Planes, Trains And Automobiles
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday June 2, 2001
Whether it's Adelaide or Alaska, Woy Woy or Wolverhampton, Colin Clews finds a way to get there.
Bus Australia
http://member.rivernet.com.au/busaust/links.html
The authors claim this is a list of "all known Web sites of operators of scheduled bus, coach, train, ferry, tram, light rail and air services, and charter/coach companies within Australia, and State transport departments which make mention of public transport". So it's a little unclear why it's called Bus Australia. That minor point notwithstanding, this is an immense public transport resource that will help you get from point A to point B anywhere in this great brown land of ours.
Australian Rail Maps
http://people.enternet.com.au/~cbrnbill/maps/austrail.htm
This super-helpful and informative hub appears to be the work of a rail transport enthusiast who has put together details of every local and national train service around the country. It's very easy to explore with point and click navigation that provides regional overviews or more localised information. So you'll have no trouble finding what you're looking for - be it suburban services in Adelaide or the twice-weekly rattler in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Sydney Transport
www.sydneytransport.net.au
With more than 1,550 buses in its fleet, Sydney Buses claims to be one of the largest bus companies in the world. (You might want to remember that when you're stuck at a bus stop in the cold and wet.) Interactive service maps tell you which bus goes where and when. For tourists, the Airport Express section includes more than 120 places of accommodation on or near the bus route. There's a similar level of detail on ferry services. And there's a useful section for people with disabilities.
State Rail Authority of NSW
www.staterail.nsw.gov.au
If you visited this one just for the "fares and timetables" information, you'd be missing out on quite a few other attractions. For one thing, you can check the amenities at every railway station in NSW (interestingly, places like Woy Woy are way ahead of some city stations). Or you can pitch questions to "Dave", who gave up uni to become a train driver. And the Rail Estate section gives you the chance to purchase properties that are very close to public transport. I wonder whether Sydney Airport online has a home section like this?
VicTrip
www.victrip.com.au
"The Gateway to Victoria's Public Transport System." Like me, you may be surprised to discover that they still have one. This is one of the places to find out the usual details such as timetables and fares for everything from trams to airport buses. There's also News and Events information. And it's all available in a range of community languages.
Melbourne, Australia: Public Transport FAQ
www.custard.net.au/melbtrans
Melburnians take their public transport so seriously that there are two "guerilla" transport information sites. Not happy with the official VicTrip offering, the author of this one has produced his (or her) own version. It would be nice to report that it's full of intrigue and scandal but, sadly, not. It's just a rehash of the old "fares and timetables" routine.
Greyhound Pioneer Australia
www.greyhound.com.au
Greyhound Pioneer must be one of Australia's largest coach companies; it claims here that it goes to more than 900 destinations daily (which is great if you're in a hurry to get to Coober Pedy). So let's hope the service is more reliable than the site. For example, the Timetable page and Traveller's shop were not available when we visited.
Greyhound
www.greyhound.com
Everything's big in America and American Greyhound, with more than 3,700 destinations, certainly puts its Aussie namesake in the shade. Services include regular city-to-city runs, as well as airport and railway connections.
UK Public Transport Information
www.pti.org.uk
Anyone thinking about a UK holiday should check this little beauty before they set off. Listings cover local and national services as well as every mode of transport from trains and planes to buses, cabs and helicopters.
Transport for London
www.londontransport.co.uk
London is a great city - if you ignore the weather, the prices and the traffic. You can't do anything about the first two, but you can get around the latter by hopping onto one of the famous red buses or the "sardine special", as they call the Tube. It may be creaking in parts but it's still generally reliable.
American Public Transportation Association: United States Transit
www.apta.com/sites/transus
Not the most attractive site but certainly comprehensive when it comes to public transport information across the US. For one thing there's a State-by-State listing of local transportation Web sites. This means you can look up the timetables and fares of services as diverse as New York's Green Bus Lines and the Alaska Railroad. Then there are the links on the "Ground and Water Passenger Transportation Web Sites" page. This covers an even broader range of transport providers, from national coach lines to van pooling.
Asia Travel Links
www.asiatravellinks.com
A useful stop if you're planning an Asian getaway. It has masses of information about local and international flights, car hire and cruises. But if you're looking for ways of getting to some of the more remote areas, you'll need to look elsewhere. Because it focuses on tourism, there's also much additional material on everything from exchange rates to forthcoming attractions (such as the proposed Hong Kong Disneyland).
Amtrak
www.amtrak.com
There's something very homely about America's national rail network. Maybe it's the exhortation to "treat our service attendants as your personal valets" or the gentle chiding to "always walk, don't run" while the train is moving. Whatever it is, it's not difficult to imagine snuggling up in your cosy cabin while your "personal valets" treat you to some good ol' American hospitality.
Car Sharing Network
www.carsharing.net
Car-pooling has come a long way since the days of workmates sharing a ride. In many cities around the world it's now a major enterprise run by commercial, cooperative or non-profit organisations. And it's not just cars - vans and trucks can be shared, too. The driving force behind the idea remains the same - saving resources by sharing vehicles. Find out how you can set up your own local enterprise. You won't have much competition. According to this page, there are no commercial set-ups in Australia.
Freighter World Cruises
www.freighterworld.com
If you like to hit the high seas but can't stand the thought of over-crowded "Love Boats", why don't you consider a cruise on a commercial freighter? These maritime juggernauts take passengers and visit most mainstream destinations as well as less popular ports, too. You don't have to sacrifice your creature comforts - passengers get "well-furnished outside cabins" as well as such services as a library, self-service bar and a pool. But, apparently, you do save money. Fares are claimed to be between $125 and $240 a day below conventional cruise ship rates.
International Association of Air Travel Couriers
www.courier.org
Air couriers accompany valuable documents from one country to another. Once they've delivered them, they're free to spend a few days in the destination city. Couriers don't get paid but they do get cut-price tickets to their destinations - with some organisations claiming savings of up to 85 per cent on the regular air fare. So it's obviously an attractive form of cheap travel. Courier work out of Australia isn't easy to get but if it's available it's likely that this association will know about it.
Fly buys
Virgin Blue
www.virginblue.com.au
Virgin Blue has become the sole remaining flag-bearer for the cheap-flight movement. It's still claiming it will keep prices low (although its fares are frequently undercut by Ansett). Let's see what happens when Ansett's air safety issues die down.
Ansett Airlines
www.ansett.com.au
Even if its multi-million dollar ad campaign, featuring a mob of celebrities, to rebuild public confidence is overkill, we found some of the cheapest fares in Ansett's Websaver section. So, we're looking forward to sitting next to Dawn Fraser, Rex Hunt, etc.
Qantas
www.qantas.com.au
Now the Flying Kangaroo has swallowed Impulse, it will be interesting to see what it delivers in the cheap fares department. Online, it's obvious that the price depends on when you fly and how you book. A $201 fare can go down to as low as $55 with the special e-deals. The trick is trying to snag one at the times you want to travel.
Impulse Airlines
www.impulseairlines.com.au
Unfortunately, if you haven't already bookmarked this historic cheap air tickets site, you're going to have a hard time proving the bargains ever existed to your grandchildren.
Don't forget your toothbrush
According to a December 2000 survey by travel publisher Fodor, the item that most travellers forget to pack is a toothbrush (28 per cent). After
that come pyjamas (20 per cent), sunscreen (16 per cent), socks/stockings
(11 per cent) and shoes (6 per cent). Five per cent of respondents claim
they "forget nothing".
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald