Cheap Ways to Travel:
In Flight or On Foot?

There are plenty of cheap - and not so cheap - ways to travel and these days we are spoilt for choice.

For most of us, travel starts with a search for very cheap international flights to get to our destination. Once there, we may use low-cost regional airlines to travel within the country or region. Companies like EasyJet or RyanAir have revolutionized cheap European air travel, while no-frills long haul carriers like Air Asia or Virgin make even long-distance travel incredibly affordable.

But there's much more to travel than flight.

My favorite is train travel, watching the countryside roll by like moving snapshots of scenery, slices of life in motion. While single train journeys tend to be expensive, train passes, especially in Europe, are making cheap train travel a reality.

Not all countries have trains, and travel to distant towns and villages often involves travel by bus or mini-bus. In some countries, riding local buses means taking your life in your hands. But in others, like Panama and Thailand, buses are a perfectly good alternative to other forms of public transport.

Some of you may want to drive abroad, either by taking your own vehicle or renting one. In that case, you'll probably need an international drivers licence.

With rising crime rates, female hitchhikers are a disappearing breed - or are they? For many women, hitchhiking is still a viable method of transport. Another great way of coming in close contact with people is to travel on foot, at least part of the way.

If you're a little more flush, there are not-so-cheap ways to travel, including driving a car, riding a motorcycle, or even a recreational vehicle, which allows you to take your house with you.

The number of women sailing around the world is increasing - why not join them or sail your own boat? Or you could take one of the many yacht jobs to get from one island to the next, not only for free but including food and lodging. All marinas have bulletin boards peppered with notes from would-be crew members or captains in need.

Sometimes a trip starts one way and ends another. I've flown to a country, ridden trains and buses, and hitched when money ran low. If Irish author Dervla Murphy can ride a bycicle from her home all the way to India, then we too should place cycling on our list of budget transport. And while we're at it, so are walking, jogging, and - why not - riding a recumbant bike?