While staying in Europe recently I heard about the latest way to travel cheap... couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is a network of people around the world that host one another for free. I met one guy who went to South America for a month and never paid a penny on accommodations.
But more than just a great way to save money, I find the appeal of couchsurfing is that it connects a traveler with someone who lives locally and gets beyond the typical tourist experience. Indeed, many in the network that may not offer their couch are available to meet with traveler's for coffee or for some exploring of their town.
The two sites that are popular are couchsurfing and hospitalityclub. Check it out.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Car Sharing
There's a new alternative that makes renting cars easier and more practical than ever before. Many cities now have companies renting cars that are available to rent by the hour or by the day. What's new about that, you ask? A few things...
1. The rental process is done entirely on line.
You sign up and the company mails you a card. When you want to rent, you can check the availability and reserve the car through the internet. Then you just go to the car and hold up your card to the window and the door unlocks and you are set to go. At the end of your rental period, you return the car to the original spot.
2. Many companies include insurance and gas.
3. Cars are strategically placed to make them accessible to people that may not have easy access to a car. For example, on college campuses or in busy cities. A college student without a car could have easy to a car to run on errands.
Sounds like a great way to get the benefits of having a car for occasional errands without the high cost of ownership. Check out two of the companies offering this service: zipcar and flexcar.
1. The rental process is done entirely on line.
You sign up and the company mails you a card. When you want to rent, you can check the availability and reserve the car through the internet. Then you just go to the car and hold up your card to the window and the door unlocks and you are set to go. At the end of your rental period, you return the car to the original spot.
2. Many companies include insurance and gas.
3. Cars are strategically placed to make them accessible to people that may not have easy access to a car. For example, on college campuses or in busy cities. A college student without a car could have easy to a car to run on errands.
Sounds like a great way to get the benefits of having a car for occasional errands without the high cost of ownership. Check out two of the companies offering this service: zipcar and flexcar.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)