Personal experience on Auto Revalidation

Warning: This article is written only to share some personal experience. I have no intentions in giving advices about immigration status, and whoever read this should assume his/her own responsibility in handling the individual immigration status.

警告：這篇文章的用意完全是分享自己的經驗，我不是處理美國簽證的專業人士，也沒有意圖要提供任何有關簽證的專業建議。請讀者們對自己的簽證負全責。

Being in US on non-immigrant visa involves a lot of uncertainties. Sometimes, even a seemingly simple situation can create a lot of drama. There are many rules, some of which less known but can become handy if applied correctly. During this cruise trip, I have invoked the "auto revalidation" rule, and feel it might be useful to share what I learned about it.

人在美國，簽證有時候會帶來許多生活上的不確定性。明明就是很簡單的事情，也可以突然搞得很複雜。不過有一些比較少人知道的規定，在時機對的時候使用，顯得特別方便。我這次去坐船，就用到了 "auto revalidation" 這條規定。我覺得這條規定對和我差不多處境的人來說非常方便，所以特別在這分享一下經驗。

I am currently in H1b status. Like most people who previously studied and continued to enter the job market in US, I transferred from F1 to H1b using auto-status transfer (with a valid I-129), which means when my H1b came into effect, I swapped my status without leaving US. This is the most convenient, and I believe the most common, way people do it. Since I am busy working, I don't want to leave the country just to get a new H1b visa.

我現在是拿 H1B 工作簽證居留美國。大部分之前在美國讀書，開始工作，然後從 F1 轉成 H1B 身分的人，通常都會選擇在美國境內轉換身分（拿 I-129）。這樣做的好處是，在 H1B 生效的那一天，我不用離開美國，可以繼續正常工作，只是在移民身分上轉換。因為開始工作之後，假很珍貴，所以我想大部分人都會選擇這樣做，就不用為了辦 H1 簽證特別離境。

However this does create some inconvenience afterwords. While I am legally holding my H1b status staying in US, I do not have a H1b visa affixed to my passport. This is perfectly fine as long as I stay in US - a valid visa is only required when entering the country. However, if I ever travel out of US, when I come back I do need to have a visa matching with my purpose to enter US (since I am now working in US, that means I need to have a H1b visa).

但是缺點是，這樣做了之後，會造成一些日後的不便。雖然我在美國境內目前是以完全合法的 H1B 身分居留，但我的護照裡並沒有有效的 H1B 簽證。雖然簽證只有在入境的時候才需要，我人在美國境內的時候不成問題，但只要人一離開美國，下次入境的時候，我就得出示符合我身分的簽證（既然我是要回來工作，那我就得出示 H1B 簽證）。

Auto revalidation, however, is a very useful exception to the general rule stated above. It comes into play when all the following conditions are met (1) I am visiting only contiguous countries to US (that is, Canada, Mexico, and some Mexican Gulf Islands are considered contiguous), (2) The duration of my visit is shorter than 30 days. Under such conditions, when I complete my trip and re-enter US, I can be admitted as if I have never left the country and the previous status under which I last entered US is restored automatically again (hence the name auto revalidation). The most interesting thing about this rule is that even the previous visa has already expired, I can still invoke auto revalidation (Example: Say I got my F1 visa in 2006 and it is valid for 5 years. I became under H1b status in 2010 and did not leave US until 2012. If I visit Mexico in 2012, I can use auto revalidation to come back to US with my expired F1 visa and never have to get H1b visa.).

這篇我要介紹的特別規定，auto revalidation，就是上一段提到的一般情形之外，一個很有用的例外條款。auto revalidation 適用的條件是 (1) 我離開美國，是前往和它接壤的國家（包括加拿大、墨西哥、和一些墨西哥灣裡的島國）；(2) 我離開美國的時間短於三十天。如果這些條件都符合，我再次入境美國的時候，就可以使用這條規定，在移民身分的接續上，自動回復我上一次入境的時候的狀態，好像我從來沒有離開過美國一樣（所以這條規定的名字叫 "自動重新生效"）。這條規則最好玩的地方是，就算我前次入境美國的時候用的簽證已經過期了，我還是可以使用這條規定進入美國。例如說，假設我 2006年拿到 F1 簽證，效期五年；我在 2010年境內身分轉換，從 F1 變成 H1B身分，直到2012年都沒有離開過美國；2012年如果我去墨西哥旅遊，回到美國的時候，我可以用 auto-revalidation 的規定入境，即使我護照上從來沒有 H1B 簽證，而我的 F1 簽證早就過期而且也不符合我入境美國的原因了，也沒關係。

Of course, there is risk involved in using a less known rule. The most obvious one is that the immigration official who talks to you may not know about this rule at all, and gets confused why he should admit you into US. To avoid this, one should come prepared, get all the necessary and unnecessary documents ready, and most importantly, take a printout about the auto revalidation rules from USCIS web page with you.

當然，如果要用到比較少人知道的規定，的確是有一點風險。最主要的，是處理入境手續的移民官可能是新手，沒看過這條規定，而認為不應該讓你入境。為了避免這種不幸的情形發生，使用 auto revalidation 的時候，要準備好所有可能用到的文件，而且最好至少要隨身攜帶從美國移民局官網印下來的 auto revalidation 官方說明。

My personal experience with auto revalidation is a smooth one. I used this rule twice during my trip, first time at Vancouver, when we cleared US immigration before boarding the ship. Yes, the US immigration is at the port of Vancouver, to check the immigration status of people leaving on cruise boats to Alaska. The immigration officer knew about the rule, when he heard the keyword, he knew that I understood what I was doing and let us go without saying a word. The second time I used auto revalidation on the same trip was at Skagway, when we rented a car and drove to Yukon Territory of Canada. The immigration officer at the border check station also knew about this rule fairly well. Both times, I was able to come back into US with the F1 visa in my passport, plus the I-129 form showing my status transfer happened within US. I think that many people have done the same at these posts so the officials are well-versed to the rules.

我自己這次用到 auto revalidation 的經驗非常順利。在這趟旅行裡，這條規定總共用上了兩次，第一次是在溫哥華登上遊輪之前，得先通過美國移民關（說也奇怪，在加拿大的港口出境處，設有美國的入境移民關，所有要坐船去阿拉斯加的人，在還沒登上美國領土之前，就要先接受移民檢查）。當天的移民官很清楚這條規定，當他聽到 auto revalidation 的關鍵字的時候，很快就知道我用的是什麼規定，完全沒有特別詢問我。第二次，是在船程的一半停在 Skagway 這個港口的時候，我們一行人租車前往加拿大的 Yukon 領地。回來的時候，邊境檢查哨的移民官，也很清楚這條規定。所以，雖然我護照上只有完全不符合現在身分的 F1 簽證，我只要出示證明當初境內身分轉換核準的 I-129 表格，就可以順利回到美國。我猜，應該是很多情形相似的人曾經在這些關口用過這條規定，所以移民官都很清楚怎麼處理。

Of course, there are some tips that can make your trip work out smoothly if you need to use auto revalidation rule. The general guideline is, travel through the major posts, since the officials are more likely to come across this rule before. Also, try to avoid situations where your immigration status is checked by people other than US immigration officials. This is the case for many Mexican or Caribbean cruises, where the official immigration check happens at the end of the trip when you come back to US. Before boarding, the staff of the cruise company will verify you have a valid visa, to avoid the sticky situation that you are denied entrance at the end of cruise. They may not know about auto revalidation and deny you boarding the cruise ship. There goes your vacation. Ouch.

