Travel Choices

Travel Choices are the decisions that you have to make since you have a large number of travel options to consider. This starts with some basic choices, like:

• Where do I want to go?
• How long do I want to go?
• When do I want to go?
• How do I want to get there?
• Where do I want to stay?
• What do I want to do when I am there?
• etc.

For the tight budget traveler, Cos strongly recommends you check out our Budget Strategies Post. Actually, it is not a bad idea to go for everyone reading this post. In any case, please spend some time thinking about your travel choices, and don’t just book the first thing you see. Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline are all great tools to help you check out your options.

Travel Choices can be analyzed into two categories: Transport and Lodging. After you resolve those two categories of travel, the next critical question is how do I get from the port (airport or cruise port) to my hotel/lodging choice. We address all these options for you.

Transport

Transportation options are many. Let’s say you simply want to get from Point A to Point B, one way. Well, depending on where those points are located here are you options: Airplanes, Trains, Ferries or Water Taxis, Rental Cars, Cruises, Limos, Taxis, Ride- Sharing and Pubic Transit, and if Point A and B are really close together, you might even try walking. Okay, let’s for the moment, rule out walking.

Normally, assuming you are not traveling to an isolated Island, going from A to B, can be a choice of different Airlines, and possibly a train. Renting a car is also an option, (see Trains and Other Transport Options for all transport options other than Airlines). However one-way car rentals can be expensive.

In Europe and some other countries, train travel is often your best choice. Even in the US, where train travel is not as popular as in Europe, a train trip with Amtrak from Washington DC, Boston or Albany, NY to New York City can often be the best alternative. I have used Amtrak in all three cases, and I prefer the train to the hassle of TSA and airport travel. Train travel is also often much better as bad weather and other factors can often be a reason for airlines to cancel flights.

Side note: Cos worked for the US DoT on the TSA start-up over twenty years ago and proposed the original “Pre-TSA” type of service to identify frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it took another ten plus years to implement as there were privacy concerns right after 9/11. Today, I am both “Pre-TSA” and “Clear” with all the airlines that I frequently use. I strongly recommend signing-up for Global Entry, Pre-TSA and Clear which can help you pass thru security much easier.

Island Travel

Traveling across water clearly changes your transport choices. Obviously, you can forget the train option, but add-in Ferries, Water Taxis and Cruises (see Our Favorite Cruise Lines). However, depending on where you are headed, your choices will be limited.

For example, if you want to go to the Island of Capri, in Italy, your only choice will be which ferry you will take and from which port you leave, as there is no airport on the Island. I usually will take the fastest ferry, and in the case of Capri, I leave from Naples. But there are also other options, which you can read about in our Planning a Trip to Italy Post.

Other Islands, such as Santorini in Greece, can be reached by Ferry, Cruise Ships, and in some cases even airplanes. Personally, I am skeptical about the airplane option in these cases, as the airports are small; you will usually have to fly to somewhere else in a larger plane, and transfer to the smaller airplane that might even be at a different airport. This can happen a lot if you are traveling from the US mainland to the smaller islands in the Caribbean.

Another situation is the city of Victoria, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. There you have the cruise, ferry and water-plane option. However, don’t assume these trips can be made in a short amount of time. We learned the hard way with Victoria when we were first in Vancouver. Please see our Post on DIY Travel in Canada for more information.

Local Travel

Okay, let’s say your travel is still on solid ground, but more local. Depending on the distance to travel, the local area and what you want to do, you now have additional options such as renting a car, limos, taxis, ride-share, public transit, and yes even walking. For us, the location where we are visitng will help reduce the options.

For example, if I am in a large metropolitan area, I will usually consider public transit, if I believe it will be safe. Since I lived in and around New York City for most of my life, I find NYC an interesting place to consider the options. Lately, there has been more crime on the NYC subways, so I will limit the time of day when the subway as an option. Also, the NYC subway system is confusing, and not as simple to use as Boston, Washington, DC, London or Paris, so NYC may not be a great choice for everyone. The real reason I prefer subway systems in most big cities, is that it is often the fastest way to get around, avoids traffic jams or weather issues and definitely the least expensive. Of course, limos, taxis and ridesharing can also be a reasonable alternative.

Limos, Taxis and Ridesharing

Here are three options that work pretty well in most urban areas, and it seems they are getting more and more competitive with each other. Limos are normally the most comfortable and the most expensive. However, Black Ride-Sharing cars in some cases can be even more expensive, as I recently observed after returning from a long trip the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Ridesharing has clearly won a fair amount of market share from Taxis and Limos. This is primarily because of the pickup technology. You don’t need to hail a cab which is often impossible in the rain. And historically ride-sharing was the least expensive alternative as a function of low driver pay and very limited government regulations. But that is changing for a number of reasons, as ridesharing is no longer always the least expansive alternative. In places like NYC, the Taxi Commission has supported taxi companies. They are making the ridesharing companies pay more to the drivers. This is forcing the ridesharing companies to charge larger fees to cover the higher costs. Also, NYC and other cities are now allowing taxi drivers to be called through a ride-sharing app, which is clearly eliminating another ride-sharing competitive advantage.

Lodging

After making the major transport decisions for your trip, the next big issue is lodging. There are a large number of lodging options that are available to you including, but not limited to, hotels, rentals (e.g., AirBnb, VBRO and Bed and Breakfasts), Timeshares, Hostels, Camping, etc. For a complete list of options please visit Lodging.

Getting to your Hotel Room from the Airport

So, what transport to take from the airport when you get to a new city? Assuming you don’t plan on renting a car, my first choice, if it is available, is using the hotel shuttle; next is public transport if the service is quick and gets me close to where I am staying.

However, in some places like New York City, public transport from the airports is not convenient or perhaps even safe. But in London, and most European Cities, public transit is a good option. The services from Heathrow to London are frequent, quick and can save you a lot of money. In other cities, it pays to do some research.

If your travel budget allows, arrange for a private car or a taxi. That will the safest alternative and probably most reliable. However, long taxi lines can be a deterrent. In that case, a private car or ride-share may be a better choice. In less developed third world places, I recommend finding a highly rated private car service. It is well worth the money, from both a convenience and safety perspective. Services like Viator or Get Your Guide can usually help you find a good, inexpensive private car service.