{"id":324,"date":"2014-04-02T20:03:09","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T01:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=324"},"modified":"2014-04-02T20:03:09","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T01:03:09","slug":"the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"image(3)\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/b>Have you missed me? Because I know I\u2019ve missed all of you!<\/p>\n

After disappearing from the blogging world for the past couple weeks I knew it was time to get my poop in a group and connect with you all again. I\u2019ve been up to a bit of exploring and a lot of relaxing. After venturing down to Miami and over to Venice Beach I am back in Michigan and feeling the effects of full force travel-depression. Wah.<\/p>\n

I know, enough whining on my end.<\/p>\n

One thing I have learned is that the biggest hassle in travel is getting from point A to B, whether it is by train, bus, car, plane or foot as soon as you commit to that ticket, you\u2019re setting yourself up for whatever hell or adventure comes your way.<\/p>\n

\u00a0I love the people I meet while wandering. You never know who you will end up making life-long friendships with just because you were forced to sit next to each other on a crowded plane. Just last week I sat next to a nice woman from the Bronx, we talked the entire flight, where she told me of her kids, her new grandson and her dreams of moving to Florida in the coming years. One of the sweetest ladies I ever met. At the end of the flight, she invited me to stay at her home whenever I came to New York City. How amazing was that?! It\u2019s the simplest conversations that lead you to the most warm-hearted people.<\/p>\n

Here is where I breakdown the perks and drags of ways to venture the world. Since no one I know can transport themselves yet, in order to get somewhere you\u2019ll need to use one or more of these modes. As much as we all hate to admit it they can\u2019t be avoided unless you plan to strap on your hiking shoes and spend years walking or biking around the globe.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"DSC00884\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Planes<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

There is really nothing that compares to sitting in a metal tube for hours upon end with crying babies, coughing old men and the constant smell of armpit. Ahhh, heaven.<\/p>\n

Drown out the surrounding noise violations with relaxing tunes and if you nabbed a window seat listen to your thoughts from the music as you take in the clouds.<\/p>\n

Flying gets you too and from your destination in wicked time. It amazes me how fast those suckers can go. You pay the price to give you more time at your destination and to take the burden off you from the drive that would take you anywhere from a day to a week. But never forget that flying includes checked bags, lugging around carry-ons, delays, crappy yet expensive airline food, long lines and the slight opportunity of a mental breakdown. The worst is when you finally step foot on the plane and it just hits you, you know this is going to be a ride from hell. You\u2019re in the middle of the middle aisle, the three sitting directly in front of you have already had too much to drink, the couple to the right is fighting about who was supposed to turn off all the lights before leaving the house and the baby next to you is attempting to master the art of screaming and pooping at the same time.<\/p>\n

Just know that flying is extremely convenient when you want to spend as much time as possible at your destination. It\u2019s fast, somewhat easy and safe. However, it\u2019s probably the least adventurous of all the options. It\u2019s also something that can\u2019t be avoided when jumping over the ocean, unless you plan to add seven days to your trip and take a boat.<\/p>\n

When it comes to booking tickets, I\u2019m no price guru (and I\u2019m not sure anybody can be) for airlines. My best advice is too not book right away and research prices often. After watching for a while you should be able to tell when a good deal come up. Don\u2019t wait too long for the perfect ticket, however. If you keep waiting for a $400 ticket to drop to $180, you might be living in la la land and before you know it your trip is in two weeks and your ticket price has skyrocketed to $700. Don\u2019t let that happen.<\/p>\n

Flexible dates? Skyscanner.com is a airline sight sent from the gods.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1650\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Trains<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Trains are probably the most hassle-free way of transportation. Not a lot of delays, not always annoyingly crowded and you don\u2019t have to trust anyone else to get your luggage to the destination. One of the reasons I love trains is because they are extremely cheap, but because they are cheap don\u2019t expect them to be any kind of luxury.<\/p>\n

