Author Topic: One Way Travel  (Read 4224 times)

Matt K

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 332
  • Location: Canada
    • Krull Photography
One Way Travel
« on: January 02, 2013, 08:26:49 AM »
In April we will be attending my brother-in-law's wedding. It will be held near Kelowna BC. We'd like to spend some time in Calgary (so I can meet my wife's grand parents and see old friends) on our way to or from the wedding (we'd planned on the way so we could catch some spring skiing in rockies with said friends).

Here's the thing, flying to Calgary, and then again into Kelowna is silly expensive. Renting a car and driving is a) beautiful, and b) 9 hours each way. A one way car rental is prohibitavely expensive, so we'd be doing the drive twice and flying in and out of Calgary.

This has been our general idea up until now. But following the Mustachian thinking, there must be a better way. I'm asking for your help and ideas to find this better way (or the even more optimistic these better ways).

Years ago I remember reading about retired guys who would deliver (aka drive) RVs from the sellers to buyers or other dealerships. The pay wasn't great (enough for food on the road and a flight back to the starting point), but it provided the retired guys a chance to see the country on someone else's dime. Even if these things still happen, I'm not sure how well this would work for us, since we have a required start and end location, and a general time frame.

I don't have my air-brake license (only general and motorcycle endorsements), so I can't drive a moving truck, and again, the specific time frame would make hooking up with a moving company difficult.

My other life skills (computer programing, photography, and teaching) don't lend themselves in anyway that I can think of.

Ideas?

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: One Way Travel
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2013, 11:58:26 AM »
Hey Matt,

Don't know where you are starting your journey from, but you might want to look into finding someone to share rides with? Couchsurfing has a great Calgary group and people are traveling back and forth all the time.

Another option is the bus if you don't have to have drive around Kelowna, but having done that trip quite a few times, I'd try and find someone to share a ride with.

Or if you want to offset a car rental, why not try and organize some family/baby/pet/couple photo shoots while you are there? If you scheduled them one after another you can spend one day shooting to offset all your costs....Since you are going for a wedding, you could probably approach friends and family to see if they want some original photos done while you are gone, you get the bonus of working with people that you know and can visit a bit too.

Matt K

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 332
  • Location: Canada
    • Krull Photography
Re: One Way Travel
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2013, 06:21:27 AM »
We checked out the bus, and it's $64/person. Which isn't bad. Although beign stuck in a bus for 10 hours is not high up on our wish list (I can't read or sleep on a bus, which makes long trips a royal pain).

Westjet just posted another seat sale, and so flights have gone from the $300/person range to $120/peron. We can afford that, and it'll give us an extra day with family, so we'll go that route.

I did some looking into the one-way-car driving, and found this:
http://hittheroad.ca/
If we didn't have a fixed time, and were goign a futher distance, it would be a neat idea.

Peter

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 111
Re: One Way Travel
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2013, 12:02:57 PM »
I would not recommend the bus at all. Calgary to Kelowna is one of the best vacation drives you can do! Plus you can mix it up and take highway 3 back to Calgary. How much is the rental car going to cost you? they're pretty cheap, afterall...

Matt K

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 332
  • Location: Canada
    • Krull Photography
Re: One Way Travel
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2013, 12:43:21 PM »
Quick online quote says roughly $200 for the car, and another $150 for the gas (600km on trans canda, 900km on the 3 for the way back). Plus two days for travel instead of one (but a much more awesome time spent travelling).

It's worth a thought... My wife would like to spend a day or two in Banff (she's never been)... maybe I can convince her to spend time in Creston or other BC Interior hot spots on the 3 instead...

More ideas to think about...

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: One Way Travel
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2013, 01:00:14 PM »
Fernie is a beautiful little mountain town with a really neat downtown core, the library is amazing (in the old courthouse) very photogenic! I have shot a wedding in Fernie and it is a lovely place to explore.