Ground transportation strategy

Except for a few short intercity routes, rail travel in the U.S. has almost disappeared from business travelers' radar screens. But in Europe and Japan, trains are the preferred mode for trips up to 300 miles.

Also, just about anywhere you go, suburban rail is often a good substitute for a rented car. Shuttles, private cars, and taxis can also get you where you need to go. And while intercity buses never even get into most business travelers' plans, you may occasionally find that Greyhound is an option.

The rules - Your basic ground transportation options if you don't rent a car.

The strategy - The best ways to buy and save on ground transportation.

The rules

Trains in the U.S.

In the U.S., intercity rail travel is a feasible alternative to air travel or driving in only a few short corridors.

• The most important of these is the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, and trains are practical only for segments of the route. From New York to Washington (and points between), the new Acela Express trains really do compete with airlines and driving in door-to-door trip time, and they're much more comfortable and reliable. In that part of the corridor, rail is the preferred mode. The Acela Express is a bit more iffy for Boston to New York; but, again, it's fine for shorter segments within that corridor.
• Elsewhere in the U.S., possible routes on which you may think about taking a train include Chicago-Detroit, Chicago-Milwaukee, Los Angeles-San Diego, Sacramento-Oakland-San Jose, and Portland-Seattle. Although none of those is a true high-speed rail service, trains operate frequently enough to make them a practical alternative, and freedom from the hassles of flying and freeway traffic gives trains an advantage even when they aren't faster.

Trains abroad

Don't let slow, infrequent, and unreliable U.S. rail service bias you against rail travel overseas. From London to Brussels or Paris (through the "Chunnel"), and in much of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, high-speed trains compete effectively against planes in door-to-door travel time and they beat flying for reliability and the hassle factor. High-speed trains are similarly competitive with air travel in much of Japan, and by the time you read this, part of Korea's high-speed link between Seoul and Pusan should be in service. As in the U.S. and Canada, even second class in trains is far more comfortable than economy air.

Local public transportation

Taxis

Most companies authorize business travelers to use cabs for local travel in big cities where a rented car is more of a hassle than a convenience. I can't really argue with that—as long as the cab rides don't get extreme.

Metro and commuter rail

However, you shouldn't forget public transit—especially metros and commuter rail. Plebeian it may be, but mass transit is often the fastest way from point A to point B in a congested city.

Airport shuttles

At some airports, access by cab is slow during rush hours and expensive anytime. Fortunately, you can often avoid paying a fortune for a cab ride. Door-to-door shuttles such as SuperShuttle are available at more and more airports, and-for someone traveling alone-they provide almost the same convenience as a cab at half to a third of the price. Rail-to-airport links are a good alternative to shuttles or cabs in many U.S. cities, and they're common in Europe and Japan, as well as a few isolated systems elsewhere in the world.

Private car

Sometimes, hiring a car and driver is a good bet for getting around within a major city. Having a car and driver on tap all day can save a bit of waiting time and uncertainty if you have to make a bunch of calls in areas where you can't easily hail a cab or find a cab stand.

The strategy

U.S train tickets

There's no special strategy for U.S. train tickets. You can buy Amtrak tickets through a travel agent, an Amtrak office, or Amtrak's website. Amtrak doesn't do much discounting, but it does offer occasional "sales," especially for coach travel.

If you happen to be a military veteran, you can enjoy discounts of 15 percent (on most trains) to 50 percent (selected trains, with blackout dates and a three-day advance purchase) by joining Veterans Advantage ($20 a year). Also, Amtrak employs some yield-management pricing on the high-speed Northeast Corridor trains, where you find high unrestricted rates plus a variety of reduced rates with restrictions.

Train tickets abroad

If you plan city-hopping within Europe—especially within a single European country—consider a railpass. Although they're designed mainly for tourists, business travelers sometimes find them cost-effective if they're making a lot of short trips in a short period.

I can't begin to cite all the various prices and options, but once you lay out your trip plans you can usually come up with a reasonable estimate of the cost of individual tickets and compare that figure with the cost of the cheapest railpass that covers the same ground. Ditto Japan: As in Europe, a railpass is usually cheaper than individual tickets for all but the shortest itineraries.

Related information:
Column: Train to plane for business travelers