Frugal Traveling Chicago to Dallas to New Orleans

[Lifemagician]

There are options where you can drive for free and, in fact, sometimes make pocket change. These options are for companies called Drive-Away. Here's some information about how this works.

Mark

For all the years since I drove for Auto Driveaway, I have kept an eye on the National Carlist. Seems these days there is nowhere near the choice I had, back a decade or so. Not sure if this is economics, or some other cause. With fewer vehicles available, and less choice for drivers, fewer drivers are taking up this option. Hence, it is taking longer to shift cars, making owners more reluctant to use the service. Which leads to still fewer cars, less choice, and fewer drivers.

So the spiral goes... ever downwards. Such a pity!

Lifey

[Lifemagician]

For example, there is no direct service from Chicago to Dallas, although both cities are now hubs. It looks like Memphis is a common point, so you could try to book one trip from Chicago to Memphis and then a second trip from Memphis to Dallas. However, you could be looking at long connection times or if you have a short turnaround, and your first bus is delayed, you could miss your 2nd bus. Since the 2 bus tickets would be different trips, Megabus wouldn't be obligated to put on the next bus or honor the ticket for your missed trip.

This exact situation has happened to me... though not with Megabus. Forced to take 'two seperate' trips, for what one may consider 'one' trip. In that case, I bought one ticket. Buying the second 'leg' ticket only at the end of the first journey. It may mean a longer layover, giving time to explore a place one may not have planned.

In Michael's example, a ticket from Chicago to Memphis, and on arrival buying the ticket to Dallas. Should this result in many hours, or even a day or so in Memphis, there is an extra opportunity to see a place which may not have been on your itenary.

So wherever you are going, make the most of the places you get to, when you are there. Adventures lie in every nook and cranny. You just have to look for them, recognise them and make the most of them.

(That also applies to driveaway! When I helped two lasses secure a car from Seattle to Dallas, they wanted to go to SF, LV, GC and LA. I suggested they take the available car from Seattle to Dallas, via LV and GC, and in Dallas - or Houston - look for a car going back to somewhere on the westcoast. They just had to learn to make the most of available opportunities.)

Lifey