對要用到 auto revalidation 規定的人，以下提供一些技巧。一般說來，如果你從比較多人入境的主要關口進美國，那通常移民官之前都處理過 auto revalidation 的案件，比較不會有節外生枝的麻煩。最重要的，是避免發生需要由美國移民局之外的人檢查簽證的情形。例如，很多前往墨西哥或加勒比海的遊輪，是在遊輪結束回到美國的時候才接受移民官的檢查。為了避免遊客坐船回到美國的時候無法入境，船公司職員通常會在上船之前，檢查大家的簽證。這些船公司的職員可能比較不了解像 auto revalidation 這種複雜的規定，而認為這個遊客沒有正確的簽證，拒絕你上船。要是不幸發生這種狀況，假期就泡湯了。

As a conclusion, I think auto revalidation is a very feasible option. One should not let the fear about uncertain visa status hinder the freedom to make trip plans. After all, the rule is very clear, and as long as we work within the boundary of the regulation, there is really little chance any problem should ever occur.

結論，我認為 auto revalidation 是非常有用可行的選項。我們應該不要害怕簽證帶來的不確定性，如果知道自己在做什麼，就大可以自由地安排旅行計畫。畢竟這條規定白紙黑字，在移民局網站上寫得清清楚楚，只要使用的時候確定符合它的適用範圍，發生問題的可能性實在不高。

旅遊新利器 farecast

最近在 PTT 上看到有人介紹一個新的訂機票網站，網址是 http://www.farecast.com

常常訂機票的人都知道，機票的價格常常會上下波動，每次訂機票的時候，都會想說，我到底應該現在買呢，還是等呢？這個網站提供了一個有趣的，目前在各大訂票網站上都沒有看到的服務 - 根據這條航線過去的歷史資料，幫你預測未來的價格會漲還是會跌，做為何時該購買的參考。

聽起來非常 fancy，但是我實際了解之後，發現這個功能，只是 icing on the cake，並不是我認為這個網站好的主要理由。預測必定不全然可靠，當然是一個 concern，不過更重要的是，它的預測功能目前只有一些大機場之間才有，實用性有限。

僅管如此，這個網站在別的地方功能非常強大，強大到不需要考慮這個獨家功能，就把其它我們很熟悉的訂票查票網站，像 expedia 或 orbitz，都打得趴在地上的程度。

通常我們訂機票的時候，會從出發和返回的機場和日期開始查起。輸入了這些資料，比較大的查詢系統可能會跳出幾百筆航班 - 大家手上有的這些航班資訊理論上都是差不多的，沒有人可能會有和別人完全不一樣的資料，如果有人有，那它的資料就是錯的。在這種大家手上的材料都大概一樣的情況下，為什麼我會說，farecast 大獲全勝呢？

因為，上網訂機票，重點從來就不在一個網站能有多少資訊，它有的，別人也都有。在這個資訊隨手可得的年代，真正的重點在於，你怎麼呈現，組織你的資訊。

farecast 的介面簡潔而且符合直覺。當基本的幾百筆查詢結果列出來之後， farecast 可以讓我用很多自行組合的條件，來篩選這些結果。我可以選擇要幾個 stop 以內的飛機，去程/回程 在 幾點到幾點 起飛/降落 的飛機，排除或只要哪些航空公司，設定價格上限，從哪個機場起降或轉機，避免紅眼/急迫的轉機/間隔太久的轉機，或者設定總旅程時間的上限，等等。而且，每次切換篩選條件，系統並不是重新搜尋，而是從你之前搜尋的結果縮小範圍，反應時間非常快。而且，你找到想要的班機之後，下面就有一個 link，幫你連到該航空公司的網站或其它 farecast 推薦你買的網站，直接從買票的地方繼續，不需要重新輸入條件。光是這點，Expedia/Orbitz 等等，就已經滿地找牙了。

如果你對本網站沒有信心，沒關係，它也提供快速按鈕，讓你同時在各大搜尋網站同時搜尋一樣條件的航班。

更棒的是，它有一個 time grid 的 tab，把所有飛機依去程和回程的起飛時間分類，讓你對什麼時間起飛的飛機要價多少，一目了然，大幅節省了你自己翻上翻下整理的時間。

以上這些功能都是對任何航線都有的。如果是有預測能力的，大機場之間的航線，功能就更可怕了。它的 travel tool 裡面的 when to travel 和 travel duration 的功能，用漂亮而且符合直覺的圖型介面，讓你一目了然，什麼時候去某個地方旅行，為期多久，以機票來說是划算還是不划算的。

farecast 讓我唯一覺得不滿的地方是，目前還沒有 flexible date 的搜尋。雖然有 when to travel 和 travel duration 的功能，但只有大機場之間才有。

另外 farecast 也有訂旅館的功能，一樣提供直覺的介面，還有以歷史資料來判斷目前某間旅館是便宜還是貴的，以及把旅館價錢和地圖合而為一的顯示模式等等方便的功能。

以我過去不時自己安排旅行的經驗來說，這個網站的功能實在是太棒了。下次，我要準備旅行的時候，一定會毫不考慮地使用這個網站來幫助我的計畫。雖然，我對這個網站的信任還沒有建立，在頭幾次使用的時候，我一定會參考別的網站，不過因為 farecast 功能強大，快速，介面又可愛，我覺得它很有機會，成為我最後上網訂機票旅館的 portal，在此也推薦給大家（我和該網站完全沒有任何利益往來，如果因我的推薦而開始使用 farecast 的朋友，也請自負使用的責任）。

farecast 經驗給我的教訓是：資訊時代，能夠掌握資訊還不夠，因為很多資訊是流通的，你有的資訊，別人也有。但是，能夠把一模一樣的資訊，做有效的整理和呈現的，就很有機會成為最後的贏家。

以此文向 farecast 開發團隊致敬。

誰來旅行？

我旅行的時候，總是對和我一起到同一個地方旅行的路人充滿了好奇。我習慣打開眼睛仔細觀察，他們是誰？為什麼來這裡？他們旅行的方式和我一樣嗎？以下就是我一路上的一些觀察。

