How to save money on ground transport

Little things can end up costing a lot on holiday - with ground transport often the nastiest surprise.

We humans are a strange lot. We happily invest time and effort to find the cheapest air fares. We pinpoint "bargain" hotels offering bonus nights "free" (costs are actually built into the cost of other nights).

And we readily heed advice to gorge ourselves at buffet breakfasts - so we won't spend again on food until the evening.

Pleased with ourselves, we forget all about ground transport costs.

Travel experts say surface travel is the most overlooked part of holiday planning.

Unlike air travel and hotels, ground transport lacks glamour. It certainly isn't the sexiest of holiday components.

But it costs money and can play havoc with budgets.

Agreed, each individual expense may be small - but, over the length of a trip, these costs add up to a tidy sum.

But we pay for our mistakes - and, in this case, we're punished for not researching more thoroughly.

Take low-cost airlines as a case in point. Particularly in Europe, they often use secondary airports far from destination cities. Before you buy a trip it's wise to check what it'll cost to get from the airport.

This is less of a problem in Asia.

For instance, Air Asia (which operates to Australia as longer-haul Air Asia X) has an extensive Asian network - and runs modestly-priced buses from airports to city centres. Incidentally, it's usually cheapest to buy these bus tickets from flight attendants before landing.

Also worth finding out is just where your hotel is located. Room rates may sound dirt-cheap - but will you encounter steep charges getting to and from the hotel each day? Is the hotel so remote that you can't make short trips back to it during the day to drop off, say, heavy shopping bags?

It may be cost-effective to accept higher hotel rates within strolling distance of attractions, advises Melissa Vitanza, manager of Travel Focus International in Perth's Myaree suburb.

"Pay a little more and stay centrally," she urges. "You'll save on transport by walking. It's the best way to see sights and explore - and, of course, there's no cost."

She suggests travellers "get familiar with ground transport options for cities you're travelling to".

Buy "unlimited passes and transport packages" rather than a ticket for each trip, Vitanza advises.

"Many cities have transport tickets that give discounts on major attractions. This is great value that most people don't realise exists."

In Vitanza's view, hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses "are a great way to see the sights and use as transport tools. You get an unlimited pass for the day and see the sights but also use it for transport. It's a great way to get around for the day and evening".

She finds subway systems in London, Paris and New York "good value for money and easy to use".

Another fan of public transport is Andrew Billows, branch manager of Phil Hoffmann Travel in Adelaide's Glenelg suburb. He raves about the additional features of some cards.

"Pre-purchased transport cards not only make it incredibly easy to get around but cards like Hong Kong's Octopus and London's Oyster also mean you don't have to worry about small change to buy drinks, newspapers, snacks - and you can use them to access many tourist attractions."

Don't focus only on flight costs and hotel rates, warns Billows.

"And make sure you understand where and when you'll be departing and arriving - and how much it will then cost you to get where you want to be."

Taxis from airports? Experts agree this is a grey area. For solo travellers, shuttle buses are generally cheapest. But for two or more passengers a taxi may be less expensive - though this isn't so at all destinations. It's another instance where it pays to check before travelling.

If possible buy taxi vouchers from fixed-price desks in arrivals halls. It beats haggling with taxi drivers - after which you'll usually end up paying more (even with an alleged discount).

Hotel meet-and-greet services are widely lauded as safe and easy - but hefty charges will usually appear on your hotel bill (unless your package includes such transfers).

From hotel to airport, ask very firmly for a regular taxi. Some hotels instruct bellhops to bundle departing guests into expensive hotel limousines rather than summon cheaper taxis.

To save money between arriving and departing, use public transport rather than taxis. Foreign residents swear by this.

If in doubt, chat to a concierge who may, of course, try to steer you towards high-priced hotel cars he or she wouldn't dream of using. But insist on information about public transport - the kind the employee would use.

Watch locals, even in different cities in the same country. New Yorkers leap into easy-to-find cabs which are inexpensive and much used for short trips. In Los Angeles, however - where distances are longer and cabs more expensive - locals mostly shun taxis and prefer hitting the freeways in their own vehicles.

As they often point out, the price of a cab from the airport can be more than a day's car rental.

Most cities offer significant discounts on transport tickets - commonly valid for a day, a week or a month. Some are sold by travel agents in Australia. Otherwise, ticket windows at stations in destination cities are among outlets selling them.

You can't go past the underground train systems of London, New York, Paris or Mexico City. But also in Asia, both Hong Kong and Singapore have extensive subways. Bangkok has a more limited subway system as well as the excellent elevated Skytrain. Kuala Lumpur's KL Monorail serves many places of interest.

Tuk-tuks parked near major Bangkok hotels have become - since Skytrain's launch - mostly rip-offs offering tourists cut-price trips but earning commissions from specific shops.

Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have high-speed good-value airport trains. In Kuala Lumpur's case, handy transfers to this train are available at the separate Low Cost Carrier Terminal used by Air Asia and Air Asia X.

Subway systems are also often an inexpensive way to get around Latin American cities - particularly Chile's Santiago and Argentina's Buenos Aires.

Even where a written language is mysterious, tourists (as well as budget-conscious foreign residents) commonly use subway systems - because they're efficient and great value.

Moscow's, for instance, is oft-cited as superb. Tokyo, too, boasts an excellent system.

Afraid of getting lost? This is most unlikely if you count the number of stations until you reach yours. If you become disoriented, simply alight at any station - head upstairs and start all over again. Or surrender and take a taxi.

South Korea makes it easy. Lines are colour-coded in both Seoul and Busan, with stations and exits numbered.

Using public transport in a strange city may be confusing at first - but visitors and foreign residents quickly learn peculiarities. After all, it's a money-saver.

But, to control ground transport costs, do your homework before heading to the airport.