How inexpensive is it to live and travel in the U.S.? There is a belief that the U.S. is an insanely expensive country. But is it really so? Economy is a favorite word of the average American. They love and know how to save money. And we, traveling through their homeland, learn some tricks from them.
And let’s start by taking as a rule: planning a trip in advance greatly reduces its cost. The bus is always cheaper if you buy your ticket several months in advance. Greyhound, a major U.S. carrier, has a discounted online purchase and promo fare.
The farther away the travel date, the greater these discounts. So if you have the option, determine ahead of time. On a spontaneous trip, you’ll pay the full fare. And at Megabus, you can find tickets for $1. They’re mostly for trips from NYC to Boston or other nearby cities, but it’s still nice! And on a typical day, that trip will run you $10-$20.
New York visitors shouldn’t forget that the Staten Island ferry is free, and it goes by the Statue of Liberty. So after spending two or three hours, you can see one of the main attractions of the United States close enough.
Buses, streetcars, and other public transportation
As for urban transport, it is not badly developed. There are many routes, the buses are nice and clean. It is almost always possible to buy a day ticket: $4 in Indianapolis and $5 in San Diego, and it is valid on both buses and streetcars. One ride usually costs $1.50 to $2. And the most frustrating part of this story is that the ticket machine doesn’t give change. You have to throw exactly the right amount into it.
Honolulu is very fond of its customer, so one bus ride can stretch for three hours. It costs $1.75, but you can get off the bus and get on again. The important thing is to meet the three-hour time limit and keep your ticket.
Sometimes some routes have a Sabbath, and they don’t operate on Saturdays. The truth is there is always a way out – go with multiple transfers. I encountered one in San Diego. I bought a day ticket at the Greyhound station, expecting to take the streetcar to downtown and then change to another bus and ride to the ocean. However, I had to change two buses, taking the downtown to the airport and from the airport to the ocean, since the downtown-ocean route was on vacation. But the day ticket paid for itself right away. After all, if I had paid $2 each time, it would have come out more expensive.