Bargain US Bus Journeys

In 2007 the last leg of my round the world trip was from Boston to New York City. I was looking around for a cheap bus service between the two cities and stumbled upon the Fung Wah Bus Company. For a budget traveller it was top notch as the three and a half hour bus journey only cost $15! To put this into perspective, the cab fare from the hostel in Boston to the bus terminal was the same price.

I travelled at about 11am and the bus was completely full but I guess this all adds to the atmosphere right? Despite the cheap price, you may have to put up with mediocre on board entertainment which for us happened to be a low budget martial arts movie, so I just put on the iPod and closed my eyes (what a party animal). However, after a little research on the web, I found that my Boston to New York price could be beaten by the Lucky Star bus company. They could offer the same journey for as little as $1 if you were prepared to travel at 6am, or competitive prices at other times of the day.

It does seem that these Chinatown buses from Boston do offer very good rates travel and beat the Greyhound services hand down. It is always wise to shop around online for alternative bus companies to the Greyhound as you may be surprised by what you find. There are other cheap services operating down the East Coast to Washington, Philadelphia and Georgia to name a few so always consider these before you pick the tempting yet pricier option of a budget airline. For a comprehensive list of alternative bus services at competitive prices so be sure to take a look here.

If anyone else has bagged a transport bargain on their travels please leave a comment so we can all ‘tap that resource’.

How To Save Money On A Winter Sports Holiday

As promised I have comprised a list of good ideas to minimise the costs of a ski trip this coming season.

Get a late deal

To get a late deal you need to be flexible with your holiday dates and sometimes where you fly into or from. Booking as late as a week before your desired date of departure can save you hundreds of pounds on accommodation because companies are eager to fill every empty bed. The biggest savings are commonly found on chalet accommodation and less so on hotel rooms. If you need to go on a certain date and want to go to a particular location, then waiting for a late deal is extremely risky. It pays to be flexible.

Book a chalet not a hotel

If you have a big party or even if you do not, a chalet can be very cost effective as most of the time they offer half board living. In every chalet I have stayed in I have received breakfast and a three course meal in the evening with a good helping of wine. This is great value as restaurants in ski resorts can be pricey especially as the Euro is so strong. Chalets in my opinion are also much more comfortable than hotels as you have your own living area and not just a bedroom, plus it is a good way to meet other people.

Buy a Sensible ski pass

Use common sense and be realistic when you buy a ski pass. It will obviously be cheaper to buy a weekly pass over 5 or 6 daily ones, but also think about where you want to ski. Many resorts are huge and have hundreds of kilometres of runs in several valleys. Buy a pass which includes a couple of valleys but not all. It is unlikely you will get time in a week or be quick enough (unless you are a very confident skier) to get across to further valleys and back in a day anyway so save your money. In the unlikely event that you do tire of your current ski pass boundary, you can usually buy daily passes to other areas. If you buy passes through your tour operator you can sometimes get a discount so ask.

Slope cuisine vs packed lunch

Ski resorts can be quite snobby places and this is one of the reasons why the mark up on food is quite high. You will find a lot of eateries on the slopes but you can easily pay over the odds. The food is great but do not just stop at the first convenient place. Ski around on the first day or ask people’s advice for the cheaper restaurants/cafes where you can get a pizza, a sandwich or bowl of soup. I have experienced mountain restaurants at either end of the price scale so I know what it means to find a suitable restaurant. Alternatively you can take a packed lunch onto the piste. On a good sunny day you cannot beat it plus it is by far the cheapest option. Many chalets will offer a packed lunch to you for free or you can pick up supplies in the resort before you take the gondola up to the slopes.

Drinks and Apres Ski

A lot of money is thrown away in the evenings at ski resorts in bars and clubs. You can pay up to £5 for a beer at a bar and more for spirits so be sure to either pick up a crate before you get to the resort from a supermarket or get tanked up on free wine at the chalet if you are staying in one. I will add that nightlife in ski resorts is always good natured and very lively, often with live entertainment, but the drinks will burn a whole in your pocket.

Borrow or buy equipment

If it is your first time skiing or boarding then definitely hire your gear and take out the insurance. If you know someone with a pair of skis or a board then ask if you can borrow it as this will save you a packet. Alternatively, if you have been a couple of times and plan to go again, consider buying your own gear because it will be a very worthwhile investment over a 5 to 10 year period. If you do think this is the way to go then always wait until the end of the season before making a purchase. Ski shops generally have their sales then to make room for the new season’s stock. Many a bargain can be had.

Around The World In Economy Class

I booked a round the world ticket with the Flight Center back in 2006 for £1400 inc. taxes. I knew this was an economy ticket but was still extremely impressed with the price considering our route took us 29,000 air miles and I have seen budget tickets to Australia alone for £749. I was definitely not expecting top notch anything for the money I paid but there are three things I look for in a good flight.

• Firstly you must have adequate leg room to allow you stretch out. Even better is to have an aisle seat where you can spill over and block the gangway.

• There must also be good films and entertainment available with a decent view of a screen.

• Possibly the most importantly is a tolerable cabin of fellow flyers. This means no young children, stag parties of people sleeping and dribbling on your arm.

My round the world ticket used the Star Alliance Group. There are a number of airlines in this group including Air New Zealand, Thai Airlines, and Singapore Airlines each of which I flew with using an economy ticket. I was impressed with all of these airlines as they fulfilled all of my criteria mentioned above on most of my flights. The majority of the time I got to the airport early enough to choose my own seat, had an on demand entertainment service with my own screen (something I was very impressed with as I only held an economy ticket), and most importantly had a good cabin full of quiet passengers. Well this was true for all but one journey when we were seated next to the entire group of contestants of Shipwrecked 2007 flying back with us on a 9 hour flight from the Cook Islands to LA. They were seriously hyperactive and partied the whole way back; not great for a night flight.

The best airline I experienced from the Star Alliance was Singapore Airlines. The leg room in economy was brilliant, there were on demand movies and the food was great and that is something I do not normally say. It was a total contrast from our first flight with Virgin from London to Tokyo where the leg room was non existent and was generally an awful flight. This could be because at 11 hours it was 3 times longer than my previous longest flight to Egypt.

I also took budget flights in Australia and the USA using Jet Blue, Delta and United. Many of the USA internal budget flights I found quite pleasant as the planes were never particularly busy and the journeys in comparison not too long. In contrast, the Australian internal flights did not seem to be as spacious and it was quite cramped. I think this is probably because there are more budget airlines in the states and they fly more frequently than in Australia.

It is possible to circle the globe in economy class. It does have its uncomfortable moments and you do wonder what treats are being handed out behind that curtain in first and business class. We did sometimes get lumbered with the seats on the back row where the chair did not recline the full way and the rows next to the toilet but we still got from A to B. Who said backpacking was supposed to be luxurious anyway?