A ‘transfer’ in travelling terms means getting from the airport to your accommodation and then back if needed.

Many travel agents will organize your airport transfers for you but in most cases, using them will cost you more than doing it yourself. Here are my tips to organize your own transfers as well as save you time and money!

  1. Free hotel shuttle! If you plan it well enough, you’ll be able to take advantage of the hotels free shuttle service. When booking accommodation, check to see if they provide a free shuttle service or ask your travel agent if there is a free shuttle service (If you use one).  Many downtown hotels will not have a shuttle so do your research!
  2. Take a taxi/private car! In most case, if you are travelling with 2 or more people, a taxi or a private car is the most direct and cost effective route to take. A private car is similar to a taxi but you are able to haggle on the price. Tip – Google how much it costs to taxi from point ‘A’ to ‘B’ and you’ll be able to get a close estimate.
  3. Hire a car! It’s very cheap to hire a car in the US. From my experiences it is one of the cheapest ways to transfer to your hotel and back and you have the car to travel around in as well. Keep in mind parking costs at some places do charge a hefty amount to park and you’ll definitely need a GPS! Check out the ‘Car hire‘ section to check out pricing
  4. Bus transfers. You will find buses that will take you to most hotel destinations. It’s normally a one way fee and you can organize a return fare through the place you are staying. Alternatively, you can ring and book the return yourself.
  5. Train. There are times in the US that you can take a train from the airport to the city i.e. New York. It’s quite cheap but remember, you are lugging suitcases around so it might not be the best option.

These are my suggestions and in order to make the right decision for you, you will need to know where  you are staying, how long it takes to get there and obviously costs on the different options. I am a massive fan of driving in the US. I love it! So if you’re not worried about driving in a foreign country, on the opposite side of the road and in the opposite side of the car, then go for it!

Lastly, remember that it is customary to tip. The average tip is around 20% of the bill. Depending on what you thought of the service you can pay more or less.