Nebraska Taxis and Car Rental
Due to the rural nature of Nebraska you will definitely want to rent a car if you hope to do any kind of exploration outside the cities. There is virtually no public transportation to help you get between the towns and without a car you will pretty much be stuck in one place. Even within a city like Omaha or Lincoln a car will easily pay for itself in terms of convenience and taxi fares since the city bus network caters to the locals rather than the tourists. Fortunately it’s no problem finding a rental car from most major American outfits at the airport or in downtown Omaha or Lincoln.
If you need a taxi, you’ll only find them in the largest cities like Omaha and Lincoln. They are a good value considering no destination within Omaha takes more than a few minutes to reach. But cabs do not comb the city looking for fares so you'll need to keep a few phone numbers handy when you need a pick up 24 hours a day. In Omaha, Happy Cab (+1-402-339-6300) is a good choice, while Lincoln has Capital Cab (+1-402-477-6074) to help you out.
Nebraska Trains and Buses
The train is only useful to get into Nebraska from destinations to the east and west. The Amtrak’s popular California Zephyr line runs right through the middle of the state every day on its way from San Francisco to Chicago. This scenic line makes major stops in Denver and Salt Lake City, as well as in Nebraska at Omaha, Lincoln, Holdrege, McCook, and Hastings. The journey will be slow but comfortable and quite scenic. Fares are not a selling point, but if time is not an issue it’s a memorable way to see the US.
The Greyhound Bus Line offers much more flexibility to reach the state, though it only stops in the big cities of Lincoln and Omaha. Traveling between a handful of towns within Nebraska, the Arrow Stage Lines and Burlington Trailways are the way to go. Fares for long-distance trips are very cheap and the seats are comfortable enough for short journeys.
Only Omaha and Lincoln have city bus systems. Lincoln’s StarTran covers a number of main points around the capital, while Omaha’s Metro Area Transit is useful for getting between the zoo and downtown. Both bus networks have cheap fares that are limited in the number of useful tourist destinations.