加州是美國人口相當多的州，因此在靠近加州的地方，常常都會見到很多加州出來的遊客。例如說，在 Vegas，每十台車大概就有三台是掛加州的車牌。隨著我逐漸東行，加州的鄉親也越來越少，不過加州人實在是很多，所以一路都還是有零星出現，直到了 Kansas 左右才慢慢消失。

每個地方的遊客組成也是我觀察的重點。在 Vegas，幾乎從世界各地來的遊客都有，每個種族的人都有許多代表來到 Vegas。但當我來到了 Utah 的國家公園，除了美國本地人之外，似乎歐洲人明顯地比其它地方來的遊客多。

因為我在學校的主修是 EE/CS，我身邊幾乎隨時都充滿了印度來的同學。有趣的是，當我旅行的時候，一下子身邊少了印度人，就突然還蠻想念他們的存在的。我記得自己在 Denver 排隊 check in 旅館的時候，聽到後面傳來印度的口音，我還要稍微克制自己，不要回過頭去擁抱這個路人。這實在是很奇妙，有時候我們對身邊某些事物的存在會那麼習慣，習慣到直到把這個元素抽走了，我才發現這個元素的存在。

最後，我在路上也好幾次看到正在和我做一樣的事情 - 開車搬家的人。有些人租了 U-hual 卡車，有些人像我一樣用自己的小客車。有些人帶著寵物一起搬家，所以到了休息區，就要帶牠們去散步。看到這麼多自己開車搬家的人，我就了解到我的處境並不孤單。雖然我從來沒機會跟任何一個搬家的人講到話，我暗自祝他們一路順風，平安到達各自的目的地。

停在 Motel6 的 U-haul

budget 租車公司的卡車，後面還加掛小客車充當第二節車廂

另一台 U-haul.

向促成我這趟旅行的先驅們致敬

當我規畫這趟搬家之旅的時候，我把它設定成一場大冒險。我認為我將會橫跨美國，去到很多不知名的地方，然後，當我結束這場旅行的時候，我可以回顧我自己的行程，然後宣稱我完成了一次很大的探險。我可以自吹自擂，說旅程有多困難，然後我克服了這些困難。

但是隨著旅程進行，這些不切實際的期待就慢慢消退了。事實上，這種跨州搬家根本一點也不困難，成千上萬的人天天都在做，更遑論是"一場大冒險"了。一路上都有規畫良好的道路可以跟隨，有城市可以住，有地圖和網路上無盡的資訊可以查。我旅行的距離越長，就越加確定，這一路上實在是沒有什麼我可以用來自吹自擂的材料。這些所謂探險的光榮、發現的喜悅，我認為應該是屬於那些偉大的前人，在他們的年代，他們用遠見、膽識、血和汗交織出很多重大的發現，所以才讓今天的我可以追隨他們早就被大家走到爛的腳步。

州際高速公路

我在美國的頭三年住在 LA。在 LA 的生活和當地無所不在的高速公路系統息息相關，很容易地我就陷入了一種假象，認為這些高速公路一直都在那邊，準備好給我們使用。當我遠離城市，我才理解到當然事實不是這樣的。州際高速公路在這個幅員廣大的國家扮演非常重要的角色，它切過荒野，把零星四散的城市連結起來，大大地便利了長距離的旅行者。當我一路穿過這些城市間綿延百哩的荒野，我就理解到這些州際高速公路當然不是自然的產物，而是有人構思出來的。這個人一定有非常偉大的遠見，才會提議建設這樣子龐大的系統。我稍微在網路上找了一下，就發現美國州際高速公路系統之父是50年代的 艾森豪總統 (Eisenhower)。不管他們當時為什麼想到這個系統，顯然他們嘉惠後世的旅行人良多。

在一個休息區有這麼一個牌子，記念州際高速公路系統的建立

一開始建造州際高速公路系統就已經困難重重，但維護也同樣需要很大的努力。一路上我看到很多不同路段的施工，讓整個系統維持在良好的狀態。這個工作不但辛苦，潛在危險也極高。我認為這些人也是讓整個國家運輸保持順暢的無名英雄。

但是，不論是造路的人還是修路的人，這些人也還是追隨者 - 他們追隨了百餘年前從美東往美西拓荒的人的腳步。這些拓荒者建立了初步的聚落和小徑，後來才慢慢地發展成城市和道路。說實在很難想像，我這一路上經過的城市，在兩百年前大多只是一片荒野而已。美國的西拓史，從今天的角度看來或許有它野蠻和政治不正確的地方，但是毫無疑問的，沒有這些歷史，就沒有我今天的旅行。而我要衷心的感謝，因為我追隨了這些人集體的腳步，有了一趟非常棒的旅行。雖然說這些事都是和我沒什麼相干的歷史，但奇妙地在這趟路上，我能感到我和這些探險家有某種心境上的相連。或許是因為，雖然我們所處的時空大不相同，但是我們旅行背後的驅力卻是相似的。他們的故事，或多或少鼓勵了現代的我，嘗試這種旅行。

我這種情感在我到達 St. Louis，看到聳立的 Gateway Arch 的時候，達到最高峰。這個 Gateway Arch 標示了十九世紀早期 Lewis 和 Clark 的探險的起點。他們是第一支從美洲內陸步行到太平洋岸的團隊。我站在那裡看著這座拱門，試著想像兩百年前從這裡動身，一路走到我出發的西海岸，沒有汽車，沒有道路，甚至沒有地圖，會是什麼樣的情形。無疑地這需要極大的勇氣，他們接受了挑戰，最後成功了。這實在是難以想像。

Gateway Arch 激起了我對早期探險家的敬佩

各州的 Welcome Centers

講古講得夠了，我們把時代拉回到現代。州際高速公路是很棒的系統，但是，雖然它的主體是道路，其它的"配角"也是一樣重要的。一路上，我曾在許多休息站和州界處的 "welcome center"（各州建立的歡迎遊客的中心）停留。一開始我的目的只是單純收集旅館的 coupon 而已。不過後來，我發現有全能的 Priceline 和好用的 motel6 的存在，這種動作其實是不必要的。但是我還是常常在這些地方停車，因為這些 welcome center 本身就頗有參觀的趣味，而且還可以和人聊聊天。在這些提供資訊的地方，我遇到的職員們都非常親切，其中許多人也能提供對我很有幫助的當地資訊。以下是我沿路記載的一些有趣事情：

(最佳對話)
我在 Illinois 州一個座落在美麗湖邊的休息站和一位老先生 Danny 聊天。他在 Chicago 工作了35年，退休了，然後決定回到家鄉，在休息站服務。我很喜歡他這種想法。在對話之中，他很高興我喜歡這個湖的景色，而且毫不遲疑地告訴我更多可以觀賞這個湖的觀景點。雖然我那天根本沒有時間去到這些觀景點，我覺得光是這個對話就讓我覺得在這邊停車很棒。很多休息站的員工都努力讓旅客覺得賓至如歸，我認為 Danny 是我一路上遇到最好的例子。

