Alternative Travel Exposed

By Sam Serio

Alternative travel is extremely underrated these days. The majority of people travelling from one major city to another or one country to another would choose to fly rather than use any other method of transport.

It is very rare that these individuals actually look into alternative travel methods before booking, and as a result they are missing out on the whole travel experience. On an airplane, you go from one place to another in a matter of hours and only see the clouds.

However, if you take the train, boat or road then you will find that you experience far more. The sights you see can be simply amazing and enhance your trip, as well as the whole trip working out to be cheaper. There are many reasons for alternative travel though, and below are just a few:

• The freedom to do as you please - Once you are on an airplane, there is no getting off until you reach your destination. If you see a place that you want to explore than there is simply no way that you can go and take a closer look. However, if you drive past the place in question, or are indeed on a train, then you can stop and explore until you are ready to move on again.

• The natural world - From the perspective of a car, train or boat, you can see the world around you and fully experience it as you pass through it. Fields, forests, lakes, seas and various other natural ecosystems and environments can provide an eye opening look at the world in which we live that you would never see from the perspective of a plane. Alternative travel at its finest includes the natural world in all of its glory. Just taking the time to take a closer look will enhance your trip considerably.

• The cost - can often cost far less than flying. This is because there are very few taxes associated with car, train or boat travel. However, federal taxes have increased the cost of the only method of non-alternative travel to the point that it is considerably more expensive and now often make up the majority percentage of the overall cost of the trip. It is far cheaper to travel by road or rail as a result.

Although there has been much made of the state of trains and buses in recent years, there has been an effort to improve them and thus people can now travel in more comfort than had previously been possible.

Boat travel is fantastic and definitely deserves a second thought. However, in terms of alternative travel, you cannot beat the car. Flying is a great method of travel if you are travelling abroad, but alternative travel should be considered domestically, for the environment and cost if nothing else!