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America is one of the world’s most popular destinations for tourists, with over 67.5 million arrivals in 2015.
While there are some remote places that can only be reached with your own vehicle, the vast majority that are of interest to tourists are serviced by buses, trains, planes, and private shuttles.
In this article, we will discuss a number of ways you can discover America without having to hire your own car.
Obtain bus and train tickets the quick and easy way
Despite America’s reputation as a place where the automobile is king, it does have a robust bus and train transportation network.
Amtrak dominates the rails, but there are a number of bus companies operating across this nation, making it hard to keep track of them all.
Fortunately, there are sites like Goticket that make car-free travel as easy as inputting your origin and destination. They will show you the options that are available to you, allowing you to find the itinerary that makes the most sense to your schedule and budget.
Ride America’s rails in comfort
It may have a low profile due to high levels of vehicle ownership among Americans, but traveling across the United States via train is one of the best ways to transport yourself from one end of the country to the other if you aren’t in a rush.
Amtrak has an expansive rail network that spans 46 states (all except for South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii), making it easy to reach major cities and out-of-the-way rural destinations.
The cost of using this network is the second unheralded advantage of traveling via rail in America. For example, purchasing a ticket on the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago starts at $140 for a seat.
Even a sleeper berth will only set you back $433, which is not a bad deal for a two night journey that is every bit a travel experience as it is a mode of transportation.
Fly the friendly skies without blowing your travel budget
Visitors from Europe will be happy to learn that the airline industry in America is an intensely competitive one.
With at least five major low-cost carriers such as Jetblue and Southwest operating robust schedules to destinations across the country, there is no shortage of affordable fares that are available to the traveling public.
Their presence has also prompted major airlines like Delta and American to offer regular seat sales in a bid to protect their market share from being eroded by these pesky upstarts; ergo, flying domestically with mainstream airlines can also be easy on the wallet.
While there are often fares that can go as low as $9, note that they make much of their money by charging a host of fees (like Ryanair and Easyjet over in the EU) for everything from snacks to printing a boarding pass.
Do your homework in order to avoid fee creep, and you’ll be able to hopscotch from one corner of the USA to the other without having to max out your credit card.
Make use of public transit systems
When you are exploring America’s iconic cities, take advantage of their public infrastructure to get around with ease.
Despite the stigma that prevents some locals from taking advantage of the buses, trams and subways in their own backyard, they are as safe as systems elsewhere in the world.
This makes getting around urban areas like Boston, New York City, and Chicago simple and straightforward, rather than having to sit in traffic, cope with aggressive drivers, and then having to search for affordable parking.
The post Doing America without a Car appeared first on Pommie Travels.
Source: pommietravels.com