Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Fly out? Drive Back? Who does that?

A Travel Tip

I think that all those trips back and forth from home to VT for 15 years killed it for me.  I have to say, I HATE driving back and forth on the same route.  That is way Heather and I love this Fly-out, Drive-back concept. (Lets call it FO/DB) We figure out how far we are willing to drive BACK to CT from, maybe we only have 7 days, or want to spend more time in one place than others.  How far are we willing to drive without going crazy?  Then, we book a ticket to that farthest destination, pack light and go.

Yes, it can more expensive this way.  I will not lie to you.  But first, let me tell you the advantages of doing it this way.  Let's face it, airport security is not getting any friendlier.  If you FO/DB, you only have to go through that once.  If you like getting body scanned and patted down by strangers, then FO/DB might not be for you.  They are charging you to have any and all luggage now a days too, this way you can pack really light and pick up a few things on the way back if you think you need them.  You can buy some really cool, fragile, large things along the way home (always wanted a saddle from TX, a rocker from Amish country or Fenton carnival glass from WV), it is yours to enjoy without the worry of transport.

Okay, so let’s look at the cost of car rental – yes it is pricey because there is, what is called, a drop off fee.  A crazy cost that you cannot avoid.  But you can work to lower the cost of the overall rental.

First, shop around.  Get the vehicle that best fits your needs and budget.  Try on-line sites like Kayak or Priceline.  Book early but keep looking for deals.  (Cancel one for another if you can)  Also, be willing to think outside the box. CALL rental companies - talk to a real live person, and see if there are looking to move vehicles from one part of the country to another.  I did this from FL to CT.  The rental agency wanted SUV's brought from the South to the North; we were doing them a favor.  My daily rental cost was $9 instead of $54.  For this trip from TX, I got a great rate through BJ's Wholesale.  Not a member?  The $35 yearly fee is worth the money you will save all over. 

And for someone like me, who doesn't love to fly, it is a great way to travel.  I only have to get on the plane once, only one security check. 

It may not work for everyone, but it really does work well for me.

2 comments:

  1. Agreed! IMHO in the continential US, this is the best way to travel, bar none. Sometimes we split the trip with other family who live in the same area as us. For example, my sister has a nice van, I have a large sedan. DH and I drive to Miami (from OH) taking Sat-Friday to get there. Sister and her DH fly down and meet us there for the weekend, then on Sunday we fly back and they begin the drive back getting the same trip as we took only backward. Decent ticket prices on Southwest to/from FLL and we both get a nice trip without having to drive both ways, deal with airport security twice or taking off excessive time from work. We take my car one time, her van the next.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharining, that is a great way to do it. Let people share the experiance. I love it.

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