The cost of travelling from one place to another is one of the major aspects of a vacation budget. It is important to budget for this important expense, and to consider some options, in order to make your travel dollars stretch as far as possible.
Obviously, the size of your family will impact the choice of rental car, but compact and even subcompact cars can be great for motoring around cities, particularly when you need to park in tight parking spots.
In addition, a smaller car will get better petrol mileage, which is no small consideration, especially if you plan to do a lot of daily driving. And if you plan to travel away from the city, it may be important to choose a rental deal that provides unlimited miles, since charges for exceeding mileage limits can be quite costly. When it comes to the decision of whether to accept or decline the optional collision coverage on a rental car, always be sure to see if you are already covered elsewhere. For instance, your auto insurance company in your country may already provide insurance coverage for rental cars in your home country or elsewhere, as may your credit card company or travel insurance coverage. If you are covered by these policies, there is no need to accept the costly collision insurance offered by the rental car company.
And of course you will always want to top off your rental car with petrol before dropping it off, as refueling charges by rental car companies generally quite high.
An alternative to hiring a car is to depend on the public transport if you intend to just tour the city area.
In many cities public transportation can be a far less costly, and far more convenient, alternative to paying to drive and to park a rental car. Take advantage of one day ticket or tourist deals if there are any as this is a cheaper option than paying separately for each journey you make on the same day. Some cities offer bundle ticket offers which is also cost-effective.
Of course public transportation does not make sense in every location.
Many small towns and even some larger cities have public transportation systems that are infrequent, inefficient, inconvenient or even nonexistent. In other locations, however, using public transportation makes a lot of sense. In Melbourne, for instance, visitors can buy a day pass that can be used on the trams and buses countless number of times within a day. Public transportation frees the tourist from the hassles and expense of parking the rental car. Many cities charge exorbitant rates for parking especially on weekdays so this is an area you can save on if you choose to take the public transport.
Getting around using public transportation is not difficult. Many public transportation companies, particularly those located in major tourist destinations, publish guides which give the route numbers to popular destinations, and bus drivers and train conductors in these locations are helpful on guiding tourists to their destinations. Also, check the public transportation websites of the country or city you intend to visit for bus and train schedules which you can print before your arrival. Another way is to check with the staff at the ticket counter the printed train and bus schedules to your places of destination.
Keep in mind that expenses for travelling from one local destination to another can be cut down if proper planning and enquiry is made beforehand.
