Surabaya is the major transportation hub in East Java, with connections to the rest of the island by bus and train, as well as boat. By train from Jakarta takes a minimum of nine hours. There are direct bus connections from all of the major cities in Central and East Java. Surabaya is a major port, so you can use the Pelni ships to or from Makassar (Ujung Pandang), Banjarmasin and Pontianak.
Surabaya by Air
Of course, the fastest way to get to Surabaya is by air. The city's Juanda International Airport (code: SUB) opened a new terminal building in November 2006. The city is served by most of Indonesia's domestic carriers. There are flights more or less hourly to and from Jakarta and Denpasar, with less frequent service to other destinations in Indonesia. There are not too many international airlines still serving Surabaya. Only Singapore's Silk Air flies direct to Surabaya from Singapore. From other countries, you may find it easier to fly through Jakarta or Bali to get to Surabaya.
- Batavia Air
- Small domestic airline. At last check, web site had no English language version and no online reservation capability.
- Garuda Indonesia
- Garuda is the national carrier of Indonesia. The have a global network of routes to bring visitors to Indonesia, and of course they have a domestic network which serves the major cities in Indonesia. They have, from time to time, offered heavy discounts (50%) on domestic flights for people coming to Indonesia via Garuda.
- Lion Air
- Very large carrier, covering about 20 cities in Indonesia, and international connections to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.
- Mandala Airlines
- Covers major cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
- Merpati Airline
- Another large Indonesian carrier, with an extensive domestic network and international connections to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Has a reputation for very bad service.
Surabaya Departure Tax
On domestic flights, you will need to pay a departure tax of 30,000 Rupiah (1.80 USD). The tax is paid at the entry to the departure lounge.