When traveling alone I have taken Metro in Montreal, a train in Toronto, a streetcar in San Francisco, a bus in Barcelona, a camel in the Sahara, a matatu in Nairobi, a boda boda in Uganda. There are so many ways to get around.
I find the best thing to do when I am travelling in a new country is to ask at the hotel for advice. There are times when taking a taxi is better than taking a bus from one city to another. If the cabbie is a learned, he (most often) or she can act as interpreter, guide and offer a glimpse into the lives of the locals. The trick is to not be too concerned about deadlines and be open to where you might be taken.
I once had only 6 hours in Athens and hired a taxi with a driver who was fluent in English, to tour me around the city. I wouldn't have seen the city if it hadn't been for him and, although I didn't have time to wander at will, I did get a sense of the city and had lunch at a lovely place run by local people.
