What is the cheapest thing you have done to save on transportation?
Apr 11, 2011, 1:44 am
#76
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Many years ago, while doing my residency, I found at the last minute that I would have time to attend a conference. The tickets were outrageously expensive but it just so happened that two individuals in our department who were planning to go to the conference were now not able to - one was male, one was female.
It was winter time and the conference was in sunny Florida at a very nice resort, so once I secured use of the tickets, I asked an intern if she would like to accompany me to Florida. We traveled on the other individual's tickets, and since this was the early nineties the only verification of the name was at check-in, but there was no need to show ID - the ticket holders got the miles and I got the girl (for a while at least).
I will say, it was rather dodgy as I had to fly using a very popular Southern name with a III at the end, and anyone with half a brain looking at me and then looking at the name on the ticket would suspect something. My travel partner, twenty something blonde had to travel with an Indian name. The slightest cock up and things could have gone awry, and this was before the age of backup plans.
It was winter time and the conference was in sunny Florida at a very nice resort, so once I secured use of the tickets, I asked an intern if she would like to accompany me to Florida. We traveled on the other individual's tickets, and since this was the early nineties the only verification of the name was at check-in, but there was no need to show ID - the ticket holders got the miles and I got the girl (for a while at least).
I will say, it was rather dodgy as I had to fly using a very popular Southern name with a III at the end, and anyone with half a brain looking at me and then looking at the name on the ticket would suspect something. My travel partner, twenty something blonde had to travel with an Indian name. The slightest cock up and things could have gone awry, and this was before the age of backup plans.
Apr 13, 2011, 4:36 pm
#78
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Back during residency...
Walked from Papeete airport to downtown (around 4 miles or so) late at night after my flight from Easter Island got in - all my stuff in a backpack. The taxi drivers there begin charging outrageous prices in the evening which go up the later it gets. It was pretty late.
I had to wing a rock and hit an aggressive dog to make him go away, but otherwise it was fine.
Walked from Papeete airport to downtown (around 4 miles or so) late at night after my flight from Easter Island got in - all my stuff in a backpack. The taxi drivers there begin charging outrageous prices in the evening which go up the later it gets. It was pretty late.
I had to wing a rock and hit an aggressive dog to make him go away, but otherwise it was fine.
Last edited by Doc Savage; Apr 13, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Apr 13, 2011, 6:42 pm
#79
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Join Date: Jan 2002
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About twenty years ago, I went to Newark, DE from Washington, D.C. by AMTRAK. Amtrak had only one stop northbound (around 2:00 O.M.) and one southbound (About 8:00 P.M.) in Newark. I missed the train. I then went to a bar where I thought I might run into a friend, bit no luck. I had already taken leave of the friend I had come to visit. Instead of taking a hotel for the night, I walked almost 18 miles during the night to Wilmington, DE to catch a train back to Washington, D.C. As I remember there were no taxis in the town.
To be fair, checking into a hotel would not have been much help as I didn't have a change of clothes and would still be without a place between checkout at noon and the departure of the train at 8:00 P.M.
To be fair, checking into a hotel would not have been much help as I didn't have a change of clothes and would still be without a place between checkout at noon and the departure of the train at 8:00 P.M.
Last edited by Yaatri; Apr 13, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Jul 16, 2011, 1:22 pm
#80
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Using driveaway cars after working in the US for a summer - saw many parts of the country for the price of gas
Jul 16, 2011, 11:20 pm
#82
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SAN
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I took a jeepney on arrival at MNL, with suitcase in tow, from Manila airport to Pasay which cost ~15 cents. I could have took a taxi for about $3 but I was getting pi$$ed off arguing with taxi drivers would not use the meter.
Jul 18, 2011, 2:55 am
#83
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
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Where to start? I've always travelled a lot, whether I have money or not, and so used to do everything possible to be able to afford it.
Before the days of LCCs, I used to travel in 'bucket seats' - empty charter seats to random destinations, sold at bargain prices. You never quite knew what you were getting, the hours were ridiculously unsociable, and you had to get through quite an array of requirements (e.g. insurance, etc) to get the cheap fares. But if you knew what you were doing, it was great. Of course, there was no chance of organised transport on the other end, which was often little more than a portacabin on a military base, but there's also...
...paying charter coach (bus) drivers to take you somewhere. Plenty will say yes to some cash-in-hand if there's an empty seat.
It also pays to know what transport offers are available in different places. In Germany, for example, the Schoenes-Wochenend-Ticket used to be (and probably still is - IDK) a bargain. At the time, it was valid all weekend on local trains, and one ticket covered up to 5 people. It was a bargain for 1, let alone 5. So what was common was to offer some food/beer/etc to be allowed to accompany the holder of one of these tickets, where they had free spaces. Of course, you'd also put yourself in the reverse position (and get quietly sozzled by the time you reached Stuttgart).
If I can walk or cycle I will. Even now, even on business trips. But that's more for enjoyment than money-saving.
