01Renting a scooter
The classic Bali way to get around, and genuinely the most practical option if you're staying somewhere for a while — it turns a 20-minute car crawl through Canggu traffic into a 7-minute ride. Rentals are cheap and easy to arrange through your villa or any of the shops that seem to be on every street.
The trade-off is real risk: Bali's roads mix fast traffic, potholes, and drivers of wildly different experience levels, and scooter accidents are the most common way visitors get hurt here. An international driving permit plus a motorcycle endorsement is technically required and worth having for insurance purposes, even though enforcement is inconsistent.
02Hiring a private driver
For day trips, airport transfers, or if you'd rather not deal with Bali traffic yourself, a private driver for the day is affordable relative to what you'd pay for the equivalent elsewhere, and takes all the stress out of navigating unfamiliar roads. Most villas and hotels can arrange one, or you can book directly with a driver you like and rebook them for the rest of your trip.
03Ride-hailing apps
Grab and Gojek both operate in Bali and are the cheapest way to get a single one-off ride. Coverage is best in South Bali and Ubud; expect longer waits or no availability at all in more remote areas. Some tourist-heavy zones (parts of Kuta, Ubud's centre) have informal restrictions where local driver associations discourage app pickups — don't be surprised if a driver asks you to walk to a nearby main road.
04Shuttles & buses
A handful of fixed-route shuttle and bus services connect the main tourist areas (South Bali, Ubud, and some further-flung spots) on a schedule, at a fraction of the cost of a private driver. They're slower and less flexible, but a solid budget option if you're not in a hurry and your route lines up with theirs.