cheap one-way travel

May 8, 2005 4:27 PM

I am looking for a cheap way to travel from Austin, TX to Huntsville, AL. One-way flights are $200+ on Orbitz. So far Greyhound looks like my best bet at around $60. I guess I'm wondering if anyone can offer any alternatives to these options. Is there any type of legal (or practical) way to hitchhike or maybe a cheaper bus fare?

I'm a 21 year old male and I'll have two suitcases and a backpack. I need to travel sometime around May 22-26. Thanks for any suggestions.

posted by foraneagle2 to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total)

Best answer: You may want to try a post on the Austin Craigslist rideshare section if you don't mind riding with strangers. You could get there for the cost of some gas money.
posted by jessamyn at 4:33 PM on May 8, 2005

I once had to travel from Houston to NYC on short notice and with minimal funding. Auto drive away gave me the ride I was looking for. I could leave the next day and I just paid for the gas.
posted by ouke at 5:07 PM on May 8, 2005

Be sure that people in Texas know you are hitchhiking to Huntsville, AL, not Huntsville, TX, home of biggest collection of correctional facilities in the state.
posted by grouse at 5:46 PM on May 8, 2005

Even though Huntsvegas is a pit, you should certainly try
Bandito Burrito, if you get the chance.
posted by Unxmaal at 6:13 PM on May 8, 2005

Looks like that's around graduation time at UT. Most universities have some sort of rider board in the Student Union (or some other place, probably online these days -- crazy kids with their Napster and their baggy jeans). You can probably find a ride to Hunstville, or at least somewhere close by.

You can probably contact the student life folks for details on how they manage ride sharing.

Google gave me this site. Not affiliated with the University, but possibly useful.
posted by i love cheese at 6:44 PM on May 8, 2005

oops, looks like my final link was for rides TO Texas. The story for Alabama is not as pretty.

The site home page is here.
posted by i love cheese at 6:47 PM on May 8, 2005

Response by poster: thanks for the help. i posted on craigslist; i should have known they'd have that
unxmaal> i actually grew up in hsv and I'm surprised that you recommend bandito burrito. i'm also surprised that this is your first ever post on askmefi and since 2001!
posted by foraneagle2 at 10:43 PM on May 8, 2005