這是 Danny 擔任志工的休息站的美麗湖景

…而且它的草坪也很漂亮。退休之後在這種地方工作，不賴啊。

我幾乎可以說這和一些觀光點一樣美了

(最佳現代化設施)
身為一個以觀光為經濟主體的州，Florida 在它們的 welcome center 上投下鉅資，這顯然是我在路上看到最華麗的一個（詳情可以看這篇文章）。Georgia 則是緊追在後。Georgia 的 welcome center 有很多有趣的展示，包括一些 Georgia 的地理和歷史等等。

Georgia 的 welcome center 特別設計的門口腳踏墊

有關當地文化和歷史的展示

…一個展示板說明了 Georgia 州際高速公路的歷史

(最佳古典設施)
這一個獎項絕對是要頒給 Kentucky 的 Whitehaven，他們使用一棟 1860年左右建好的古蹟改裝成 welcome center。雖然說前前後後的改裝使得這棟樓大部分都已經不是 1860年的東西了，但它的外觀仍然和一般的 welcome center 大不相同，多了一分古典之美。也正是這個差別，使得它特別有趣。

Whitehaven, Kentucky 使用重建的古蹟當做 welcome center，使得它與眾不同

這棟樓的正面看起來很美

有趣的是，在這古典的建築裡，卻有現代化的即時道路資訊系統。遊客可以用這個系統查看本州和鄰州即時的交通狀況。

(其它的有趣設施)

Tennessee welcome center 的長凳上有有趣的裝飾

Kansas welcome center 牆上有古 Kansas 的地圖

…以及有趣的壁雕

這是我近期在廁所裡發現的最有趣的發明 - 三合一全自動洗手機，先供應肥皂，然後沖手，然後烘乾，一台機器全部完成。看起來好像很聰明，但是這樣每個人洗手的時間就變得很久。在休息站這麼忙的地方用這個好像不是很適合。

長途開車的注意事項

在開車橫跨美國之後，我想我也有資格提出一些對長途開車的建議。

我想說的最重要一件事，就是大家應該在出門之前，拿地圖做足功課（GPS 不在我討論範圍，我不用 GPS 的）。你要充分的了解，接下來的路況是什麼，而你自己的極限又在哪邊，然後做好你每天要開多少路程，在哪邊過夜的計畫。如果你不喜歡把計畫訂得太死，然後旅行變成照表操課的話，至少規畫好每三四天的一個"檢查點"。在計畫的時候，你要誠實面對自己，做出一個你願意真的拿來執行的，可行的計畫 - 切忌過分樂觀，你對自己開車、找路、認路的能力的正確評估，絕對是你最後有一趟安全又享受，步調緩急也合意的旅行的重要關鍵。如果你開車慢，如果你是路痴，如果你就是不喜歡每天開十個小時的車，那請在規畫旅行的時候就把這些事情也計算進去。如果你想要有充分的時間遊覽各個景點，那你應該在家裡的書桌上把這些時間寫進你的計畫裡，而不是在路上才在想辦法找時間。我認為，一趟旅行最讓人沮喪的情形，就是在路上被迫改變計畫。我實在是沒有辦法不再三強調旅遊計畫的重要性。記得，一切都從這裡開始，一切都依賴著一個好的計畫。

一旦你訂好計畫，請想辦法熟悉自己的計畫。想辦法拿到相關的地圖，和其它參考資料。你應該對你的旅遊計畫思考周詳到，如果有人突然問你，"你第五天打算做什麼？"，你可以馬上拿一張紙出來，寫下你當天的計畫，還有畫出一個大概的地圖草圖給他。如果你做不到，就表示你準備還不夠。

長途長車第二件最重要的事是充分休息。不要勉強自己。如果你的計畫是正確的，你應該從來都不必勉強自己才對。當然，第一次計畫的人總會有誤差，所以新手應該要把行程稍微排鬆一點，不要誇大自己的能力。切記，疲勞駕駛和酒後駕駛是一樣危險的。我自己的看法是，多次短暫的休息，要比少次長的休息有效。我自己是大約每一個半小時休息個十分鐘（基本上，我在路上是每兩個休息站進去一次）。這樣做對我還蠻適合的，你也要找到適合自己的步調。

我要說的第三件事則是這趟旅行裡我新學會的注意事項。開車的時候請保持良好坐姿。最好是整個背都靠在椅背上。我常常會不經意地沒做到這點，特別是眼前的交通狀況需要我提高注意的時候，我常常會不自覺往前傾。這是壞習慣。在短程開車的時候，當然是怎麼開都沒有差，所以我開車開了十年，都不知道自己有這個毛病。但是這種壞習慣就會讓你在長途開車的時候付出代價。我的背在一天開完540哩之後痛得厲害，隔天再開300哩就又更惡化了。在路上後來幾天，我幾乎快痛到開車開不下去的程度，但後來我不經意發現，只要我維持好的姿勢，問題就自己好了一半。你得花一點時間找到自己適合的姿勢 - 對長途開車而言，這種小事有時也會變成關鍵。

還有，當然，凡事依常理行事，做該做的事。像是綁安全帶啦，不要酒後開車啦。我想我們都是夠成熟的人了，遵守這些規則應該不難才對。

旅遊的省錢良伴

我在有限的預算之內長途跋涉，橫跨了美國。我想我應該夠資格可以建議一些在美國旅行省錢的基本技巧。如果你有自己的撇步想要一起在這分享，或者對我說的事情有任何建議，我非常歡迎任何新的留言補充。

當然，我所寫的都是個人意見，不代表任何團體，也不做任何保證。如果要照我的建議行事，也請風險自負。

我這篇文章主要要介紹幾個可以幫助你節省旅費的旅遊良伴。我這趟旅行，得力於它們很多。這些角色是：Priceline.com, Motel6，還有一般的 grocery store。

節省住宿費

住宿通常都是出門旅遊的花費當中最大的一塊，這也就是說，能夠省下住宿費，就是省了大錢。不過，要省住宿費並不容易，特別是你來到一個完全陌生的地方的時候。今天，我們很幸運地有了一個叫做 priceline.com 的網站。如果你從來沒聽過，記得這個名字。如果你有機會在美國旅行的話，這個網站早晚都會幫上你一臂之力。

priceline.com 是一個投標網站。它的遊戲規則是這樣的：它讓你自己輸入你願意付多少錢訂旅館、機票、租車等等旅遊相關的服務。你輸入價錢，它幫你找有沒有人願意接受你出的價。如果你只想每晚付35美金住旅館，那就告訴priceline。它會幫你去找願意收留你的旅館。就這樣。

