VACATION IN AMERICA (5 PART SERIES) - Part 4: Transportation

TRANSPORTATION
 

 

 

TRAINS

Metrolink - On weekends, Metrolink offers a program called Weekend Day Pass that gives you UNLIMITED rides for just $10 per day.  Moreover, these Metrolink weekend day pass gives you hundreds of free connections including Anaheim Resort Transit (ART), city bus, shuttle bus, light rail, and subway lines (Amtrak excluded). (Specific to Southern California)

Metrolink's tickets are issued based on your category: adult, youth, student, senior/disabled.  Children 5 and under ride free with a paid adult ticket.  In fact, an adult can take up to 3 children 5 and under on the train. 

The Metro (in Los Angeles).  I am not familiar with the train system anywhere else so I can only blog about our system here in Los Angeles.  The regular fare for a ticket on one of Los Angeles' Metro lines is $1.75 one way.  You can also purchase an unlimited rides day pass for $7 or an unlimited ride week pass for $25.  They also have an unlimited ride month pass but I assume you will not be staying in Los Angeles for a whole month. 

The Metro also offers discounted fares for youths, students, and seniors/disabled individuals.  Up to 2 children under 5 can ride free with each fare paying adult.  (Click here to go to the Metro website on fares.)  Also, anyone who has a Metrolink ticket can ride any of the Los Angeles County's Metro bus and lines for free.  The Metro website has a trip planner so that you can plot out your itinerary.

CARS

Long-term car rental (charges by the month) - Hertz Multi-Month program.

Enterprise Carshare Program.   You can rent a car by the hour.  You create a membership.  You find a car, you reserve the car, you go and use your pass to unlock the car, and you drive the car.  When you are done, you return the car.  The per hour price you pay includes the insurance and gas.  Very simple and it takes very little time.    (If this service is available in your car, please bear with me because there may be people who are reading this blog coming from a country where there is no car sharing program available.)  There is a fee to join and an annual membership fee.

Hertz 24/7 - Another carshare program.  You can rent a car by the hour.  You create a membership.  You find a car.  You reserve the car.  You go and use your pass to unlock the car. You drive the car.  You return the car.  It is that simple.  All the verifications and signing of contracts are done before your car rental. You do need to get your pass beforehand, however.  The per hour price you pay includes the insurance and gas.  Very simple and it takes very little time.   (If this service is available in your car, please bear with me because there may be people who are reading this blog coming from a country where there is no car sharing program available.)  There is no fee to join. (Yay!)

I have never used their service but I like the concept.  I have been meaning to try it, especially when we go on a day trip by train, but I just have not had the opportunity to do so.  

City Carshare (only available in the Bay area):  This is a nonprofit organization.  I am not keep on this one because they require an application fee of $25 and an annual membership fee of $60 or monthly membership fee.  If you choose the monthly membership account (called ShareLocal or SharePlus) they also charge for mileage.  However, I list it here in case it might be a good fit for you.

Zipcar - another car share program. I am not too keen on this one either because they require an annual membership fee of $60 per year in addition to a one-time application fee of $25.00.  However, Zipcar has been around much longer than the other carshare programs so you will have a greater chance finding a car in the destination area you are going through Zipcar.

CAMPERVAN
What is a campervan?  How can you find a good deal on one?  Check out my blog posting, "CAMPERVANNING - HOW TO RENT A VEHICLE FOR $1."

Click the following to take you to "Part 5: Misc (e.g., souvenirs, sundries, etc.)," the next section in this series.  Or, if you would like to see a list of the complete series, click the following to get you back to the "VACATION IN AMERICA WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE" page.