Getting There From Here

You have decided what you want to do and where you want to go—in a hurry.
What is the best way to get there? Consider a few factors:

• duration of the vacation and goal of transportation
• distance from here to there
• budget for transportation

We all pretty much know the transportation options available, especially air travel. The last few years have found the air travel industry making headlines on nearly a daily basis. And most of it is not good news. Security is both tight and variable, depending on political and social currents. Some airlines are downright shaky economically, and weather conditions can ground flights and delay travel for hours, even days. The good news is that when air travel is smooth, your vacation can be nearly seamless. Forecasting economical air travel is a variable business, so depending on your destination you might be forking over more bucks this week than two weeks from now. And all that is dependent on, well, which way the wind blows. If you’re flexible with destination, you can get a real deal. Shop around—online sites like Travelocity, Hotwire, and Expedia give you the best price fares based on your travel dates. Unless you opt for one of their “deeply discounted” sale fares, they let you know specifically how many connections are associated with each deal and what airline you’ll be flying.

Sometimes the destination is found in the traveling. Americans have enjoyed a long history of overland travel of all varieties. For a not-so-common travel option explore the many available routes that Amtrak offers. Choose from a long distance trip or one more regionally limited that affords sights of America and Canada from the window of a train. Amtrak’s website also has a “Hot Deals” navigation button that will let you explore any last minute travel opportunities by rail.

For a truly last minute vacation you might consider a roadtrip. Pack a bag and off you go if you leave in your own vehicle. Require a rental car? You might need a few more minutes of plan-time. However, most cities have a host of competitors that carry well-stocked fleets, from economy cars to upscale limos. The most well-known rental companies, such as Budget, Dollar, or National maintain attractive and navigable websites where you can make your reservations. These sites also offer other travel details and their own special deals that might appeal to you. So, unless you’ve chosen a weekend of big-name conferences and sporting events, or a big travel holiday you will most likely find a vehicle. You can map your trip from address to address at various online sites, but those with the least ads and built-in headaches are Mapquest and AAA. If you’re a member of AAA you have access to even more specific information. Visit any state’s DOT website, just search for “MN DOT,” or “TX DOT,” for information on major highway construction projects.