Travelling Around

Europe

Whilst Travel is generally cheap and easy around Europe, i think i can find it cheaper. There are so many ways to travel around the continent, all with a lot of operators doing the same route, giving good competition for the companies, therefore giving us lot, great prices. Here are some of the most popular and some of my favourite ways to travel.

Flying would be the quickest way to get yourself round the clock, with Ryanair by far being the cheapest within the UK, and Central Europe. Airlines such as Wizz Air also compete with low prices along with EasyJet, Vueling and Transavia. Across these airlines, you can reach almost all notable destinations around the continent, however be prepared to pay for every kilogram of baggage - #travellight.

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Using Skyscanner will be your best bet to get last minute deals on cheap flights. This is great if you don't have a plan and would like to browse some locations nearby that you may wish to cross off your list. Treat it as a menu, of all the places you could visit.  Another app website I recommend for finding cheap flights around Europe is Kayak. Kayak will help you find the cheapest flights last minute with low cost carriers around the continent. However, many of the cheap deals will include a transfer at another airport. Although this isn't the best usage of time, it can sure save  lot of money and is one of the downfalls of travelling with a budget - #tourofeurope

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Side note - If you plan on connecting around Europe and your flights will have layovers, Avoid UK airports as the majority of these airports require you to leave the airport, and re enter through security. Proper Hassle. Additionally, Airports such as London Heathrow and Gatwick, charge higher taxes for airlines, which can increase ticket prices, so avoid these badboys - #nothanks

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Interrail is everybody's favourite, however not the most financial friendly. An interrail pass will allow travel throughout the continent, reaching 33 countries, all for one price. They offer two types of passes which can be altered for however long you will need. The Global pass will allow you to use the whole network starting at €239 for up to five days - #ChooChoo

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Another personal recommendation of mine is TrainLine. TrainLine is an app and website that i have used for years. It has always helped me see the best way to get around the UK, between cities. TrainLine also offers routes around Europe using multiple railway operators to find you the best route from A to B. Additionally, if they cant offer you any suitable routes to your destination, they will offer any coach or bus services to your desired destination. If your spending any time in the UK, I would really recommend keeping this App handy on your phone - #A2B

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A final recommendation of mine, is Flixbus. Most people have used Flixbus at some point in their life, but the presence in Europe is immense. Travelling between two cities has never been so easy or cheap. Flixbus have a good reputation of time keeping, with all of my past journeys leaving on time and getting me to my destination on time or earlier. The buses are clean, Comfortable and with some services offering Wi-Fi and drinks service. However, in most cases, the buses will have stops in which they will pickup and drop of passengers during the journey. Although this is barely an issue, personally I enjoy having a pare seat next to me to allow for some extra room and privacy. As more passengers will get on during the journey, I can never rest well knowing weather someone will have to take the seat next to me. In most cases, Buses are usually never near capacity and fairly quiet. It is also possible to book two seats for yourself, however this can be seen as poor etiquette in Europe and also increases the price of your journey.  #AllAboard

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North America

North America is huge, vast. Travelling from A to B will take more than an Uber. All my experience of travelling around the continent is solely based off the United States, however after talking with friends and colleagues that have visited both Canada and Mexico, and researching deep into travel, i think ill be able to help you get around on a budget.

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Flying is the primary form of travel in the continent, due to lack of rail infrastructure, and due to the three countries being so large. However, The prices can vary. Catching Flights in North America wont compare to the prices over the pond in Europe, however Budget Airlines do still exist over here. There are so many airlines that operate domestic routes within the United States aswell as Canada and Mexico, a full list of my Low Cost Carrier rankings will be left below.

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1) Jet Blue. Jet Blue is a Mid / Low cost carrier that is based in Boston and connects 130 airports around the globe, however has a very heavy presence around north east United States. The cover the top destinations such as BOS, JFK, LGA, IAD, ORD, PHL. If you are hanging around any of these locations, JetBlue can fly you almost anywhere around the US and Canada, covering all of Florida, California, Texas, South East Canada and many Caribbean islands. Jet Blue range in average price, however according to Statista in 2023, the APF was $211 on domestic routes. This may seem quite high, however the reputation Jet Blue is astonishing and has been rated Americas 2nd best Airline, 6 years in a row, based on value for money, comfort, service and on time performance. This is what puts Jet Blue at the top of my list.

