When you’re away from home on vacation or business travel, getting around can be a challenge. It’s difficult enough to pass through airport security with all of the queues and screenings, but then there are additional travel headaches to navigate at your destination. When faced with the challenge of getting around affordably without sacrificing your list of “must visit” locations, how can you do it all on a budget?
Subway 53 approaches Sparklerweg Station in Amsterdam
In many parts of the world trains, buses and subways (tube, metro, U-Bahn, MRT) are the rule for getting around. Where car ownership by individuals is not widespread, public transportation options are likely to be plentiful and widely used. For many, public transport is the only way of getting to work or shopping destinations. In Asia, for example, some public transport options are so popular they can be very crowded and at times uncomfortable. Tokyo’s Metro, for example, can be packed to capacity during peak commuting hours, while Manila’s open air Jeepney’s can provide sweltering dusty travel on the many unpaved streets in the Philippine capitol. In spite of these challenges, public transport is an excellent and viable way to get around your destination.
In the US public transportation is available but not nearly as ubiquitous as the rest of the world. Many of America’s larger cities have excellent transport available at a very reasonable price. New York City’s MTA, for example, tops the list for both quantity and reach. With parking costs and traffic congestion difficulties, using the MTA is the only way to go when visiting Manhattan or most anywhere in New York City. San Francisco’s BART is another award winning public transit system that works well for travelers. Don’t pay $60 for a cab downtown, instead take BART directly from the SFO terminal into the financial district.
Many of the public transportation systems in US cities also have one day passes available that can save you money. Stop by any CVS pharmacy in Chicago and for less than $6 you can purchase a one day pass to ride the CTA – take any bus or subway in the CTA system. Washington, D.C. is also famous for its one day Metro pass. Avoid the morning commute by starting after 9am and you’ll only pay $7.80 to ride the train into L’Enfant Plaza or the Smithsonian. Be aware of the transportation options that are available at the airport you fly into in DC. You can ride the Metro to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (and it’s a great way to get into DC), but you cannot take the train out to Dulles.
Outside of the US, public transit systems in many places are very accessible and easy to use. In Singapore, for example, you can ride the MRT from Changi Airport to Raffles Place for less than SG$2. Buy a stored value card and use the card on any subway or bus in the city state. Amsterdam employs a combination of underground subways (the Metro) and light rail trains on the city’s streets. Although station announcements are mostly in Dutch, stop at the ticket booth or any of the automated kiosks for multilingual (English) help. The central train station in most large towns (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, Utrecht) in the Netherlands connects with local transit making it very easy to see multiple cities without the need for renting or hiring a car.
Overall investigating public transportation options before your next trip can help you save a substantial amount of money without sacrificing your itinerary. For a fraction of the cost of a rental car or a cab, you will be able to see all of the sites without the challenge of driving or parking in unfamiliar places.
A Few Tips for Using Public Transportation on Your Next Journey:
1. Public transportation is often an affordable and effective way to get around at your destination.
In the US Atlanta. Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are cities with excellent public transportation.
2. Look for “all you can eat” one day bus and rail passes while you are on the road. Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Washington, D.C. all have one day passes for unlimited bus and/or train rides for less than $10.
3. There are several online tools that can help you plan your use of public transportation. The iPhone app store features many location aware tools with detailed information on public transportation in whatever city you’re visiting next. Don’t own an iPhone? Check out Google Maps’ Transit planner at http://www.google.com/transit. Here you can get directions on transit systems worldwide.
4. Check out free or low cost shuttles or streetcars in urban downtown areas. In Chicago, for example, you can take the free shuttle from Navy Pier over to Michigan Avenue or State Street for access to shopping and hotels. In San Antonio VIA streetcars downtown can take you from the Alamo to La Villita and lots of other destinations for only $1.10.
