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I don't know if this is the correct place to inquire but I needed some advice, and would be glad if someone can help.
I am from India. I have to be in three cities- Los Angeles, St Louis(MO) and Ottawa(Canada) for 4-5 days in each city. Which option would be the most cheapest to travel? All three are far away from one another and I want to land and fly from one city(from and back to India) as it is much cheaper than purchasing one way ticket each time.
I can land and fly back from any of these three cities but what about traveling to and fro between these?
Is flying still the best option? I want to travel by rail also and Amtrak has passes and offers(traveling time is no issue). What is the cheapest option to commute between Ottawa(Canada)- St Louis(MO) and Los Angeles(Cal)? Fly, train, bus?
Use AMTRAK to price train tickets. Use Google Flight and Southwest Airlines to price airfare. Air travel is the best for time effiency over the long distance between these locations and prices for airfare and rail are similar. Play with your schedule and price it using these links.
Use AMTRAK to price train tickets. Use Google Flight and Southwest Airlines to price airfare. Air travel is the best for time effiency over the long distance between these locations and prices for airfare and rail are similar. Play with your schedule and price it using these links.
You might try using the TripAdvisor forums for more info.
Thanks.
Its much much cheaper to take the greyhound. Just checked the tickets: St Louis to Ottawa is $132(one way) and St Louis to LA is $178. Flight is around 350 one way(!!!). But...the greyhound takes 2 days! 60 hours. Time is not an issue but I might get bored to death. Flight is barely a day. No amtraks sadly.
I have found buying a single multiple destination ticket through a airline is by far the cheapest way. I have found a bus or train is usually more expensive than flying.
I have to be in three cities- Los Angeles, St Louis(MO) and Ottawa(Canada) for 4-5 days in each city.
Which option would be the most cheapest to travel?
Bus is cheapest. Planes will be quickest BUT unless someone is there to pick you up...
you'll still need to take a local bus or train (or taxi) into the city.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Keeping your air routing within USA is usually the least expensive.
You can look for bargains to Montreal and Toronto, and use rental car / bus to Ottawa. Or use a USA destination and rental car from there. I know United Airlines has pretty good coverage for Canada, so you can use Google Flights to find best. (Google flights does not include Southwest). ALWAYS check directly with the carrier for better price before booking (Easier to make changes as well if you book direct, and MUCH better service when your flight gets cancelled (mine did yesterday due to weather.)
I often use Southwest Airlines within USA due to their generous baggage and free change policy (Flight credit good for one yr from booking date), but.. they do not have good last minute fares, because they fly much closer to passenger capacity than other USA bigger carriers.
I am not so keen or aware of Amtrak, as they have always been very expensive and late. Several international guests have taken Amtrak from Chicago to Seattle or Portland, then down the West Coast to LA. If you have all the time in the world Amtrak can work, BUT using Amtrak, you will likely have more $ in rental cars / local transportation than renting or buying a car for your USA travels. I encourage international guests to buy a used minivan and travel and I will help them resell it at end of trip (usually for within $1000 total expense ~ 1 month rental cost). You can sleep / rest in a minivan and they are very inexpensive, safe, and easy to find repairs, easy to sell, and cheap to insure.
USA National Park and Scenic sites are very hard to get to using public transportation, and it is quite a bit faster to just drive. There is lots to see and it is quite safe and inexpensive to drive in USA.
Consider Chicago as a hub, rather than St. Louis, and Toronto, rather than Ottawa. There is not the train / bus service you are used to in India.
Consider buying a used car / minivan.
Look at Southwest Routing and prices for cheap one-way fares. I have done LA to St Louis for < $100 during sale dates. With SWA 'change policy' I have got a lot of refunds / travel credits when prices drop after I have booked.
Chicago and LAX can be inexpensive (Hub for many airlines).
Where do you go first and what time of the year? (That matters in St Louis and Ottawa)
Amtrak is frequently hours behind schedule, best used if you have no deadlines.
I don't know if Greyhound still has the unlimited rides for a month pass. I did that years ago. You get to see the scenery, get off the bus periodically, and your luggage is nearby.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Greyhound gives me the creeps (BTDT a few times). 4 of my nearby seatmates were skipping bail. Several were homeless, 'traveling to somewhere'. One family with 4 small kids were in terrible health.
Of course one never knows who you will be with in First Class. (Today was a fiasco, I am sure glad I was not seated in First Class!). Screaming kids and very upset parents (thus screaming kids). Summer travel...
You do not want to travel in US by train or bus...
Unless you are young, healthy like a god, and don't care about your travel time.
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