Rather cheeky, and I no longer do this, but... If you're regularly travelling on one train route, and you know there aren't many ticket checks, you can buy a period return ticket (where the return half is valid for a month) in each direction. You always have a valid ticket in your hand.
In many countries, it pays to know where to split tickets, whether by bus or train. The UK is insane for this. I used to go to Birmingham for work a lot - the direct ticket was £68.50. By splitting in Peterborough and Melton Mowbray (all trains stop there from my route), it came down to £38. Similar tricks exist for all over the country - and there are some creative routings you can take, too.
I've slept on late night trains (where the fare is less than accommodation) shuttling between the same two cities. I've slept and camped rough, although I'd rarely recommend it.
Before the days of LCCs, I used to travel in 'bucket seats' - empty charter seats to random destinations, sold at bargain prices. You never quite knew what you were getting, the hours were ridiculously unsociable, and you had to get through quite an array of requirements (e.g. insurance, etc) to get the cheap fares. But if you knew what you were doing, it was great. Of course, there was no chance of organised transport on the other end, which was often little more than a portacabin on a military base, but there's also...
...paying charter coach (bus) drivers to take you somewhere. Plenty will say yes to some cash-in-hand if there's an empty seat.
It also pays to know what transport offers are available in different places. In Germany, for example, the Schoenes-Wochenend-Ticket used to be (and probably still is - IDK) a bargain. At the time, it was valid all weekend on local trains, and one ticket covered up to 5 people. It was a bargain for 1, let alone 5. So what was common was to offer some food/beer/etc to be allowed to accompany the holder of one of these tickets, where they had free spaces. Of course, you'd also put yourself in the reverse position (and get quietly sozzled by the time you reached Stuttgart).
If I can walk or cycle I will. Even now, even on business trips. But that's more for enjoyment than money-saving.
Rather cheeky, and I no longer do this, but... If you're regularly travelling on one train route, and you know there aren't many ticket checks, you can buy a period return ticket (where the return half is valid for a month) in each direction. You always have a valid ticket in your hand.
In many countries, it pays to know where to split tickets, whether by bus or train. The UK is insane for this. I used to go to Birmingham for work a lot - the direct ticket was £68.50. By splitting in Peterborough and Melton Mowbray (all trains stop there from my route), it came down to £38. Similar tricks exist for all over the country - and there are some creative routings you can take, too.
I've slept on late night trains (where the fare is less than accommodation) shuttling between the same two cities. I've slept and camped rough, although I'd rarely recommend it.
Jul 19, 2011, 7:37 pm
#85
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
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Most recently a couple of months ago, Mongolian border to Beijing, RMB 70 for bus partway then RMB 70 for a Chinese overnight train ticket hard-seat lowest class in a carriage crammed full of Mongolian farmers and families. (Fortunately, no farm animals). That was a sleepless night, indeed. But 500 km for equivalent of US$21, or 4 cents per km.
Jul 23, 2011, 2:05 pm
#86
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Singapore
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Instead of a 200yuan cab from the airport, I took a 4yuan subway ride in Shanghai. ^
Taking an overnight train instead of flying from Shanghai to Beijing to save on accomodation for the night.
Taking an overnight train instead of flying from Shanghai to Beijing to save on accomodation for the night.
Jul 23, 2011, 4:29 pm
#87
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6
1. rented a van with a few guys to drive 28 hours each way (Florida to Canada) for a week of backpacking rather than taking a flight.
2. hitchhiked from torquay to Bells Beach in Australia with surfboards rather than hiring a cab. Couldn't get a lift back so had a several hour walk with boards wearing only wetsuits haha.
3. Going to overnight boat trip in Laos to get to Luang Prabang.
4. 15 hour layover in Panama City on the way to Costa Rica.
Although time consuming, these were some of the BEST experiences I have had while traveling. Saving money and cutting corners always seems to lead to an interesting story; especially when traveling in a foreign country.
2. hitchhiked from torquay to Bells Beach in Australia with surfboards rather than hiring a cab. Couldn't get a lift back so had a several hour walk with boards wearing only wetsuits haha.
3. Going to overnight boat trip in Laos to get to Luang Prabang.
4. 15 hour layover in Panama City on the way to Costa Rica.
Although time consuming, these were some of the BEST experiences I have had while traveling. Saving money and cutting corners always seems to lead to an interesting story; especially when traveling in a foreign country.
Jul 26, 2011, 9:11 pm
#89
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YWG
Programs: AC
Posts: 224
I camped at YYZ on a couple of occassions since I had early morning departure the next day. Another time, I took the last flight to ORD to see a concert, took the free shuttle bus to a hotel near the AllState Arena. After the show, hung out at Steak n Shakek since it's open 24 hours, used the internet computer at a hotel that I was not a guest of then used their shuttle bus to ORD to catch my early morning flight to YVR. I spent $11 my whole time in ORD. 