Bus travel is coming back. After the industry has declined for numerous years, the past few have seen a slight resurgence in bus travel which might be offering budget travelers a decent domestic travel option. But when it comes to booking buses, who honestly knows where to start when booking tickets? Neither Kayak, Vayama, nor Expedia tell me about buses.  And call me naive, but I have honestly only heard of Megabus and Greyhound. Compare that to our knowledge of airline carriers, and you get what I’m saying.

So, obviously, I’m going to give you the solution to the problem and tell you how to find low bus fares (and even compare prices!)

BusJunction.com

BusJunction is a bus fare aggregator that’s a self explanatory bus fare search brought to my attention by its founder in a buried email half a year ago which I just rediscovered. Like Kayak, it’s an aggregator, which is an important clarification because this means it is independent of the bus operators, thus offering you unbiased fares and information.

So, naturally, I’m partial to BusJunction (not even having used the service) and would recommend it. If my word doesn’t mean anything, Frommer himself hearts BusJunction in the HuffingtonPost, one of several high profile coverages the site received. The final kicker of BusJunction is its integration of Yelp, another site i’m a fan of.

GoToBus.com

GoToBus.com is the other, bigger and older bus fare search tool. The site features just Chinatown bus routes zig zagging across the US. While also super helpful, it engages in ticket partnerships with the bus companies for profit, thus potentially resulting in worse bus route and fare searches.

As a capitalist at heart, I love to see BusJunction’s emergence on the scene to give GoToBus a run for its money and help out the lowly bus travelers out there. Let’s hope that this increased bus travel trend continues so budget travelers aren’t left out to dry when attempting to travel on the cheap, and so I can feature fewer rants in posts on US budget travel.

Whether you’ve been directly affected by the economic problems in the US or not, you’re probably concerned about the situation.  With every major media outlet focusing on the ‘crisis’ it’s impossible not to take your uncertain future into consideration when making your future plans and personal budget.

So making that impulse decision to jump on a flight for a week to escape the frigid cold this winter is all that more unlikely (or just more guilt filled) for most Americans. Whether it’s Super Bowl weekend in Tampa, Cancun beaches, or Hawaiian resorts, they’re all struggling even with this terribly cold winter.

Namely, Las Vegas profits are down a whopping 69%, to a level of that 7 years ago.  (And you thought your portfolio’s returns were bad.) Fortunately for the budget traveler, the pain Vegas is feeling has lead to major travel promotions all over the place in Vegas to lure in visitors. Currently, some Las Vegas Promotions peg the Mirage at $72, MGM Grand at $55, and the Luxur at $42.  Some other Excalibur Promotions start at only $31.

You won’t find a more promo filled period of time for awhile.  With large varieties of show packages available to see highly touted entertainment like Cirque Du Soleil, Neil Diamond, and Billy Joel, this might just be the best time to visit if your comfortable spending the money. Besides, it is really cold out

(This post does contained paid links, but I accept these at my discretion based on an advertiser’s relevancy and legitimacy.)

They are out there. Credit cards that can make your next flight easy on your wallet. They are potent weapons, but easily misused.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to credit cards that earn you frequent flyer miles. But (surprise) most are not worth the trouble.

All FF-earning cards have annual fees. All have higher than normal APRs. One could easily cancel out any gains or upgrades with interest payments and fees.

There are some secrets to wielding the plastic without killing your budget.
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San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. Perhaps best known for The Alamo, the city is also home to one of the least known big events in the country.

Each April, downtown San Antonio is overrun with all sorts of festivities. I am not using the term “all sorts” lightly here. There are nearly 100 separate events held between April 18th and 28th. At least 3 million people will take part in at least one of these parties. Texans like to brag about how big everything in their state is. Well, for once, they can back up their boasts.

Fiesta, as the event is called, started more than one hundred years ago. It began as a celebration to remember the Battle of The Alamo, but quickly became something bigger. Parades, food shows, and concerts have snowballed over the years, leading to the amazing array of events now held.

Should you visit during Fiesta? For sheer atmosphere and options, Fiesta is a good time to visit San Antonio. There will be crowds, but standing shoulder to shoulder and getting the occasional elbow (unintentional, mostly) is all part of the experience. People quite literally dance in the street as part of various parades, cultural shows, or as audience members of one of the many outdoor concerts. Some events are free, though many have a reasonable entrance fee.

San Antonio’s nightlife gets a little more festive during Fiesta. When people say that the party lasts for ten days, they mean 10 24-hour cycles, not simply 10 afternoons. Bars and restaurants try to keep the good times going indefinitely.

San Antonio has an especially wide selection of bed-and-breakfasts and cheap accommodation, even near downtown. Things fill up quickly during Fiesta, so visitors might have to search outside the city center to find a place to lay their heads. There are even some campground for those who really want to make this a budget experience.
Fiesta is not as well known as Mardi Gras. It’s a little tamer by comparison, but offers 10 times more variety.

A list of events can be found here.

I can’t say I’m all too familiar with car hire prices, but what they offer seems to be on par as well.

So since I’m working backwards here by starting with a car rental, now all we need is somewhere to go and something to do. I’ve always wanted to visit Vancouver due to its natural beauty, liberal culture, and appealing urban landscape. During the winter there are plenty of slopes to hit up, and during the summer plenty of nature hikes, or lazy beach days if you’re that kind. I’m sure you’d enjoy Vancouver as much as I would, and if you happen to need a car hire, skip on over to discountcar.com.

$10 one way budget airline tickets within the United States? And they say the US airline industry is hurting. Okay, went too far there. But new American Budget airlines called Ultra Low Cost Carriers are trying to grow a bit in the US, and they will embark on the challenge of linking this sprawling country…cheaply in the air.

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