Spring Break: What's Your Ride?

By Casey Bruce

ATHENS, Ga.--Preparing for any trip can be hectic and planning the mode of transportation can be one of the greatest hassles to tackle before taking off for that much needed vacation.

For international students at UGA, traveling anywhere takes more planning and reliance on other people and public transportation.

Twenty-year-old international student Christana Akinremi, from London, believes that traveling for international students during spring break is extremely difficult because it takes very precise planning.

“It depends on what type of friends you’ve made at the school you’re studying at,” Akinremi said. “My first semester, it was quite hard to get around UGA and if I had to go somewhere I had to plan the bus schedule around it. Now, I have friends, so it’s easier, but when you don’t know people very well, you kind of have nothing.”

Akinremi, who traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla., for spring break, said that relying on friends you meet in the country you’re studying in makes planning any trip simpler.

“We’re driving, but most international students here don’t have cars with them. I don’t have a car,” Akinremi said.

One international student, 20-year-old Lin Kyoung, from China, didn’t travel anywhere during spring break because traveling is difficult for international students due to of the amount of planning they have to make to go somewhere.

“I can’t just hop in a car and flying right now is too costly for me,” Kyoung said.

When both students were asked about renting a car or taking the bus as traveling options during spring break, the girls both agreed that many international students would opt to take the Greyhound bus before they would rent a car.

“Car rentals I believe would be somewhat of a nuisance for an international student,” Akinremi said. “I would take the Greyhound because you have to meet certain criteria in order to rent a car.”

In Athens, a student must be 21 in order to rent a car, and if the student is on a budget, cost could extremely affect them, due to gas prices, paying for mileage and insurance.

The Greyhound Bus station in Athens, Ga. is located right on W. Broad Street, which is a convenient location for students who do not have transportation to the station.

Rex Street, owner of the Greyhound Bus station in Athens, said that during the months of March and April many international students travel on the Greyhound bus to reach their destinations.

“We see international students from UGA and Gainesville a lot traveling on the bus,” Street said. “Most of them are visiting landmark cities, like D.C. and New York [City].”

Traveling on the Greyhound bus has both its advantages and disadvantages, and both Akinremi and Kyoung would opt not to travel on the bus if they had the choice to fly.

“I prefer to fly and it’s how I usually travel,” Akinremi said. “However, now that I’m in the states, that is more difficult for me.”

“Price is not really bad for the Greyhound bus, but flying is more convenient,” Kyoung said.
“However, right now, flying is costly because of the economic recession affecting everyone globally.”

Most importantly, both students said that safety was their No. 1 concern when traveling.

“Traveling in the U.S. is a safety concern because I’m not familiar with the states,” Akinremi said. “If I do visit someplace, I would usually fly and go to a city where I knew someone living there, so I could get around the city.”

For several UGA students, effective planning for spring break is a major priority. However, for international students, traveling is a daily hassle.

“I already traveled here from China,” Kyoung said. “I don’t really know where to go for spring break and it’s just easier for me to stay here because traveling takes really precise planning.
"I’m happy to be in the states and maybe I’ll do what students here call ‘college road-tripping’ another time.”

While traveling, specific precautions and precise planning must take place in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable traveling experience.

Here are some tips from the experts’ Web sites:

The Transportation Security Administration—For Flying
Do: Check what restrictions for carry-on and check-in luggage apply to the specific country you are flying too.
Do: Keep airline boarding passes and government issued IDs available until exiting security checkpoints.

Don’t: Pack liquids, creams, and gels in your carry-on luggage. They will be confiscated.
Don’t: Clutter yourself with metal items, loose change, baggy clothing (clothing large enough to hide prohibited items in), or heavy jewelry.

The Greyhound Bus—For Busing
Do: Arrive at least 1 hour prior to your departure.
Do: Expect to make intermediate stops, en route stops and meal stops if you are not riding on an express trip.

Don’t: Bring baggage that exceeds the limitations on baggage weight and size.
Don’t: Expect the bus to wait for you if you don’t arrive back to the departure station at the scheduled time during the stops. Also, don’t expect to sit in your same seat on the bus if you miss the re-boarding call. Seats come at a first seat, first serve basis.

About.Com:Cars—For Riding in the Car
Do: Check tires, air pressure and filter, fluids, and the engine. Getting regular maintenance work performed on the vehicle is important to do before taking a long trip.
*Note—AutoZone conducts free diagnostic tests for vehicles.
Do: Buy a road atlas, check your glove compartment for important documents to take on the road, and have a roadside assistance program set up before you travel.

Don’t: Use a spare tire on a long trip. Get a new tire if your vehicle is using a spare tire.
Don’t: Overload the car with luggage.

Edited by Stacie Luke