聽起來很不錯，但缺點在哪裡？嗯，最大的問題是，你在購買完成之前，沒有辦法知道你會住到哪一間旅館去。「這是啥？」你想，「我不知道我會住在哪？這算是什麼訂旅館的服務？」不過，你仔細想想，你住在哪一間旅館，真的重要嗎？反正我們大多數人都不是某間旅館的死忠客戶，如果你放棄這個決定權，能夠幫你省下大筆的銀子，有什麼不好？這筆交易我願意做！

priceline 上面的訂旅館方式和我們習慣的很不一樣，所以一開始可能你會覺得有點怪。你要輸入的，是要訂旅館的日期和大概的地理位置。這個"地理位置"的大小，取決於你要去的是哪邊：像 LA 這種大城市，一個城市被分成很多"區域(zones)"，比較小的城市，則整個城市畫成一區。選定時間地點之後，接下來就是選擇你要的旅館的星等，然後輸入你想付的價錢。就這麼簡單。

接下來有趣的命運輪盤遊戲就開始了。priceline 會搜尋符合你剛剛輸入的區域，時間，星等的旅館（附註：priceline有可能會順便搜尋比你輸入的星等高的旅館，也就是選三星旅館，就同時包括了四五星的），如果有任何旅館願意以你輸入的價錢收你這個客人的話，這筆交易就直接成交了。你的信用卡會立刻被扣錢，這時候就沒有任何改變的空間 - 沒有後悔，沒有退錢，也不需要再做確認。你在那幾天之內，就住在 priceline 幫你找到的旅館裡，不管你喜不喜歡它找出來的結果。就算你最後沒有去，旅館的錢也已經付了。不能取消的。

你或許會想，這聽起來真是危險啊。是沒錯啦，你可能住到不是最適合你的行程的旅館，或者選到一間你不喜歡的旅館。對有特定行程要求的人（比如說，我一定要住得離某某地方很近，走路五分鐘之內）是不適合，不過對一般遊客來說，你住在三街還是十街上，重要嗎？你住在 Marriott 還是 Radisson，重要嗎？或許不重要吧。你一晚花六十元訂一間旅館房間，而不是花一百塊，重要嗎？或許是重要的。用 priceline，有時候你可以用難以相信的低價，訂到相當不錯的旅館。這些是曾經發生在我身上的一些例子：

(1) 我曾用每晚 70 元的價錢（以下價錢都是已經含稅，含手續費的）訂到過 LA downtown 的 Westin Bonaventure Hotel

(2) 在這趟行程中，我用 52 元訂到了 Downtown St. Louis 的 Millennium Hotel，旅館還給我面向 Gateway Arch 的房間

(3) 我在 Denver 住的是 Radisson 每晚 56 元，Nashville 住的是 Homestead，每晚 35 元…我想我不用再繼續說下去了

所以你現在了解它的威力了。冒一點點風險，你常常可以省下相當多錢。

如果，你輸入的條件，沒有辦法成交的話，什麼事都不會發生。沒有手續費，也沒有任何未來的承諾。但是，你在一天（還是兩天，我忘了）之內，不能重試一樣的搜尋條件 - 你還想訂旅館的話，一定要改變日期或地區（光改星等是不行的），然後提高出價。這個設計當然是為了防止你一塊一塊地增加出價，去試它的底價。

關於 priceline 的使用，當然有很多小技巧，可以幫助你標到可能的最好價錢。我在這裡不打算一一詳述。我的目標只是幫你介紹一個好朋友，你自己決定要不要和它變熟。關於 priceline 的使用，有很多技巧在網路上都有介紹 - 請 Google。

特別是，如果你開車旅行，在有行動力的情形下，不在意住在哪邊，priceline 真的非常非常有幫助。我可以說我一用就愛上它了，雖然我也同意，最近 priceline 上的成交價格不像以前那麼好了。不過，只要是我自己的旅行，我隨時都願意試試看自己的手氣，然後看看全能的 priceline 大神這次又帶我去住什麼地方。

順便一提，美國的 priceline 網頁 http://www.priceline.com/ 只接受 billing address 是美國的信用卡。如果你是台灣來的遊客，請用 http://travel.priceline.com.tw/ 基本功能完全一樣，只是介面是中文，而且可以接受 billing address 是台灣的信用卡。

節省住宿費之二


有些時候光是使用 priceline 是不夠的。你可能沒辦法拿到你想要的價錢，或者經過幾次失敗的出價再加價之後，你覺得現在的出價已經太高了，不應該再繼續把價格推上去。在這種情形發生的時候，你怎麼辦？有任何後備計畫嗎？或者，你可能會問，到底標到多少錢的時候，我就不應該再往上加價了？

我一向都很討厭連鎖店，不過我在這不得不推薦一個：Motel6。他們的經營目的是提供預算有限的旅行者住宿的基本需求，所以是低房價的motel - 有些時候，他們一晚的房錢加了稅之後大約是四十幾元，在所有連鎖旅館和 motel 裡，應該是數一數二低的，很難打敗了。當然或許你去到非連鎖店的 local hotel/motel，是有可能拿到更低的價錢，不過這種 hotel/motel 對於對當地不熟的人來說，是不好找的。雖然說，motel6 並不是一個高檔的地方，但是它的確以低廉的價格照顧到了基本的需求。我認為它是另一個可以幫助旅行者的好朋友，特別是當你不想花錢又別無選擇的時候，它不會讓你失望的。

所以我在這趟旅行的路上，採用了這個策略：如果我今晚要停留的城市有 motel6，那我就用 priceline 往上出價到和當地 motel6 的價格一樣為止（各地是否有 motel6，房價一晚多少，在網路上都查得到）。如果我在 priceline 上成功的話，當然就省到了錢。如果當地沒有 motel6，那就往上出價到和在休息站拿到的旅館折價券上一樣的價錢為止。我也利用其它旅行者常用的網站，像 Expedia，Orbitz 等等來比價。巧妙地利用這些組合，我想我一路的確在住宿上省了一些錢。

Motel6, we always leave a light on for you.

