Local transit is a budget traveler’s best friend
Sure, public transit operates mainly for local commuting for work and school and shopping trips. But some of those everyday transit trips can be spectacular for visitors too.
Although you can find good transit rides in many places, I have a favorites list of public trips in the U.S. that should be on your list whenever you visit these place. I exclude the token short streetcar lines that have been developed in recent years, primarily for sightseeing.
Big Sur Bus
Arguably it's the nation's most scenic public bus trip, and even though it’s been shortened one stop by the huge Highway 1 landslide, it still passes through some spectacular coastal scenery.
Monterey-Salinas Transit route 22 Big Sur-Monterey runs from the city center through Carmel, then along Highway 1 to Big Sur, as far as Big Sur River Inn, but short of the usual terminal, Nepenthe.
Out-and-back trips run three times daily Memorial Day through Labor Day; at other times, buses run on weekends only, with no service on major holidays. The one-way fare is $3.50, or $1.75 for children 18 and younger and seniors 65 and older.
Info: Monterey-Salinas Transit, www.mst.org
Staten Island Ferry
There's no better way to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
The ferry operates every day and every 15 minutes during commuter rush hours, every 30 minutes off-peak and on weekends.
Best of all, it's free. Catch it next to Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan Island; it’s also accessible from South Ferry or Bowling Green subway stations.
Info: Staten Island Ferry, www.siferry.com
The Inclines
They’re called the Inclines, and they’re two historic ways to carry passengers more than 400 feet up from the riverside to the bluff overlooking the city.
The Duquesne Incline and the Monongahela Incline, both built in the 1870s, are now integrated into Pittsburgh's public transit system.
They operate daily from early morning to midnight. Fares from downtown are $2.75 each way, cash, $2.50 with ConnectCard, with free transfers to/from transit lines that serve the incline stations; children and disabled riders pay 50 cents, and seniors 65 or older with a Medicare card ride all local transit in Pennsylvania for free.
Info: The Port Authority’s Inclines, www.lat.ms/inclines
Classic cable cars, modernized streetcars
San Francisco's cable cars are a bit of a stretch for this list: Even though many commuters ride them, the price, at $7 a ride, is aimed at the tourist trade, not public transit.
The separate vintage streetcar lines, on the other hand, are integrated into the transit network.
Refurbished and modernized streetcars from many former systems run from Fisherman's Wharf to the Castro District, AT&T Park (home of the Giants) and to CalTrain station.
The standard transit fare applies: $2.50; $1.35 for youths age 5 to 17 and seniors 65 or older.
For a better deal that includes the cable cars, buy an all-day unlimited-ride transit plus cable car visitor passport, $21 for one day, $32 for three days, or $42 for seven days, no reductions.
Info: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, www.sfmta.com
Vintage streetcars
Like San Francisco, New Orleans runs a fleet of restored vintage streetcars in regular daily transit service.
The classic line runs through the Garden District from Canal Street at the French Quarter; newer lines run along the waterfront, along Canal Street with a branch to the New Orleans Museum of Art, and along Rampart Street through the French Quarter.
The fare is $1.25, 40 cents for seniors 65 or older.
Info: New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, www.norta.com
These are but a handful. Transit routes in many cities provide scenic trips. Cities on harbors or rivers operate boats/ferries; among the best options are ferries in Boston, San Francisco and Seattle harbors.
Buses in Honolulu’s transit system circle Oahu; the people-mover public transit navigates Morgantown, W.Va.; and the nation's last surviving electric interurban still runs between Chicago and South Bend, Ind.
The Columbia Gorge Express connects Portland, Ore., with Multnomah Falls.
Wherever you are, check out the transit.
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