

 

RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH

“A man riding boat and crossing the Baral River during winter when river become dead and mossy are visible more than other season due to orderliness of water.”

 

TOKYO, JAPAN

“Two young ladies and two men stand waiting on the side of a decommissioned train that used to carry thousands of commuters and other passengers daily between Shibuya and Sakuragicho. The decommissioned train now serves as a Tourist Information Center just outside the Shibuya train station in Tokyo. The spot has also become a favorite rendezvous point for lovers and friends to meet. The facial expressions and body postures indicate people’s empathy gaps in some ways or other.”

 

NOVYY URENGOY, RUSSIA

“Since ancient times, the Nenets have led a nomadic life, engaged in deer farming and traveling the vast tundra. Reindeer harnessed to a sled is the most reliable form of transport on the tundra. The Nenets wander in harsh weather conditions for eight months of the year. The deer give them food, clothing, housing and money.”

 

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HAVANA, CUBA

“A vintage car passes in front of ‘Teatro América’ in Havana, Cuba. The plethora of vintage American cars, which were imported before the trade embargo was imposed in the early 1960s, can be seen everywhere on the streets of Havana. Over the years, Cubans have had to find ways of repairing these aging vehicles, as importing parts from the United States was not possible. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of the old American sign against the old American car.”

 

ZAGREB, CROATIA

“Ban Jelačić Square, Zagreb, at Christmas time. This scene was captured from the window of our 6th floor room at the Hotel Dubrovnik, which is situated adjacent to the Square.”

 

AFAR REGION, ETHIOPIA

“As the most ancient and grueling trade in Ethiopia, the salt miners in the Afar region are still using the most traditional camel caravan to carry loads of salt bricks extracted from the vast salt flats everyday. However, an under-construction railway from Djibouti and new road traversing the old salt route may soon render the camel caravan obsolete.”

 

NAGASAKI, JAPAN

“Another Rainy Day in Nagasaki, Japan. This is a view of the main street from a city tram in Nagasaki on a rainy day. The tram is quite vintage and anachronistic and yet retrofitted with modern ticketing equipment. No conductor is on board any more – only the driver. It seems to rain a lot in Nagasaki and the rain in Nagasaki was even made into a popular song some decades ago.”

Feel the crush of Tokyo‘s subway at rush hour. See the rolling dunes of Morocco from the back of a camel. Cruise through a traditional floating market in Bangkok. Every traveler knows that a trip starts long before arrival, and getting there is half the fun. One of the best ways to experience the rhythm of a destination is by taking local transportation.

The 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest is rolling, and already many entries show the world on the go. Find vintage cars rambling through Havana, chaotic traffic jams in India, and the iconic double decker buses of London. Check out some of our editors’ favorite submissions so far, then be sure to submit your best shot.

This feature originally appeared in National Geographic.

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