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2) Southwest Airlines. Southwest is an Ultra low cost airline that hubs in Denver, Colorado. However Southwest has a Huge presence on West Coast America and the Southern states such as Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Southwest operates over 4000 daily flights between 117 airports. Southwest is one of the largest airlines in the world, with a fleet size of 800 Boeing 737's. The prices of tickets can be as low as $10. Southwest operates the same style as airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet, where baggage and seat allocation isnt included, however if your backpacking the states and your main priority is getting from A to B, Southwest is your best bet.

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3) Alaskan airlines is another low cost carrier based in Seattle Tacoma airport in Washington. Alaskan have a great record of on time performance and have an impressive coverage over the United States and Canada. If your touring the West coast of America or the Western territories of Canada, Alaskan Airways has got you covered. Although Seattle I the primary base of the airline, destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas also offer amazing connections around the states.

Additionally, some alternative airline recommendations I can offer you is , Spirit, Frontier, Delta, and United? These carriers have a knack for offering routes that make you wonder if they’re reading your mind—and their prices won’t make your wallet cry!

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Time to talk about Train connections. I'm afraid within the States, rail networks don't have much existence outside intercity links such as the metro and trams. However rail networks are not exactly extinct. A well known company called Amtrak has a good offering of travel via train. Mostly based in New York, Amtrak offers many routes around the states such as Boston, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.. having over 5 trains a day. Additionally it is possible to travel as far as Miami, Los Angeles and Austin with fewer trains per week, however this can take a few days of travel, and cost more than flights, which makes this mode of transport not efficient. Amtrak also offers scenic routes between New York, Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada, on sleeper trains and regular day trains to allow tourists to explore outer state New York and to visit the famous Niagara Falls.

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An alternative transport in North America are coach transfers. The road network in the USA and Canada are incredible, with over 5.3 million kilometres of road across both countries. This can really be made use of when travelling between two destinations. There are two main operators of buses, Flixbus and Greyhound. Both of these companies offer great prices on all of their routes. This means travelling between two or more points can really be done on a budget. I recommend that using the buses is most efficient for distances under 300km. As a trip between Los Angeles , CA and Austin, TX can be as cheap as $90, however taking 34 hours of your precious time to get there. This doesn't seem to way up when a flight between these two destinations can cost around $100 with Southwest Airlines or Spirit. I have personally used both Flixbus and Greyhound in the States between New York and Philadelphia. The journey took around 1 hour and 45 minutes, from mid town Manhattan, to just outside the centre of Philadelphia, in Callow Hill. A short walk of around 20 minutes was required to get me into downtown Philadelphia, however when you compare the time and cost it would take to transfer through airports and fly between the two cities, its a no brainer that a bus is the best option. 

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In Canada, Trailways and Red Arrow are the most common results when looking for any buses between major cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and even Calgary and Vancouver. The Prices vary within Canada and tend to be more pricey with an average cost between two cities being between $100-$300 depending on distance and demand. In Mexico, the largest providers are ACN Autobuses, and ADO, offering slow, but reasonably priced travel across the city. If your visiting Cancun, and a little journey to Mexico City, it would cost you around $80, however it can take a staggering 20 hours journey time. This is where flying would make a lot more sense as although the buses come across as cost effective, when weighing up the journey time compared to flying, the choice is yours.

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To conclude the travel options in North America, Flying is by far the most popular and abundant of ways to get around, however for short intercity travel, buses come out on the top of my list, for their price ranges, efficiency and overall better carbon footprint, where air travel isn't necessary.

Caribbean

Experience a delightful array of Caribbean destinations in just one trip by perfecting the skill of island-hopping.  The close proximity of these small islands makes them perfect for a seamless journey from one to another, allowing for a beautiful chain of island adventures. However travel is limited out here, with only a few ways to complete your Caribbean adventure.

