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200 years ago it would take days to travel to the nearest town in a rural area. 200 years ago it would take weeks to get from one state and into the next. 200 years ago it took MONTHS to get from one side of the continent to the other, suffering frost bite, malaria and dysentery along the way (Oregon Trail anyone?). Good thing it's not 200 years ago.
Travel is regarded by many as a luxury, or that bane of some poor businessman's existence. Either way, Travel can be fun and it doesn't have to be as expensive as people tend to assume it is. You have several options, depending on how much time you have and how much money you'd like to spend, going from road trip to train to flying jet plane.
Your best friend in any search for bargan travel is the internet. There are slews of websites that can offer you quotes on travel costs for tickets from buses to planes.
One of the things Alan and I really enjoy is traveling together so here's some tips we came up with to make sure you get the best bang for your buck. The majority of tips here are assuming that you will be flying, though many are transferable between methods of travel.
1. Travel Light. No. Seriously. TRAVEL LIGHT. You really don't need five pairs of shoes. If you can manage it, try to pack something the size of a basic carry on item. All airlines have a limit of two carry on items per person. Small rolley bags are fine for carry ons. Traveling light also keeps you from having to pay luggage fees. That's right. Luggage fees. As of this writing, US Airways is asking $15 per checked bag. So in the long run, traveling light could save you a few bucks. 'Travel size' toiletries are your best friend (if you're packing bags as a carry on, make sure your liquid/gel items are under 3oz and packed in a clear plastic baggie according to TSA standards) when packing light; However, keep in mind that if the hotel is going to provide it anyway, why are you bringing it? Hotels now have complimentary everything, fromthe standard fair of shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotions - to tooth brushes, razors and toothpaste. Check with the hotel you're staying at and ask about what items they offer should you forget something.
2. Maine is a cold, rural, and beautiful place. Please pack accordingly. Long sleeve shirts, light jackets, warm socks and maybe a pair of mittens and a scarf - and for the love of all things awesome, PLEASE DO NOT PACK HEELS. You're gonna be in MAINE, OUTSIDE. Heels will not keep your feet warm, so toss the nice 'formal' shoes and slip on a pair of boots or sneakers under that pretty dress, or swanky slacks.
3. Wear your jacket, don't pack it.
4. Buy your tickets well ahead of time to save yourself a few bucks.
5. Be open to leaving on an odd day or at an odd time. Flights that leave around noon can have more seating avaliable, and give you more time to get ready (and beat traffic for that matter) aside from saving you a couple bucks. When booking your flight, departing and returning on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thrusday can also save you cash. At the present moment, ticket prices can dive from $50 to nearly $100 less if you travel on these "off days".
6. Eat something, or bring something with you on your plane to snack on. Because of 'cost cutting' most airlines now won't even give you a cup of water without charging you $2 bucks, much less a bag of peanuts. Belive it or not, travel, even the 'hurry up and wait' kind, can really drain the body of a lot of energy because of stress or anxiety that builds up. Accelerated heart beat, worrying, running to gates, keeping an eye on the kids in the terminals, etc etc etc. Making a small purchase of a bagel or a sandwich with a bottle of water or a cup of fruit to bring on the plane is a good idea - especially if you're traveling with little ones. Understand that the TSA has got it out for liquids and gels now, and they won't allow bottles of water/cups with water in them into the terminals. As far as food is concerned, pack a bag of chips, or non perishable snacks in your purse or second carry on if you'd rather not buy.
7. On the note of food: Bring an empty water bottle or normal sized travel mug with you. Throw it in your purse or laptop bag. Water fountians are avaliable at most restroom areas, and these things don't have to be thrown away. So if you're jonesing for a drink save the two bucks and help the enviornment at the same time.
8. Shop around for ticket prices. Yeah this is probably a given, but still I figured it needs to be said. Finding the best price can take time and patience, using websites like farecast.com help with telling you when to buy your tickets. Airline ticket prices go up and down constantly, farecast.com keeps tabs on the trends and predicts when the best time to buy is going to be. So check it out. I've found the best prices on a website called cheaptickets.com.
9. Travel with a group. Some airlines, like Delta, offer discouts on prices for groups of 10 or more. You can contact Delta's group travel information at 1-800-532-4777. Other airlines do group travel and discounts as well so if you find an airline with a great price online, call the airline directly through their normal website and see if you can get an even better deal, with more company along the way. If a lot of you are coming from one area why not make a party out of it?
10. Make sure you have ample time between connection flights. Getting a direct flight is nice, but it's not always avaliable, so more often than not you're gonna have to switch planes. Planes headed for Portland, Maine tend to stop at Philledelphia, Washington, New York, and on the rare occasion Boston. Have at least an hour layover between your flights as this leaves ample time for you to get to your gate and decompress before taking off again.
11. Bring a book, or something for entertainment while on your flight. Having a book, something to knit, a handheld game to play, or just something to do, can really help the time on your flight whizz on by. Of course there's always the option of just looking out the window at the world below, or talking to those around you as well. Most people on planes are desperate for something to do, as some won't be as prepared as you - so it's easy to find someone to talk to. . .sometimes rather you want to or not.
If any of you have any other tips that may be useful for travel, or you're trying to get a group together feel free to drop us a line at ACMEWedding@gmail.com and let us know about it so we can share!
. . .And I have to wrap it up here as this:
. . .keeps staring at me, making pathetic noises & demanding to go out.Must obey the Corgi.
- Carrie.
