Remember when traveling was the best part of vacationing? The days of hot stewardesses and good in-flight movies, when Kerouac could hit the road with 10 bucks worth of gas and get all the way from Jersey to San Francisco? Thanks to a few population booms and a billion-dollar-a-barrel oil economy, those days are over. All you want to do is cut through the crowds, score a seat on your transportation module of choice and get to where you need to go without going broke. Don't settle on celebrating Thanksgiving by eating a turkey sandwich from Bui’s; we've got everything you need to get where you're going.
PLANES If you’re in the geographic minority at Penn (read: you don’t live in the Northeast corridor) and have to fly the friendly skies to get home, don’t fret. Travel sites like Expedia.com and Travelocity.com are abound with good deals and will do all the discount search dirty work for you, comparing prices across airlines, and even organizing results by how many stops a flight has. The best kept secret of the bunch though is Kayak.com, which features daily deals and a “buzz” section if you’re looking for inspiration as to where to jet set next. Sign up for their e-mail alerts to be kept informed of the latest cheap fares. Underclassmen looking to make a long-term investment should look into Rapid Rewards on Southwest Airlines. Sign up now and — if you take eight round-trip flights within two years — your next round-trip flight on Southwest is free.
TRAINS Put down this article and book your train ticket for Thanksgiving. Right now. Those suckers sell out faster than Tickle Me Elmo. Reserve your ticket at least two weeks in advance or risk being royally ripped off or, worse, stuck without a spot. Residents of the Garden State should opt for Amtrak, the train of choice (Just don’t waste your money on the Acela!). As long as a transfer in Trenton doesn’t bother you, check the prices for NJ Transit, since you might find a less expensive ticket.
AUTOMOBILES You’ve heard the rumors. A dollar to NYC! Fifty cents to D.C.! How is this possible? Well, the earlier you book your tickets, the cheaper they will be. The major players in the $10-bus-brigade are BoltBus and Megabus. BoltBus has tickets to New York starting at $10, with buses leaving 30th Street Station almost every hour each day the week of Thanksgiving. It’s a solid choice for anyone traveling to D.C., Boston or New York. MegaBus (if you’re leaving from Philadelphia) only goes to New York and runs ridiculously late — a two-hour delay is not unusual — so book your ticket for an earlier time than you actually need. The upside is that the tickets start at $1 plus a 50-cent reservation fee. And for the more daring: the Chinatown Bus. From Philly to New York or Washington, tickets are as low as $15 (although they’re usually around $40 for round-trip) and you can transfer in New York to almost any place else on the East Coast. If you are traveling by car, whether your own or a friend's, check out gasbuddy.com for a side-by-side of the best bargain gas stations along your route. But if you’re not lucky enough to get off campus this Thanksgiving, just stop by Magic Carpet and pretend your pita is a flying saucer that’ll whisk you up, up and away.
PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT The Student Advantage Card is a hidden gem for all those traveling on a budget. This nifty card will get you anything from 15% discounts on Greyhound bus tickets (available for walk-ons and online reservations only) to up to 20% off on your Alamo Rent A Car. If you still have that AAA Card from when you drove the old station wagon in high school, that can get you 10% off your Amtrak train ticket (provided it is for the lowest applicable fare and the reservation is made three days in advance).