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Flying around the region will be one possible way to get you and your plans between the islands.  However this should be your last resort as air travel can be un environmentally friendly and also come with a pricey ticket cost. Air travel should only be considered when the distances between the islands have quite a distance. There are multiple airlines to be used when hopping around the islands such as InterCaribbean and Air Caribbean, however these tickets can cost a fortune. American Airlines and Delta also operate around this region however the airlines initiate stops and pick ups to around three islands in one trip where passengers are able to disembark and board the aircraft. This is done as the demand for direct flights between Caribbean islands and countries such as North America and Europe is low, and these shuttles between islands allow airlines to target the islands daily whilst only using one aircraft to complete all these destinations. This is clever from the airlines, however can make your trip very tiring and long.

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The best wy in my opinion to hop round the Caribbean is via boat and ferrys. Most islands have a daily service of ferries between islands from the main town and port of each nation. This allows for cheaper and hassle free transportation, whilst being able to enjoy the views of the Caribbean sea. Also when travelling to nations such as the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and Turks and Caicos, these are some of many nations where multiple islands make up the country. Travelling in between these islands is so easy with ferries as there will be several journeys a day which can allow flexibility for your travel itenary.

Asia

Asia is full of countries will different levels of development, meaning that there is no "best" way to travel. East Asia is far more developed than countries in South Asia, so bear in mind that if you are looking to travel round countries such as India, Travel Via Bus and Train will take far longer and be very crowded due to a high population and low regulation on travel. Below I will cover the basics of Travel, disected into different regions of the continent, based on research and personal experience. 

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East Asia

East Asia consists of China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan. These Countries are well developed, with great transport links throughout the country and internationally. Rail Travel is one of the best ways to explore these countries as the infrastructure is well designed, modern and popular amongst the culture. In China and Japan, high speed rail can take you from two cities at over 300km on some routes, this also comes with low cost in most cases as the high sped train connecting Shanghai in China to its major Airport, Pudong INT, costs a mere 50 Chinese Yuen, converting to roughly £5.  Additionally, Air travel is an alternative option to travel across and in between these countries. Flights are very common between major cities that will be on your itinerary. 

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South East Asia

Although I haven't crossed South East Asia of my list yet, I sure know from friends and the internet the best ways to your self round there. SE Asia consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. All these countries are semi developed, however have been a tourism hotspot for years. Therefore public transport in the region has been implemented. Catching trains in between local destinations is possible. These trains can be crowded, but come with a cheap ticket and a good old laugh. I can assure you that bumping into fellow travelers will be guaranteed. This method of transport will be most common between local cities. However if you intend on travelling further, such as between cities in different countries, or destinations across the country, Airliners will be your go to. There are many budget airlines in this region of the globe, that can offer you direct flights and fair ticket prices for your travel plans. Also, if you are hopping round the islnds of Indonesia or Thailand, ferries are very common, and worth a loom into, to compare prices and time with flights.​

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South Asia

South Asia has been my most visited region in Asia via travel for work. South Asia consists of mostly India, as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and even Pakistan. Countries in this region are not to used to high levels of tourism and transport such as Trains and Buses, don't have much presence within these countries. After Travelling to multiple cities in India myself, i have worked out that the best way to travel across India to destinations such as Mumbai, Goa, New Delhi and Jaipur, would be flying. India can offer pricey travel between cities due to there not being much competition within the country. IndiGo and Air India are the two main carriers to operate domestic flights within the region, meaning that the ticket price can be fairly high. However the region doesn't offer much choice as there is a lack of options to choose from. Ensure to plan your way around South Asia and remember, India is a lot bigger than you think, so don't you dare consider driving across it.

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Middle East

The Middle East consists of The UAE, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Lebanon. These countries aren't usually visited to travel around and explore as the majority of these countries are heavily occupied by desert. Additionally, due to some countries such as the UK and USA, recommending against all travel to most countries in this region, it may not be safe to travel out here with no plan, although, do your research on the destination first and decide with yourself. However, don't believe everything you here, as these countries hold beautiful culture, cuisines and history and are worth seeing if you have the time. Travel between cities will be done primarily by flying. Im sure you will end up connecting via Dubai, Qatar or Abu Dhabi on your travels, so give these cities an explore if you can extend your layover. Qatar Airways and Etihad, both offer a free two night stay on some routes, at certain times of the year if you fly with them, so go and explore the city of Qatar or dive into the deep in Abu Dhabi, to experience a Middle Eastern and Arabian lifestyle. 

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