Transportation within America

 There are many options of transport available for getting around:

• Taxi – can be very costly to use. The iconic yellow cabs in New York cost an average of around $13 per journey. The fare is based on time of day, distance travelled and time taken. Fares elsewhere will vary from place to place and are more expensive in the evenings, at weekends and during public holidays.
• Bike – cheap alternative and healthy too! But wear a helmet and buy a good lock for your bike. Many cities have bike lanes.  These are designated lanes just for bikes. Citi Bike, a cycle-hire scheme, will be available in New York across 600 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens from May 2013.  This will cost $9.95 per day or $4 an hour.  For further details checkout the following website www.citibikenyc.com for more information.
• Coaches – offers efficient travel between major cities. Further information can be found at: www.coachusa.com or www.greyhound.com. Megabus operates in some of the major cities across the US and offers a cheap fare for just $1 plus 50c booking fee. Route information can be found at http://megabus.com. Chinatown buses www.chinatown-bus.org offers cheap journeys serving the East Coast and Southern California to San Francisco (even to Las Vegas)
• Buses – convenient way of getting around. Public transport can be inexpensive if used with student discounts on offer. The cost of travelling on Boston’s T buses is 75c for a student ticket if you buy a CharlieCard. If you are going to travel on the buses or underground frequently then buying a CharlieCard may be a more cost effective option. Boston bus information can be found at: www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/bus. Outside of Boston check your local town government website for details of buses in your area.
• Trains - America’s train networks are vast and fairly inexpensive. If you are able to plan your journey in advance and book online it is generally cheaper than buying a ticket at the station. For details of tickets, train times, and journey planners contact Amtrak www.amtrak.com free: 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245). For discounted travel visit: www.amtrak.com/student-discount. The Advantage Card costs $20 and saves you up to 15% on the adult regular fare. You are eligible for this if you are aged over 16 and in further education.
• Plane - There are many airlines that fly to America, try a comparison website like Expedia www.expedia.co.uk/Flights or Sky Scanner www.skyscanner.net. These will search many providers for the flight you are looking for. America has many domestic airlines offering internal flights within the US. Delta Airlines www.delta.com, Southwest Airlines www.southwest.com and JetBlue www.jetblue.com to name a few. There also many international airlines that fly to America: American Airlines: www.aa.com, United Airlines: www.united.com, British Airways: www.britishairways.com.
• New York Subway - The subway and is a cheap and convenient way to get around the city. The cost for a ticket is $2.25. A Metrocard offers larger discounts. One day travel cards are also a cost effective way to visit the city. Visit the website for details: www.mta.info. The following link will take you to an interactive map of the subway: www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm