TravelMusings

2 Posts tagged with the bus_travel tag
A.E. Smith
1

Photo: cogdogblog

 

If you’re trying to shrink the carbon footprint of your summer vacation plans this year, you’ve probably run headlong into a number of tricky transportation issues. Drive or fly? Bus or train? Economy or first class? It’s enough to make a person want to take a trip to the nearest coal-fired power plant. Alone. In a Chinese-made Hummer.

 

Or you could download the new “Getting There Greener” guide released by the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists, which tackles many of the questions plaguing would-be ethical travelers. You can even download a handy spreadsheet that ranks various transportation choices from best to worst, depending on how many travelers are going and how far a distance they plan to cover.

 

To get you started, here are five tips for greener travel:

 

  1. Go Direct: Detours and stopovers use a lot of extra energy, so plan shorter, more direct routes.

  2. Stay Out of the Hot Seat: Flying economy averages half the carbon footprint of a seat in first or business class.

  3. Fly Solo: For single travelers and couples, a nonstop coach flight will usually burn less carbon than driving.

  4. Bus is Best: Travel by bus or motor coach is almost always greener than either driving (even a hybrid) or flying.

  5. Get a Trade-in: If the vehicle you own is a carbon hog, try renting a more efficient one for your journey.

 

What have you done to make your travel more green? Reply in our comments section, and take our travel poll.

1 Comments Permalink Tags: ecotourism, road_trips, travel_planning, air_travel, bus_travel, train_travel
Nicole Fancher
1

If you’ve ever been on a Greyhound bus for more than a couple of hours, you know that it’s a pain. No, seriously—it hurts your body. Your legs are cramped, you’re often squished next to (sometimes odoriferous) seatmates, and the successive stop-and-go traffic make sailing a more attractive mode of travel for motion-sickness sufferers.

 

But there are perks to bus travel: In general, it’s cheaper than flying, it’s kinder to the earth, and it’s slower, allowing you to see more countryside during your trip. If you want to save a little dough and travel in comfort—even style—check out these new bus travel companies that offer eco-chic and comfy alternative journeys on the cheap:

 

BoltBus

 

The red, bullet-fast BoltBus zips around a handful of East Coast cities (New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.), and offers extra legroom, wheelchair accessibility, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and rates as low as $30 roundtrip. Do your work on the way home for the holidays and actually be home for the holidays. Also when you book four roundtrip tickets, you get a fifth trip for FREE. Now they just need to bolt on over to the West Coast and give me a lift home for Christmas!

 

megabus

 

Megabus was so successful in the United Kingdom it decided to launch across the pond in Canada and the United States. One-way fares start as low as $1! Travel roundtrip from New York to Boston for as little as $14, and you can even ride on a double-decker bus. Another eco-friendly and hassle-free benefit: ticketless reservations. Just write down your reservation number and give it to the bus driver. Luggage limits: one carry-on and one standard-sized to check. Megabus routes are expanding and include Chicago, Madison, Wis., New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

 

 

DC2NY

 

Travel by bus in luxury on DC2NY. Service is offered only from, you guessed it, Washington, D.C., to New York City, but the bus features clean onboard restrooms, free Internet and wide seats. Fares are $50 roundtrip; travel eight times and get the ninth trip for free. You can stow your bike and up to three pieces of luggage, too.

 

 

 

1 Comments Permalink Tags: budget_travel, bus_travel, boltbus, megabus, dc2ny

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