How do costs of plane, train or car travel compare? The Chicago Sun-Times did an experiment comparing those transportation modes from Chicago to New York.
Their findings:
- Plane: $279 per round-trip ticket
- Train: $181 per round-trip ticket
- Car: $392 in gas and maintenance round-trip
“We plugged in our dates on United Airlines’ Web site, united.com, and found the lowest fare was $279 round-trip per person between O’Hare and LaGuardia,†said the newspaper.
The paper consulted with AAA spokeswoman Beth Mosher on car costs, figuring current costs for an average sedan of almost 25 cents per mile. That came to just over $196 each way for car expenses, or $392 round-trip. Assuming the car trip would take two days, and meals and lodging for one night were factored in. AAA estimates two people will spend on average $244 per day for meals and lodging this summer.
“Don’t forget Amtrak. It may not be a top-of-mind option for some travelers, but you can get to and from New York in about 20 hours each way. On our dates, a round-trip ticket for a coach seat priced out at a relatively reasonable $181,†reported the newspaper.