節省餐費

除了住宿之外，有時候你也會想在食物上省錢。我住家裡的時候，通常我都自己煮飯，如果真的要省，二十元就可以過一個星期了。出門旅行的時候，就算我餐餐吃不健康的速食，二十元也撐不了兩天。雖然說不是什麼大錢，但是的確是有省錢的空間。

我發現就算我出門在外，沒有辦法有效地保存、冷藏食物，無所不在的 grocery store 還是可以幫我省一些食物費，而且吃得更健康一點。如果你有辦法連續四餐吃一樣的東西，你也可以考慮這樣做 - 隨便去一家 grocery store，然後買一些沒那麼快壞的東西，像是麵包，果醬，即食的生菜，水果，你就準備好了。有時候你也可以買一些小包裝的火腿或起司。這樣做真的可以幫你省下一筆餐費，關鍵在心態的轉換：出門在外，並不一定就表示餐餐都要上餐館。學會了這個新想法，讓我在這一趟旅行上省了大概五十元的餐費。是不多，但是有幫助。

有人說，當你有困難的時候，幫助往往就近在身邊。在節省餐費這件事上，的確我們的幫助就來自再熟悉不過的 grocery store，只是你要換個方法來使用它。

黑心租車公司 AVIS

我是一個喜歡旅遊的人，因此不時會有機會租車。因為學生通常都很窮困，所以租車的時候，也都是選擇最便宜的租車公司，完全沒有忠誠度可言，也因此，我有機會和各個不同的租車公司打交道。租了十幾次車之後，幾乎所有大型租車公司我都用過了。

唯有 AVIS，是我最近才有機會合作的公司。我們學校和 AVIS 有合約，它們是敝校的 preferred rental company，最近我要去開會，就租了 AVIS 的車。

不租還好，一租之下就受了一堆鳥氣，而且是連續兩次的不愉快經驗。我想，如果沒有公務上的需要，我以後應該再也不會使用 AVIS，就算它提供最便宜的價格，我應該也不會鳥它。

事情的發生是這樣的：

我第一次使用 AVIS 是 2007 夏天八月底，我結束在西岸的 internship 回到東岸的時候。飛機降落在 Jacksonville，我從那邊租了一台 1-way 的車回 Gainesville。飛機降落的時候已經很晚，我向租車櫃台拿了車準備去停車場牽車，到這為止一切正常。不過，我一上車，發動引擎，發現車上的汽油只有半缸，再拿出手上的 document 一看，寫的是 gas: 8/8，也就是滿缸的意思。顯然我只好又走一段路回到櫃台去更正。櫃台的那位服務員，發現自己的資訊錯誤，也沒有任何抱歉的意思，只隨便在電腦上敲了兩下，跟我說改好了。

我心裡覺得奇怪，這種資訊有修正的時候，不是應該印出一份新的 document 給我嗎？既然櫃台沒有任何表示，我就主動開口要求，沒想到對方的答案讓我絕倒：我已經在電腦上修改了，沒有必要提供新的 document 給你。於是我只好說，如果我想要一份新的 document，可不可以請你印一份給我？櫃台那人心有不甘地印了，也不把 AVIS 該保留的那一聯留下來，就直接整團紙丟給我，並且在我離去的時候，在背後叫我 bastard。我來美國四年，這是第一次有人這樣叫我，而且還是租車公司罵客戶，讓我非常不爽。本來想要回頭理論，但是因為長途飛行實在太累，而且接下來還要開一個半小時的車，所以就算了。反正如果我過一個星期之後還生氣，我大可以寫 mail去抱怨，而且我想應該比向本人抱怨更有效。忍著怒氣走到停車場，上了車，突然想起如果汽油的資訊是錯的，可能其它地方也要小心查一查，結果，一查之下，赫然發現 document 上的哩程比車上顯示的少了 1000 miles，我大吃一驚，然後鬆了一口氣。因為我是 1-way rental，有一天 200 miles 的限制，如果沒發現這個，我還車的時候就有大筆的 millage fee 要付了。不過，想到又要回頭去看那個 bastard，我就覺得有些不爽。還好，正好有別的服務人員路過了車邊，我就請他幫我改正，而這個人的態度就好得多了。

和 AVIS 第一次合作就是不愉快的經驗，第二次則更是災難。

一星期後我要去加拿大開會，這次是從 Orlando 起飛，因此我又租了 1-way car 從 Gainesville 到 Orlando。拿車的時候，我發現車子的前保險桿下方有凹陷，呈倒 V字型，但是不知道為什麼，我卻以為那是車子特別的造型，因此沒有去櫃台要求說明（Gainesville 的租車點都是小點，車子的 inspection 是自己做的，沒有 check-out 的檢查哨）。說起來，實在有些愚笨。接下來的事情很明顯了：我在 Orlando 還車的時候，檢查的人發現了那個損壞，並且要我負責那個損壞。雖然我說明損壞本來就存在，不過口說無憑，最後還是得簽下檢查報告，然後我在報告上註明那個損害之前就存在了（雖然被採信的可能性幾乎是零）。我只好非常不爽地上了飛機，準備去開會。這件事情還在進行中，不知道未來會如何發展。

總而言之我對 AVIS 非常不滿意。如果說，你要根據你自己 document 上的記錄，像汽油，哩程，或是車況來向客戶收費，那你的資訊最好是準確的。我之前租車十幾次，從來沒有遇到過需要特別費心去更正資料的情況，包括 Alamo，enterprise，budget，dollar，Hertz 我都用過。只有 AVIS，租了兩次，兩次都有錯，而且還有可能造成我的損失。雖然終於第三次（從 Orlando 回 Gainesville）我租到的車資訊都正確了，不過我對 AVIS 已經沒有任何信任可言，對我來說這已經是一間信用破產的公司 - 任何時候都應該避免，如果真的要租的話，也得用放大鏡來仔細檢視任何相關的資訊 - 租車弄到這樣，實在是鳥極了。

Who's travelling?

As I travel, I am always curious about who else is traveling the similar places. I tend to keep my eyes open and look around, and here are my observations on the road for this time.

As California is a state with large population, it is common to see Californian in the neighbor states. When I was at Vegas, I thought at least every 3 cars out of 10 on the strip were from California. As I moved into the East further, the ratio decreased but I still saw California car plates regularly all the way until perhaps I was in Kansas.

The composition of tourists is also interesting to observe. In Vegas, there are virtually tourists from every corner of the world. I saw representatives of almost every ethnic group there. But, as I moved on to the national parks in Utah, it seemed to me that Europeans were the largest foreign visitor group in these places at least for the days I stayed.

As my major in school is EE/CS, you can imagine that I am always surrounded by fellow students from India. As I traveled, I didn't see many Indians around and I started to miss them. I remember when I checked in at the hotel at Denver, there was an Indian standing behind me in the line, and I had to control myself not to jump to her and give her a hug. It is weird that there are situations in life that I am so used to, that I don't feel it until I sit in a completely different setting.

Finally, along the way I saw several people doing the same thing as I did - moving with the car. Some used U-haul, the others packed their passenger cars as I did. Some of them traveled with pets, so they had to walk them in the rest areas for exercise. I saw people moving all along the way, so I knew I was not alone. Although I didn't talk with any of them, I wished them the best of luck and have a safe trip wherever they were moving to.

A U-haul at a Motel6.

A budget truck, with the passenger car served as a trailer.

Another U-haul.

Tribute to those who made my trip possible

When I set the trip up, I considered it as a big adventure. I shall travel across the country visiting many unknown places, and when I finally finish the trip, I can look back and claim I have done something like a great expedition. I can boast about how I overcome the difficulties and find a way to finish it.

