Although a majority of Providence College students are within the New England area, travel fares still add up! Whether it’s a spontaneous trip home, or a holiday break, HC Providence is here to recommend the best ways to go home, without hurting your wallet.
4. The Train
Some train tickets can be costsly, but with the right information you could be saving a lot of money! For students who commute to Massachusetts, it is highly recommended that you take the MBTA. A one way ticket is priced at $10 and will take you to multiple stops in Massachusetts, including Boston. This low fare and easy commute gives students the best experience. If you have the chance to take the MBTA, take it!
However, the students who live in farther places shouldn’t fear! One way to get the best deals on train tickets is by purchasing a Student Advantage card. With the card, you automatically qualify for 15% off of all ticket purchases. This isn’t the only way you can use the card either! The Student Advantage card also qualifies you for discounts in clothing, food, and entertainment as well! Although you do have to pay for your Student Advantage card, you save more money on discounts then you do on purchasing the card!
To prices for a Student Advantage card are:
- 1 Year – $22.50
- 2 Years – $32.50
- 3 Years – $42.50
- 4 Years – $52.50
The last recommendation for the train is to check with your local Amtrak! Amtrak comes up with their own discounts for customers as well. The train company especially offers discounts for earlier and later flights! So get up really early one morning, or leave really late, and you can cut $20 – $50 from your travel expenses! What’s better than that?
3. The Bus
For the students around Rhode Island, the RIPTA is no secret. HC Providence considered this to be such a wellknown fact that we almost left the RIPTA out of the article! But that being said, for those of you who don’t know how far the RIPTA goes in Rhode Island, we recommend you check their website for more information. Visit http://www.ripta.com/!
If you are not a Rhode Island Native, the bus is still an option for you! If you take the RIPTA down to Kennedy Plaza, you can grab a Peter Pan or Greyhound bus up to Boston and other various locations. This is a great option because they usually have outlets for you to charge your phone.
2. Car Pool
Most PC students live in the New England and New York area and so there are a ton of people that you can probably catch a ride with. If they live pretty close to your hometown you can make it easy on your parents and have them pick you up from your friend’s house instead of PC. Or if your friend is super generous they can possibly give you a ride all the way to your house. Just make sure you offer to chip in for gas!
1. Plan Ahead of Time
The earlier you buy your tickets, the cheaper they are sometimes. If you book an Amtrak ticket the price difference of just a few days can make a huge difference in price. If you’re flying home, download the Hopper app to help you buy your tickets at the cheapest time.
Safe travels everyone!