The Fuel Gauge Report from AAA shows Americans are paying about 70 cents more for a gallon of gasoline than one year ago. Filling up smallish economy car tanks in some parts of the world can now cost as much as $100 USD.
While it's true Quantas, Lufthansa, and American recently imposed higher fuel surcharges on airfares, most of the attention remains focused on numbers at the pumps.
Here are 10 ways to avoid that ugly pump-side price watch, or at least blunt its impact on your travel budget.
When you visit the world's largest cities, or even some medium-sized urban areas, you trade in your car for public transportation. Why would you ever want to drive in Washington, D.C. when you can take a fast, efficient and economical
Metro train? It will even take you to and from Reagan National Airport for your connecting flight. When pump prices are highest, cities with a large concentration of attractions inter-connected by subway, bus lines or courtesy vans are an excellent choice.
Taking a train might sound like obvious advice, but it's astounding how few people actually investigate this option. In the U.S., Amtrak offers
special fares that should be turning heads. For example, one recent adult fare between New Orleans and Chicago was $59 USD. The list of specials changes weekly. In Europe, $235 USD will buy an adult five days a month of
unlimited rail travel in pricey Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
With the price of a traditional domestic vacation by car at an all-time high, is this the year you should take that overseas trip? Maybe. Remember that fuel prices of all kinds are on the rise. But airfares don't necessarily change as quickly as those you pay at the pump. So maybe this is the year to find a way to afford that trip to another continent. There's certainly no guarantee your "dream" trip won't be even more expensive next year.
One good way to beat the gasoline price crunch is to find a nice spot and "stay put." Companies such as
Rentalo specialize in finding weekly rentals in a variety of price ranges. One recent offering for a one-bedroom apartment near the Seine in Paris was €650/week. Other companies specialize in finding house-sitting opportunities.
HomeExchange.com matches travelers with private homes and allows you to live as do the locals in your destination. All these opportunities require careful research to determine if they will work for you.
You've heard about credit cards that allow you to rack up frequent flier miles or other travel discounts. They also exist for gasoline rebates. One example is the
AAA Visa Platinum from MBNA that pays 5% rebates when you pay at the pump. You must be a AAA member and meet the requirements for a rebate. As with all credit cards, be sure you are not paying interest charges that exceed the value of your travel rewards.
As with airfares, cruise prices will also rise as fuel costs increase, but not as quickly as those paid at the pump. So this could be a good time to find a last-minute fare among some empty cabins or book a
repositioning cruise. Compare the daily costs of a
cruise with what you'd pay driving cross-country. Many times, it's cheaper to sail than drive.
Airfares are inching upward with fuel costs, but there are other factors that affect your price. Supply and demand will sometimes bring costs down, because airlines cannot afford to fly long distances with lots of empty seats. Check out the
special offer sites first to see if they provide any clues about where the airlines might be hurting for business.
All-inclusives are not always a good deal. But when fuel prices are high, paying one price can work in your favor.
EL AL, the national airline of Israel, frequently offers attractive packages for travel to and from the U.S. One recent offer: $1459 for one week in a first-class hotel, daily breakfasts and roundtrip airfare from New York to Jerusalem.
GoToday.com offers one week in tropical Belize plus roundtrip airfare from the northeastern U.S. starting at $1039 double occupancy.
Trade your car keys for a paddle and hit the rapids. This is an alternative for people in fairly good physical condition and an adventuresome spirit. There are
rafting trips that last anywhere from a few hours to 18 days or more. You'll need to find an economical route to and from the departure site, but you won't be seeing too many gasoline pumps once the trip begins.
