Carpooling: Cheap and Fun
Have you ever heard about "carpooling"? In short words, it is a practice where you do "car sharing" and is usually
used for short and routine journeys, such as going to work. But why not use it
as a means of transportation for our travels? There are also carpooling offers
between cities from different countries. It is more economical, environment
friendly and we can meet interesting people.
We just
need to know where to look and contact the drivers. Once the meeting time and
place have been arranged, exchange data. Minimum phone number and information
about the car, where possible number of registration to make it easier to
identify when you are.
Always
calculate that the journey may last a little longer because you do not know how
fast it will be driving or there if may be a lot of traffic. That is why it is not advisable
to do carpooling to get to an airport or take a plane.
Carpooling
tips
1) The
driver usually chooses the meeting point, but ask which way he will do. I
already happened to move to the place and then discover that we would pass the
corner of my house. It would be very unlikely, but sometimes it happens.
2) Bring a
book, music or something to do during the trip. One of the positive aspects of
carpooling is meeting the people who travel in the car, but it has also
happened to me that they really do not want to talk. Unfortunately, some only
see it as a means of transportation.
3) Fix the
price in advance and pay at the end of the trip. Always have the exact amount of money in case the driver doesn't have any change, so you're not going to bother anyone, this always can generate problems. If you travel more than
one you can always bargain for the price.
4) If you're going to travel with your luggage, that has to be specified in advance, to ensure
that there is room and the driver agrees to take it. They may want to charge us
more because if our luggage takes place, you will not be able to carry so many
passengers.
5) It is
advisable to arrange smoking if smoking is allowed.
6) If the
trip is long, the driver will surely stop on the road. Anyway it is advisable
to bring some food or drink so you do not have to stop just for those reasons.
I usually do not hesitate to ask them to stop if they need to go to the
bathroom or have some other problem. You also travel and are paying for the
service, so they are in their right to request it.
7) Compare
prices. For the same journey there may be very varied rates, but when comparing
you will know more or less what price is right.
8) Relax,
enjoy the trip and meet your fellow travelers. It is good to establish a
friendly relationship and you can know incredible stories of life.