Transportation

by Shaun Troke

 Similar to the John Hughes movie, this piece is about Planes, Trains, and Automobiles! And, it’s been written to help give you an insight into the companies I’ve used over the last 18 years to book travel transportation…

Planes

 My current top go-to website for booking flights is Skyscanner. This, if anything, can help start your search, if you’re still deciding where to travel.

  One of the best options in Skyscanner is its ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Whole Month’ search options: You select your departure (From) airport, and then select ‘Everywhere’ in the arrival (To) airport, followed by which month(s) you’d like to travel in…and, the search results will bring up all flights to all destinations from your local airport (this is a fun way to book, if your travel options are open, and, to see where may fit in with your budget!)


UK Skyscanner banner 468x60

 Other airlines to keep an eye on are Ryanair and Easyjet.

  Ryanair often have cheap flight offers, but also remember that, when booking Ryanair flights, always check where the destination airport is located, as it can sometimes be located an hour away from the city you’re visiting, therefore increasing your budget with airport transfer costs. In 2009, I booked 8 flights around Europe for around £60 (great, huh!), but the downside was the amount it cost in airport transfers (approximately double the flight costs!)

 Easyjet may be a little more pricey compared to Ryanair, however, they seem to arrive at airports closer to city centres. For cheaper flights, you should book in advance with Easyjet,  and click on this link to read my story about how I once booked 6 flights for £187!

Trains

For UK travel, I mostly use Trainline. And, to save me from writing about the methods I use to book train travel, here’s Lucy’s UK Train Travel Tips that are identical to mine.

 

For European travel, Lucy can also give you Tips About Train Travel in Europe, too!

Automobiles

 While these days I rarely use this form of transport, the cheapest way to get around the UK (and Europe) is by National Express (& Eurolines) and Megabus.

 Megabus is, without a doubt, the cheapest option, therefore it’s also the most popular, meaning buses can often be crowded on every journey. Granted, I’ve only used Megabus a handful of times, and it was always been the ‘last resort option’, should budget be tight.

 National Express & Eurolines are by far the better option when travelling around the UK & Europe by bus! The seats are more comfortable, the buses are usually cleaner, and, when it’s working, the bus will have free wifi, too!

While bus travel isn’t the most luxurious (or quickest!) way to travel, I highly recommend exhausting efforts in searching for a cheap train ticket first!

avis car hire uk greece travelAvis Car Hire has been our first choice when driving abroad.

With their easy-to-book system, and, courteous & helpful staff, Avis provided a comfortable two-week road-trip across Greece.

 

 

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