Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Assuming you aren’t an Olympic cyclist or a track star if you want to travel the three means of transportation that come to mind usually boil down to planes, trains, and automobiles. Now the logical conclusion that most people make when traveling or planning to travel is to immediately look at planes. They key however is research. Are planes necessarily the way to go? It depends. If you research properly and you have the extra time to take trains and automobiles can also be very viable alternatives to the traditional flight. They also provide added flexibility and comfort that planes don’t necessarily provide. They can also save you money.

Planes
Definitely the most traditional way of getting from Point A to Point B especially if there is a significant distance between the two. Planes are almost always are the fastest way to travel. The time you spend at the airport Many times the traditional travel sites (Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity) have last minute sales that offer a lot of savings.

Of course in addition to just looking at the popular travel websites, you should definitely look at the individual airlines websites themselves. A lot of times they have deals that are even better than what you can get there (Southwest Airlines in particular).

Trains (Amtrak)
Amtrak has many advantages and disadvantages. The fares vary drastically from one place to another and sometimes don’t seem to make logical sense. The major advantage to Amtrak is that you are allowed two bags per person and don’t have to deal with the same check-in procedures as air travelers. While the trip itself would probably be longer than air travel, you also have the added convenience of being able to move around the individual cars. AAA Members receive a 10% discount when they book three days in advance. Amtrak also runs weekly specials. Many of those specials seem to run through Chicago and the midwest. Amtrak does have very inexpensive prices on certain trips. For example you can get from Albany, NY to Boston, Ma for only $42 roundtrip.

Automobiles
For some the thought of driving themselves long distances can seem very foreboding (especially if there are children involved). Others however are far more content driving five or six hours to their favorite vacation hotspot. There are actually two options when it comes to traveling by car. First you can take your own car and save on any costs at all except for gas. The downside to this is whether or not you want to put the amount of mileage on your car. If you own a newer car it may be fine but do you really want to risk an older car breaking down in the middle of nowhere? If you do it would be highly suggested to have some sort of plan in case the inevitable “I’m broke down in the middle of nowhere at night and have no idea where I am” were to become an unpleasant reality.

The second option would be to rent a car. Many car rental companies offer unlimited miles within the state you are driving and within a certain number of neighboring states. (Renter Beware: Many rental car companies discriminate against younger drivers between the ages of 18 and 25 and require additional insurance as part of renting a vehicle through them). Rental car prices vary given the location and the actual type of car you want. It is not out of the realm of possibly to only pay (before taxes $35 a day for any Standard size car or smaller. In addition, some rental companies like Enterprise offer weekend fares of up to 50% off.

The bottom line is good research and knowing where to look definitely pays off. Any trip that is well researched can definitely save you money in the end.