Some are extremely nice, some make me want to sanitize every ten minutes.<\/p>\n

The biggest tip for trains would be too research times early and give yourself extra time at the station. Most of the time there are two ways to buy tickets, either before you get on the train or with cash only<\/i> on the train. Let me tell you a little story:<\/p>\n

Last summer Kalee and I were in Chicago trying to catch the latest train possible home. Before leaving we had a late lunch and had to make a quick stop before returning to the apartment and packing our things. Well the \u201cquick stop\u201d lasted way longer than expected and about a block from the apartment I looked at my phone, the time read 4:21pm. Our train departed at 4:44pm. Cue running down the street at a frantic pace where all of the sudden I also realized I didn\u2019t grab the key leaving the apartment, I stopped Kalee and ask if she had hers…nope. We burst through doors, hunted down the doorman for an extra key, flew in door and packed our belongings in approximately 27.6 seconds. Of course the apartment was also on the top floor, so the elevator took a year to get up and down. Outside we basically jumped into the street to catch a cab, where we had yet to make it across town to Millennium Station and the time read 4:35pm.<\/p>\n

Usually I hate when cabs drive like crazy people, but this time I was loving it. \u201cGo, diego! Go!\u201d \u00a0But during our cab ride we came to another realization. While freaking out over time we had completely forgotten to stop at the ATM to get cash, since all we had were cards. You know what that meant? We\u2019re ticketless for the train unless we had time to buy tickets\u2026which was not going to happen.<\/p>\n

We pulled up at 4:40pm and while Kalee was paying the driver with her card, I was at the back, throwing our luggage and school back packs from the trunk to the sidewalk. We had no idea where our train was, so when entering the building we guess whether it was left towards tracks A,B and C or right towards D,E and F. Then Kalee lost her flip flop, which led to a graceful trip.<\/p>\n

By some miracle we had ended up at the right track, where we were stopped by a conductor where the conversation went\u00a0like this:<\/p>\n

\u201cIS THIS THE TRAIN TO CAROL STATION?\u201d (Screaming\/panting)<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWHEN DOES IT LEAVE?!\u201d (Still panting)<\/p>\n

\u201c30 seconds.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCould we get off and buy tickets at a machine at the next station?!\u201d (Slightly more calm)<\/p>\n

\u201cNot enough time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you can\u2019t take cards on the train!?\u201d (Just kidding, not calm)<\/p>\n

\u201cNope.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease sir we just ran all the way here from Lincoln Park in 20 minutes and we have to get back to Michigan because we have class in the morning!\u201d (Can you hear the desperation?)<\/p>\n

\u201cNo ticket, no train\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if we paid when we got off at our station?!\u201d (Last attempt)<\/p>\n

\u201cFine, get on.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you kind conductor who also looked exactly like the conductor on Polar Express.<\/p>\n

Moral of the story\u2026don\u2019t let that happen to you. It sucks. That doesn\u2019t mean you have to buy the ticket days in advanced, but just give yourself time at the station.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1119\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Buses <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oh buses\u2026how I loathe you. Tickets are normally more expensive than their worth and there are not a lot of time options; except if you\u2019re traveling within a city, then it\u2019s the complete opposite. It\u2019s not like trains where you can have 6 departure times in one day; usually it\u2019s one or two. Also, bring Fabreeze; ones with bathrooms just tend to smell like a bad fart the entire ride. Gag me.<\/p>\n

Be prepared to never be on time. Driving in bad weather or traffic can really slow you down. However buses are cheaper than flying and can still save you money. I love using buses to get into a city, being from the middle of nowhere my driving skills are not accommodated to urban driving. I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only one, so if you want to go to a big city but don\u2019t want the stress of driving get yourself to the suburbs on the outskirts and catch a bus the rest of the way in. It may take longer, but you won\u2019t have to worry behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

Price also can depend on timing. If traveling long distances on buses the ticket prices can vary, just like airline tickets. Usually you want to purchase tickets in advanced to secure a spot or to save yourself from a rapid price jump and money loss on your end.<\/p>\n

