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PAPAWINDY · Site Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 21 Location: Dundee

The cheapest ways to get around

MSN Money staff original content source money.uk.msn.com
July 17 2007

As a student, you're more than likely going to be travelling more than normal.

For a start, you'll probably be shuttling back and forth between your place of study and the dear old parental home.

Then there's your new surroundings to explore, and no doubt a bit of foreign travelling as well.

It all costs money, so here's how to maximise your travel moolah.

Using a car
You may already have a car or will invest in one prior to going away.

Firstly, make sure you're insured and taxed, as you don't want to face the fallout if you have an accident and you're uninsured.

Secondly, your peers who are car-less may want to take advantage of your good nature and use you as a convenient taxi service to the local supermarket. By all means, give people lifts, but make sure you're not constantly paying out for the petrol. Try and avoid using your car unless you really have to - petrol will only swallow your student loan quicker.

Travelling by train
A lot of students will already have a Young Persons' Railcard. This is a sound investment if you're going to be travelling a lot by train as it saves you a third off the full adult fare and it will pay for itself if you make a couple of long-distance journeys. You can get details on how to apply for one from your nearest railway station.

When booking tickets, it pays to book as far in advance as possible. There is a bewildering array of different train ticket prices – the Evening Standard recently carried out an investigation into cheap train tickets and found 57 different fares on offer on the London to Exeter route!

The best place to book in advance is via the National Rail website, which offers a full timetable of available trains and shows which tickets are available for each service.

Travelling by coach
If you can handle the extra time on your journey, then going by coach is a cheaper alternative to rail. Again, investing in a Young Persons' Coachcard will prove a worthwhile exercise if you're going to use coaches quite regularly. Your local bus/coach station will have further details on how to apply for one.

Another option for those of you who don’t mind a bumpy ride is to travel by Megabus. You’ve probably seen these clunky bright blue double-deckers plodding along in the slow lane and they’re hardly luxurious but they’re cheap – tickets on most inter-city routes start from just £1

Local transport
Many students, particularly after their first year, end up living off campus and further away from their teaching buildings. If the distance is too far to walk, local buses, tubes and trams can prove an inexpensive alternative.

Getting hold of a weekly or monthly pass is usually cheaper than paying a fare each time you travel, particularly if you're going to use them regularly. It also ensures you don’t spend your bus fare down the pub, leaving you with a freezing two-hour walk home in the rain!

Taxis
Most students are on a tight budget and will be willing to walk for miles rather than shell out for a cab.

However, after a night out on the tiles, it's very tempting to get a taxi home. Although taxies aren't the cheapest form of transport, they are the safest, so long as you're travelling with a reputable cab firm. Your student union should be able to provide you with a list of good firms to use.

Budget airlines
Unless you're going to college/university hundreds of miles away, budget airlines will probably only come in handy if you're heading off to Europe. But if, for example, you are going to a Scottish university and you live in London, budget airlines are worth looking into as advanced tickets can sometimes work out cheaper than train fares, and flying by plane is certainly quicker.

However, to get the cheapest fares you'll need to be flexible as to when you travel (i.e. 6am on a Tuesday) and book well in advance.
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