travel, transportation, airfare search, route planning, itinerary planning, budget airlines, transportation mode, maps
A plan-it-yourself holiday can save savvy travelers time and money. Choosing a destination is the first and easiest step in itinerary planning. The mini-migraine however, may come in finding the best transportation options--ones that are cost-effective, time-efficient, safe, and comfortable.
The task can be daunting even for passionate planners. Whether the destination is Paris, Mumbai, Bangkok, or Denver there are online tools that make the choices easier.
Getting There--Finding a reasonably-priced airfare these days takes patience and persistence.Kayak(www.kayak.com), a travel metasearch site is a great place to begin. Setting weekly or daily email alerts is an effective way to track and compare airfare prices to desired destinations. Once an airfare pops up that the user can live with, the search engine links to the airline website for ticket purchase.
Route Planning--Visualizing a location and mapping an itinerary can be easily accomplished withGoogle Maps(maps.google.com/). The user-friendly route planner shows the prefered way for walking, driving, or public transportation from a starting point to a destination.
Budget Airlines--Flying may be the best way to travel between and/or within countries. Any destination that is more than 6 hours away and has a reasonably-priced airfare is a good way to save valuable travel time compared to train or car hire.Which Budget(www.whichbudget.com) is a resource for determining which budget airlines fly between cities.
Mode of Transportation--Determining which transportation mode isn’t always straightforward. The websiteRome2Rio(www.rome2rio) can make these decisions easier by comparing travel time and cost between various modes of transport. Flight schedules, train routes for Europe, China, and India, plus driving directions and ferries for most countries are displayed in an easy-to-compare format.
Having the right tools within a few keystrokes will align the itinerary puzzle pieces perfectly in place. Always keeping in mind that if there are a few bumps along the way, it’s all part of the journey!
Safe and Happy Travels!