Transportation

The cost of getting to your destination could range from just a few dollars to a few hundred. I frequently manage to startle friends and family when they hear how little I manage to spend in this category. Below is an outline of how I always search for my methods of transportation:

1. I always start by looking for overnight busses. They are usually the cheapest, most eco-friendly option and it allows me to save an extra night of accomodation. Overnight trains are rare but should also be considered in the first step
2. If there aren’t any suitable options, I look for “normal” busses and trains. I never pay full price as there are many (student) discounts that can be used. Some examples include
   • National Express 15% student discount on Totum or Amazon Prime Student
   • Flixbus 10% student discount through studentbeans
     • Flixbus also regularly offer FlixDeals – you pay 14 Euros up front and receive a voucher for a free journey.
3. The next logical option to look for flights. I limit my searches to the largest budget airlines (in Europe that would be Ryanair, Vueling, Jet2 and Easyjet) but always start with Ryanair as they tend to be the cheapest. There are some things to consider with some of the airlines:
   • Ryanair:
     • Try to fly without a carry-on but if you need to take one, do not book the “Regular” fare. Instead, book the “Value” fare which doesn’t include carry-on and add a cabin bag later in the booking. So far, I consistently save between 5-10 Euros with this method.
   • Vueling
     • Never pay by card, pay with a voucher! Before finalising the booking, go on Ebay (or similar) and look for Vueling vouchers. As one of very few airlines, their vouchers are transferable, so you can buy a Vueling voucher for a good price right before booking a flight and use the voucher to pay for it. I regularly tend to save between 20-30% with this method, once I received a 140$ voucher for 75$ and was able to take my friend at virtually no extra cost.
4. Sometimes, a mix of trains, busses and planes is actually the cheapeast and quickest option. That’s why I rarely use websites, such as Omio, but there are many people that find it convenient. I would suggest using it to see how you like it but always consider multiple forms of transport
5. Last but by no means least, do NOT shy away from seemingly expensive options. Think outside of the box! I once took an Uber from Birmingham to the East Midlands Airport instead of flying from Birmingham because the flight from East Midlands Airport was earlier and cost 70 pounds less than a comparable flight from Birmingham. The Uber only cost 60 pounds (30 pounds per person actually) so we both saved a substantial amount of money and got an earlier flight.