However as the trip went on, such unrealistic expectation wore down. After all, it was not that difficult at all, as so many people have traveled perhaps the same path before. I was probably one of the millions who have traveled across the country. There are roads to follow and cities to stay at. There are maps and endless information online to refer to. The longer I traveled, the more I realize there were no credits for me to claim for this trip. The credits, in my opinion, belong to those who had great vision, worked hard and suffered tremendously in their times to make my trip possible in the current time.

The Interstate Highway

I lived in LA for three years before the move. Life is so deeply involved with the highway system there so it is easy to fall into the illusion that the highways are always there, ready for us to use. As I drove away from the metropolitan I realized this thought obviously is not true. The Interstate highways cut through the wilderness between the scattered cities in the big country. It brings tremendous convenience to the long distance travelers. As I traveled across the unpopulated area between the cities, I realized that the Interstate Highway is obviously something unnatural and has to be thought up. It must be someone who had great vision to propose and erect such a system. A little search on the Internet shows me the proposal was made by President Eisenhower in the 50s. For whatever reasons they proposed the huge system back then, it is certainly convenient for travelers today.

A sign commemorating the proposal of the Interstate Highway system at a rest area.

It was difficult to establish the interstate highway system in the first place, but of course it also takes great effort to maintain it. Along the way, I saw many people working on various segments of the highway to keep it in good shape. It is not only arduous work, but the potential danger is high. These are truly the unsung heroes who keep the transportation in the nation up and running.

However, even these people are all followers of the great explorers who traveled from the East coast into the wild West one hundred something years ago, and established expedition passages and early settlements that turn into roads and cities through time. It is hard to imagine that 200 years ago most of the cities I traveled were not there. What happened in the west exploration period may not be completely politically correct today, but there is no doubts that their efforts made my trip possible. And I am thankful for that as I really had a great experience following their collective footsteps. Although it was a history long back, but I somehow strangely felt that I was connected to those early explorers on the road. Perhaps, although we live in different time, the driving force behind the trips are somewhat similar, and their stories had encouraged me to take on such a trip.

The emotion reached its peak when I arrived at St. Louis and saw the tall standing Gateway Arch. It marks the starting point of the great expedition led by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s, the first team to reach the Pacific Coast on the land. I stood there starring at the arch, thinking what it took 200 years ago to set off from here and traveled all the way back to the west coast, without automobile, roads, or even maps. They took a great challenge at that time and emerged successful. That was really, really unimaginable.

The Gateway Arch stimulates my admiration towards the early explorers.

The Welcome Centers

Coming back to the modern era, the Interstate highways really facilitate the travelers. However, although the roads take the center of the stage, the supporting casts are equally important. Along the way, I stopped by many rest areas and so-called "welcome centers" at the state borders. At the beginning, it was for the purpose of collecting hotel coupon booklets. But soon I found such stops unnecessary with the help of the almighty Priceline and Motel6. However, I still made many stops along the way, as these welcome centers are in themselves interesting places to see, and it is a nice place to chat with people too. The information desk staff I met were all nice, and some were also very helpful in providing nice local info. Here are some interesting things I noted along the way.

(The best conversation)
I had a conversation with a senior gentleman, Danny, at a Illinois visitor center (I remember it is close to a beautiful lake visible from the highway). He worked in Chicago for 35 years, and after his retirement, he decided to come back to his birthplace to serve in the visitor center. I appreciated that thought a lot. During the conversation, he was happy about that I enjoyed the view of the lake, and did not hesitate to provide me a load of information about all the vantage points to have good view of the lake. Although I did not have time to visit those places, I felt the conversation alone made me happy about that stop. Some of the staff try hard to make travellers feel at home, and Danny is the best example I had on this trip.

A beautiful lake view at the rest area where Danny works as a volunteer.

...and it has got nice lawn, too. Not bad to retire and work at this place.

I can say this is almost as good as a tour destination in itself.

(The best modern facility)
Florida, as a state for famous tourist destinations, invested a lot in the welcome center, and it was certainly the most luxury one I saw on the road (check out the other post about it here). Georgia was the runner up. The welcome center has interesting displays about the history of interstate highways in Georgia, and some other stuff.

Special designed mat at the welcome center of Georgia.

Some displays about local history and culture.

...and a display board for Interstate system is Georgia.

(The best historical facility)
This definitely goes to the Whitehaven in Kentucky, where they make use of a historical building originally constructed in the 1860s as the welcome center. Of course, it went through significant renovation so nothing much is as old as the listed date. However, the overall appearance of the building still makes a huge difference with any other welcome centers built for that purpose, and it is exactly this difference makes it interesting.

Whitehaven, Kentucky separates itself from all other welcome centers I had been to by using a renovated historical building as the welcome center.

The front side of the building is definitely nice.

Interestingly, within the historical building there is a very modern real-time traffic information system. You can scroll and zoom to check out the traffic status in the state (and in some contiguous states, if I remember it right).

(Other interesting facilities)

Some interesting decorations to the bench in a welcome center of Tennessee.

In Kansas, they show the historical map on the wall of a welcome center....

....with some interesting carving.

This is the most interesting invention in the restroom I have seen for a long time. A fully-automatic hand washer that provides soap, water, and hot air in 3 stages, no human control needed at all. It appears to be a nice idea, but it extends the time a person standing there. Perhaps not so good for a busy restroom.

Suggestions on long distance driving

After driving a long way across the country, I think I am also in a good position to provide some advices on long-distance driving.

The single most important thing I would recommend is that one should have done sufficient homework on the map before hitting the road. You must know what's ahead and what's your limit. You should have a plan for each day about how much you drive and where you stop. If you don't like the constraints brought by a complete plan for everyday, at least set up check points for every three days. Try to set up a plan that you feel confident carrying it out. Don't be over-optimistic - your accuracy in assessing your capability in driving and finding the road has everything to do with a safe, enjoyable, and well-paced trip. If you drive slowly, if you have problem following the map and signs and tend to get lost, or if you simply don't like sitting in car 10 hours a day, take them into account when you make up a plan. If you would like to have time visiting tourist attractions, make such time available at your table at home, not on the road. The most frustrating thing on the road is to find out in the middle of a trip you have to change a lot of things to make it work out. I just cannot address enough how important a good trip plan is. Everything starts from there, and everything depends on it.

Once you draft a plan make yourself familiar with it. Get the relevant maps and other materials for reference. You should think over your trip plan enough so if someone comes and asks, "What do you do on the fifth day of your trip?" you can take a piece of paper and write down the plan and a rough map for that day. If you could not do so, you are not ready.