Overall buses are great for certain occasions and cheap travel, but be prepared for anything to happen. Need an example? Last week we took a shuttle bus to Miami, where it was accidentally overbooked. For a portion of the ride guess who go to be the lucky person to ride on the floor? That\u2019s right, this girl. I didn\u2019t mind it however, because life is all about the adventure.<\/p>\n

\"image(6)\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Personal Car<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Car trips can be extremely fun or extremely terrible. Road trips with best friends are great, car rides with family or children can be a different story. Plus sides to driving include control. You can decide when you leave, when you stop, if the weather is bad or when you\u2019re hungry. A down side? It\u2019s YOUR car. Any damage, any accident, any idiot in a parking lot can ruin the trip. The miles have wear and tear on your car. If you have the nicest car out of your friends, don\u2019t let them talk you into driving everywhere. \u00a0The driver has to think of the damage to their tires, earlier dates to get the oil change, more mileage etc. Take turns driving, or if you are the only one able to drive it\u2019s not a bad idea to pitch the idea of not paying for gas to the others. Because in the end if you are constantly driving and you are not only taking the risk of an accident, but you are also paying more overall because of other costs not directly related to the trip.<\/p>\n

Driving can be extremely cheap, especially with a group. But if you don\u2019t stop and give yourself a breather every now and again the cramped space is going to turn everyone into a mess. Long drives are not going to be fun unless you let yourself let go and stop to smell the roses every once in a while.<\/p>\n

Something that is impossible to have while driving is a solid plan. Don\u2019t book yourself a hotel in a place you could only make it too in perfect weather and roads. Don\u2019t try and say you\u2019re going to eat at 7:00pm every night in towns X, Y and Z. I look at road trips as more of a \u201csleep where you fall\u201d scenario.<\/p>\n

Tips for driving: always keep a sleeping bag in your car, especially when living in colder areas. Always pack a bag of extra food and water because even though you may not think it will ever happen to you, you just might get stranded in a snowstorm somewhere or have to sleep in your car because there are no hotel rooms available for forty miles.<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/a><\/p>\n

Opening your world to travel lets you open your mind and learn. You never know who you will meet or what city you will end up in. Take the horrible moments and make them a story, take the great moments and make them a memory. Most of all, enjoy the journey because you’ll never have the same experience twice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you missed me? Because I know I\u2019ve missed all of you! After disappearing from the blogging world for the past couple weeks I knew it was time to get my poop in a group and connect with you all again. I\u2019ve been up to a bit of exploring and a lot of relaxing. After…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,25],"tags":[15,17,46,45,30,33,24,39,26],"yoast_head":"\nThe Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation - Shalee Wanders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You hate it, but you can't avoid it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation - Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You hate it, but you can't avoid it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shaleewandersblog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-04-03T01:03:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.shaleewanders.com\/2014\/04\/image3.jpeg?w=705\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@shaleewanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@shaleewanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation - Shalee Wanders","description":"You hate it, but you can't avoid it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation - Shalee Wanders","og_description":"You hate it, but you can't avoid it.","og_url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/","og_site_name":"Shalee Wanders","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shaleewandersblog\/","article_published_time":"2014-04-03T01:03:09+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/img.shaleewanders.com\/2014\/04\/image3.jpeg?w=705"}],"author":"Shalee Wanders","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@shaleewanders","twitter_site":"@shaleewanders","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shalee Wanders","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/","url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/","name":"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation - Shalee Wanders","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2014-04-03T01:03:09+00:00","dateModified":"2014-04-03T01:03:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b95945fb0d6e1b1cea8832c3ceda44b"},"description":"You hate it, but you can't avoid it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-ins-and-outs-of-travel-transportation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ins and Outs of Travel Transportation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/","name":"Shalee Wanders","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b95945fb0d6e1b1cea8832c3ceda44b","name":"Shalee Wanders","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ff23dd43748a0f94ec6c01886c4fc8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ff23dd43748a0f94ec6c01886c4fc8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shalee Wanders"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}