Travel – How to get around

One of the biggest parts of planning a vacation is figuring out how to get around. First you have to decide if you want to fly or drive. If you fly, how do you get to the airport? Should you park your car in a lot, or get someone to drop you off and pick you up? If you drive, do you rent a car or take your own? Once you get to your destination, do you have to rent a car or depend on taxis and Uber to get you around? Decisions, decisions. . . . and as you might have guessed, I have a few opinions on this matter. Whether you like my advice or not, that’s up to you. This is just how I roll.

So I have friends and family all up and down the East Coast of the country, not just in Florida. I have spent a lot of time in Philadalphia, New Jersey, South Carolina, and of course Florida. Every once in a while, I will take my car up and down the coast if I’m in the mood for a road trip, but the long hours driving can be draining, so I don’t do it to often. Usually, I will fly wherever I need to go. It’s obviously quicker, and usually it costs about the same as driving.

Here are my personal preferences when dealing with travelling.

Fly

It just makes sense. It’s quick and easy, other than dealing with the TSA, and for the most part, fairly inexpensive. If you’re looking for deals, the internet is full of websites offering great prices based on season and time.

  • Expedia
  • Kyak
  • Travelocity
  • Orbitz

I can usually find a pretty good deal on any of these sites even when I’m looking last minute.

Getting To / From the Airport

I used to drive and park my car in the airport lot, but that was usually pretty pricey. It costs over $10 / day and I never really feel good about leaving my car in one of those shady lots. After a while, I just started asking friends to drop me off and pick me up, but just like it sounds, it’s kind of a pain, and you start to feel more like a jerk than a friend. So here’s what I started doing –

  • Call a Limo Service!

I know it might sound a little snobbish, and you might not have even thought of it as an option before, but I feel it’s the easiest way of going about it. It helps that I know a guy who owns a limo company in New Jersey and deals with airport transportation all the time with the Phil Intl. Airport right there (shameless plug for Don at townshipsbestlimo.com), but I now use limo services whenever I fly and at each airport I come into.

Why should you use them?

  • They’re always on time
  • Professional and helpful
  • You feel special being chauffeured
  • They plan to accommodate all passengers and luggage
  • It takes the hassle and stress out of it for you
  • You’re paying for the service, so don’t feel bad about getting picked up anytime day or night

I always saw people getting dropped off and picked up by town cars and limousines whenever I flew, but never thought about using their services until I realized how easy and inexpensive it really was. There are a number of great limo services in the Tampa Bay area that would love to be used by you and your family.

How Do You Get Around Town?

Once I get where I want to go, getting around town is the next step to figure out. I’ve had bad experiences with rental cars, so I really don’t use them too much. For example, one time they didn’t put the oil cap on, so as I was driving down a long stretch of highway, the oil was just pouring out from underneath the hood and I didn’t realize there was a problem until the light came. I had to get towed and get a new rental car. It was a huge waste of time and a pain in the ass.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. If you don’t mind spending a little money, my preference for getting around is honestly using Uber.

Uber

I know some people are skeptical of them, but I’ve never had a bad experience. When I’m on vacation, or visiting a city, I’m not spending my day driving around, so going to a restaurant or club is quick and easy with Uber. I prefer them over taxis because they’re usually friendlier and cleaner. But again, that’s just my preference.

So I hope some of these tips were helpful. And seriously, call a limo company and try renting a town car or limo for you next trip to the airport. You’ll be surprised at how good of an option it is. Good luck in your travels!

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