Fares vary a great deal according to the competition and the condition of the road. There is also great variation in fares between the speed and comfort of a Peugeot 504 station wagon and the grinding progress of a clapped-out country bus. But fares in the latter type of vehicle can still be little more than Ksh1 per kilometre and shouldn't be above Ksh3 per kilometre in a Peugeot except on short routes. This means that most journeys of up to a day in length will cost under Ksh500 (£5/$7) and quite often half this. Rarely will anyone attempt to charge you more than the going rate. Baggage charges should not normally be levied unless you're transporting a huge load, though enough touts will try and convince you otherwise: if you get stuck, talk to other passengers (away from the touts, who will usually intervene in Swahili and bribe the passenger) to find out how much they paid.

It's worth considering your general direction through the trip and which side will be shadier . This is especially important on dirt roads when the combination of a slow, bumpy ride, dust and fierce sun through closed windows can be horrible.

Trains
In the wake of a catastrophic train crash in March 1999 along the Nairobi-Mombasa line, possibly caused by brake failure, the future of passenger services on Kenya Railways was for a time uncertain. The railways have been underfunded (or funds have been siphoned off) for years, with the result that all passenger trains were halted in 2001 with the exception of the Nairobi-Mombasa service, which was reduced to four trains a week. Services may be restored at some time in the future between Nairobi and Kisumu, Kisumu and Butere, and even Nairobi and Eldoret, but at present none are running, and there are no longer any connections into Tanzania or Uganda (and not much remaining of their rail services either).

the main draw for travellers is the four-times-weekly overnight Nairobi-Mombasa run, which leaves in either direction at 7pm, to arrive anytime between 8am and 10am the following morning. Frustrating though the (almost routine) delays are, they at least mean you are likely to have a couple of hours of morning light to watch the passing scene: approaching Nairobi, the animals on the Athi Plains; approaching Mombasa, the sultry crawl down from the Maungu Plains to the ocean.

If you need to check train schedules before leaving home, they can be found in Thomas Cook's Overseas Train Timetable (the blue volume), available at branches of Thomas Cook, and in most reference libraries.

Planes
Kenya has a number of reasonably priced internal services , and it's well worth seeing the country from the air at least once; the flight from Lamu to Malindi is an especially exotic and exhilarating one over reefs and jungle.

Baggage allowances on internal flights, apart from Kenya Airways, are usually under 20kg and may be as little as 10kg. Fortunately, the excess baggage charges are nominal. There is an airport tax of Ksh300 on all domestic flights, plus Ksh200 compulsory insurance, all usually included in the fare.

Lastly, note that ordinary connecting times shouldn't be relied on if you're flying to catch an international departure. Many of the cheaper flight tickets to Europe cannot be endorsed to another airline if you miss your flight, and domestic services are often delayed.

Ferries
There are no regular ferries up and down the coast, other than those connecting the islands of the Lamu archipelago, but dhow journeys can be negotiated, in particular between Shimoni and Pemba (Tanzania). On Lake Victoria, the network of steamer routes was suspended when the lake became clogged up with water hyacinth (which snarls up the propellers). With the clearance of the hyacinth, services have resumed between Kisumu, Homa Bay and Mbita, but there are no passenger services to Uganda or Tanzania

Hitching
This is how the majority of rural people get around - by waving down a vehicle - but they invariably pay, whether it's a bus, a matatu, a lorry or a private vehicle with a spare place. Private vehicles, except on the main Kisumu-Nairobi-Mombasa artery and one or two other routes, are comparatively rare and usually full. Because of the cheapness of buses, travellers don't try it much, but hitching can be a good change of pace, enabling you to cover distances fast and usually in safety. Along the coast, where there are relatively fewer matatus and more private cars, it's often easy. More calculatingly, if you're on a low budget, hitching rides with private cars can throw you in with Asians and Europeans, often resulting in opportunities to visit national parks and reserves.

Hitching techniques need to be fairly exuberant; a modest thumb is more likely to be interpreted as a friendly, or even rude, gesture than a request for a lift. Beckon the driver to stop with your palm. And if you genuinely can't afford to pay, say so right away; generosity will often provide you a lift anyway.

Car rental and driving
Renting a car has advantages over any other means of transport, which makes it seriously worth considering for a week or two. All the parks and reserves are open to private and rented vehicles (as well as organized tours), and there's a lot to be said for the freedom of choice that having your own wheels gives you. Unless there are more than two of you, though, it won't save you money over one of the cheaper camping safaris. The minimum age is 23, sometimes 25.

Prices vary greatly, with some quoted in Kenyan shillings, though most in dollars. It's often cheaper to rent by the week if you do enough kilometres - reckon on driving an average of 1000km per week (around 600-700 miles).

Shop around for the best deals (making sure you're quoted the inclusive price, including the minimum daily mileage) and try to negotiate as you might with any purchase, bearing in mind the season (July, August and Christmas are busy, so you might want to book ahead) and how long you're renting. This is easier with independent companies than the big-name franchises. Check the insurance details and always pay the daily collision damage waiver (CDW) premium, sometimes included in the price; even a small bump could be very costly otherwise. Theft protection waiver (TPW) should also be taken. However, even with these, you'll still be liable for excess liability , usually averaging $500-1000, exceptionally as low as $75-100, and sometimes an astronomical $2000 (avoid these companies), so always check the amount before taking a car. You're also required to leave a hefty deposit, roughly equivalent to the anticipated bill - credit cards are useful for this. Lastly, always check whether VAT (eighteen percent) has to be added to the cost.

Cycling
Kenya's climate and varied terrain make it challenging cycling country. If it appeals to you - whether you're a lycra-laminated pro or just use a bike once in a while - it's one of the best ways of getting around. With a bike, given time and average determination, you can get to parts of the country that would be hard to visit by any other means except perhaps on foot, and what would take several days to hike can be cycled in a matter of hours. It's also one way you will get to see wildlife outside the confines of the game parks. Most towns have bicycle shops which sell both mountain bikes and the trusty Indian three-speed roadsters - we've mentioned some of these in the Mombasa and Nairobi "Listings" sections.