The next important thing in long distance driving is to take plenty of rest. Don't over stretch yourself. If you have a good plan you shouldn't have to. When you plan for your first long distance trip, always make a plan on the safe side. Don't over-estimate what you can do. Remember driving when you are tired is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. My opinion is frequent, short breaks are better than infrequent, long breaks. I took a 10 minute break every 1.5 hours or so (Basically, I go to every other rest area for a small break on the road). It works for me, and you need to figure out what works for you.

The third thing I want to bring your attention to is something I learned on this trip. Drive with a good sitting position. KEEP YOUR BACK COMPLETELY ON THE SEAT. I tend not to do this, especially when I am looking for directions or driving through heavy traffic - I tend to lean forward when I need to concentrate. This is a bad habit. It does not matter for short drive - so insignificant that I didn't realize I have such tendency although I drive for more than 10 years. But I had paid my price to learn this on the road. I had a very sore back after I drove for 540 miles on a day, and got worse the next day for another 300 miles. I reached a point I almost couldn't hang on, but later figured out a better driving position solved half of the problem. you may need some work to find out the best driving position for you. It is the little things that count when you have more than 10 days on the road.

And, of course, follow the common sense and do what you should do when driving. Use your safe belt. Don't drink and drive. I think we are all mature enough to follow these rules.

Traveler's money-saving companions

Now that I have come a long way across the country under a limited budget, I think I am at a position to suggest some money-saving tips for you. If you have more to share, or want to comment on the things I post, please feel free to add your valuable opinions as comments.

Of course, what I put here is only my two cents and should be taken with a grain of salt.

I want to introduce a handful of good friends in terms of money-saving on the road. They really helped me out this time: Priceline.com, Motel6, and Grocery Stores.

Saving on Lodging

Lodging, by far, is usually the largest component in your trip expenses. If one can cut down on lodging expenses, a great saving can be achieved. This does not come easy, though, especially when you are going to a place you have never been. Luckily we have something called Priceline.com today. If you don't know about it yet, remember the name. If you travel within US, sooner or later it will benefit you at some point.

Priceline.com is a bidding website. It works as following: It allows you to name your own price for hotels, flights, rental cars, and so on. You name a price and they try their best to make it available. If you want a hotel room for 35 US dollars per night, tell priceline, and they will try to find it for you. That's it.

Well it sounds nice. But what's the catch? The secret is, you cannot decide exactly which hotel you stay with until they have made the purchase for you. "What?" you think, "I am not gonna decide where I am staying? What kind of hotel booking is this?" But to think about it, does it really matter that you stay at exactly a particular hotel? Most of us are not such a fan for a hotel chain anyway.

With Priceline.com, hotel booking is a different thing. You first pick the date and approximate location you want to book a hotel. The size of the area depends on the destination. Usually a big city is divided into multiple "zones", and small cities are single zones by themselves. You also have a chance to specify a star rating for the hotel you want to book. And then name a price you want to pay for it. That's it.

Now the fun part begins. Priceline.com searches your specified zone(s), date, for the hotels match with your star rating (or better), to see if anyone can take that price you bid. If a match is found, . your credit card is charged and there is no regretting, no arguing, no further action needed. You are going to stay there for those days, whether you like it or not. Period. And you cannot change your mind, as the price is already paid in full.

How risky this is, you might think. Well yes, you might not end up with the most suitable hotel for your trip. For business trip it is not desirable, sure. But for casual tourists, in most cases does it matter if you stay on the 3rd Street or the 10th Street? Does it matter whether you stay at a Marriott or a Radisson? Probably not. But does it matter if you pay less than 60 instead of almost a hundred for a night? Probably yes. With Priceline, sometimes you end up with unimaginable prices for nice hotels. Here are some examples:

(1) I once got the 4-star Westin Bonaventure Hotel at Downtown LA for 70 dollars per night, including tax.

(2) I got the Millennium Hotel Saint Louis at Downtown St. Louis on this trip, with a room facing the Gateway Arch, with 52 dollars.

(3) I also got Radisson at Denver for 56 dollars, Homestead at Nashville for 35 dollars,... Do I need to continue?

So you see its power. With a bit of risk, you end up saving dearly sometimes.

If your bid ends up unsuccessful, nothing will happen. No charges or commitment. But, you cannot try the exactly same search again within a given period (I believe it is 7 days, correct me if I am wrong). You have to either change the date or change the location, and name a higher price. This is to prevent people from testing the price incrementally.

There are a lot of tricks you can learn with Priceline to make the most use of it. I am not going to talk about those in details here. The objective is to introduce you to this great friend, and it is up to you to get familiar with it. A lot of tips can be found online (as everything else these days). Just Google.

If you travel with a car Priceline is really, really helpful. I can say I fell in love with it once I tried it. I do agree that these days the deals from Priceline are not as great as they used to be. But, as far as my trips concerned, I am always willing to try it out and go wherever the almighty Priceline takes me to.

Saving on Lodging - Part 2

Sometimes, Priceline alone is not going to take you there. You may fail to get the price you want to, or sometimes the price becomes too high (You have failed with several trial, and it does not worth it to push the price higher). The question then is, what is your backup plan? Or, at what price should you stop bidding?

You know that I hate chain stores but I have to recommend one here. Motel6. They really provides the basic needs for budget-minded travelers. Sometimes their room rate is around forty something after tax. This rate is perhaps hard to beat if you consider chain hotels/motels. Of course if you are willing to try some local hotel/motel you may find something, but it is a bit hard if you are not familiar with the area. Motel6 is not the best place to stay for the night, but it does cover the basics at a good rate. I consider it a helpful friend you can always turn to when you are out of options, and it will not let you down.

So my strategy for this cross-country trip was this: Wherever there is a Motel6, bid on Priceline up to the local Motel6 price. If I am successful I save some money. Where there is no Motel6, bid up to the prices found on the hotel coupons available at the rest areas along the highway. Also compare the prices with those on other websites, such as Expedia or Orbitz, and go for the lowest. Using this combination, I think I ended up with some good savings along the way.

Motel6, we always leave a light on for you.

Saving on Food

In addition to lodging, sometimes you may want to save on food. While I stay at home, I cook for myself and 20 dollars is well enough to feed myself for a week. On the road, even if I go to unhealthful fast food for every meal, it is hardly enough for 2 days. Although this is not much money, this is something I can work on.

I figured out that even if I am on the road and cannot really store food properly, grocery stores still help me to eat healthier and cheaper. If you can stand eating the same food for four to five meals in a row, you probably can do the same. Just go to any grocery store and get some non-perishable stuff, such as bread, jelly, ready-to-eat vegetable (lettuce or carrots, for example), fruits, and you are good to go. Sometimes you can add small packs of hams or cheese. This helps you to save food cost, with just a slight change of mind-set: Being on the road does not necessarily mean eating out all the time. With the newly acquired thinking, I ended up saving maybe 50 dollars on food along the way. Not much, but it helps.

People say that help is sometimes just around the corner. In this case it appears with the very familiar form, but with a small tweak.