Transportation

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Transportation
The United States of America is a large place,
and getting around the country may seem like a
challenge, especially for international students.
Whether you are living on or off-campus, in a
city or suburb, you are going to need to be able
to get around easily and efficiently. You will
probably not want to buy a car or rent a car just
for your time in the States, so youll want to
learn about the many public transportation
options available to you for getting around in
your new country.
Depending on where you attend school, you may
find a variety of public transportation systems.
These options include

• Bicycles
• Buses
• Taxies
• Trains and Subways

BICYCLES
Choosing Bicycles as transportation is a great
way to get around your campus and your local
area. Whether your campus is based in the middle
of a city or in the suburbs, a bike is
relatively inexpensive, and its a good way to
get some exercise. Whenever riding your bike,
always take care to observe the law of the road,
and always wear a helmet.
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It is now a law in some states that helmets must
be worn. As with any personal property, take
care to lock your bike up when you are not using
it. Most college campuses provide a bike rack for
that purpose outside of many buildings on campus.
A good lock does not usually cost very much, and
its a small price to pay for the security of
your bike.
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BUSES
If you are living in a city, the bus system will
likely be pretty extensive, as with most of the
public transportation systems in large urban
areas. However, if you live in the suburbs,
buses will not run as often and you may have to
find alternative methods to get around.
On longer routes, Greyhound runs an extensive bus
system across the USA which is an inexpensive way
to travel, but it can take a long time to get
from one place to another. Most city bus systems
now offer smartphone apps that allow you to keep
track of when your next bus is coming or which
bus is near me which can be extremely useful. One
of the most famous buses in the USA is Metro
Buses which are extremely reliable and
comfortable.
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TAXIS
Cabs can be extremely expensive for students and
are good for longer journeys that are either too
far for walking or by bicycle, or there is no bus
or subway system where you want to go. Always
remember to check your driver has a valid ID card
which should be displayed (if not ask to see it)
and make sure the meter is running. Never enter a
cab where the driver has asked for a set fee!
A less expensive alternative to taxis is
ridesharing services such as Uber. With these
services, you can enter your location and your
destination in an app on your phone, and a
driver will pick you up and deliver you to your
destination for a much lower fee than a taxi
would require.
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TRAINS AND SUBWAYS
Subways will be found in most major cities in the
USA, such as the New York city subway, Boston
city subway, and Chicago city subway, and they
are a cheap way to travel around. When moving to
a big city, you will want to familiarize yourself
with the subway system, as it is likely to be
your most common way of getting around.
Trains, on the other hand, are good for traveling
throughout the USA. They are slightly more
expensive than traveling by bus, but it is much
quicker. If you are planning on going on a long
trip, you might consider looking into train
tickets. However, they are generally not the best
way of traveling short distances.
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CAR RENTALS
At least once during your time in the US, you
will probably want to travel. If you and your
friends are planning a road trip during vacation,
you might be surprised by how reasonable vehicle
rentals can be. For packing tips, there are
packing tips for travel. Many car rental and bus
rentals companies are happy to rent vehicles or
rent buses to international students all you
need is an appropriate drivers license or
request for a driver. If you are deciding to
rent a bus or vehicle, you can visit Bus Charter
Nationwide USA (a trusted website). If youre
planning a long drive, it is probably a good idea
to make sure that you have more than one
qualified driver in the car, and that you have
invested in proper insurance.
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CAR POOLS
Plenty of college students run car pools for
getting around during the holidaysmany schools
even offer services that help put together car
pools. This makes it easy to find a cheap
ride with people going to the same place as you.
However, students should always be cautious when
accompanying someone they dont know very
well. There are carpooling apps which you can
download and make a plan for your trip or avail
according to your need.
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