For a city of roughly 120,000 people, Eugene has a lot of entertainment and diversions to offer.
But for term breaks, three-day weekends and even day trips, it can be a refreshing break to get out of the grasp of tie-dye, anarchy and Valley River Center. And thanks to a comprehensive mass transit system, no car is necessary.
Though Greyhound is generally believed to be the most economical way to get out of town, Amtrak is a close second. To compare, a round-trip ticket to Portland on Greyhound costs from $13.50 to $20.50, and takes two and a half to four hours. Eight buses travel from Eugene to Portland daily.
To travel to and from Portland on Amtrak, however, costs between $14 and $33, making the trip in just over two hours. Four trains leave Eugene daily, and Amtrak buses leave six times a day.
“I don’t have a car, so I take Greyhound and Amtrak equally,” University sophomore Amelia Simmons said. “Amtrak is more cushy, but Greyhound is usually cheaper and easier to get to.”
Both Amtrak and Greyhound tickets can be purchased even more cheaply if consumers purchase ahead or look for discounts.
Amtrak’s “Rail Sales” program continually offers cheaper fares to varying destinations. For example, from Oct. 2 to Oct. 31, one-way tickets to Seattle are only $22.50, down from the usual price of $34.
Greyhound offers specialized discounts from general tickets instead. With the Student Advantage Card, Greyhound will take 15 percent off the bus fare.
If a more distant destination is desired, air travel is always an option.
Unlike most nearby cities, Eugene has an airport serving four commercial airlines and about 40 flights daily.
United, United Express, Horizon and America West fly to Denver, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Though a trip to a much bigger city than Eugene or Portland, such as Seattle, is cheaper by train, the 13-hour bus trip to San Francisco might make a plane ticket worth the extra cost. At between $200 and $300 for a round-trip flight, San Francisco is not as unattainable as it seems.
From Portland, airfare to San Francisco goes as low as $138, but the hassle might outweigh the money saved.
Airport administrators acknowledged that the advantage of the Portland airport is that more flights mean more competition and lower fares. But, of course, getting to Portland takes time and money.
And those are two things college students never have enough of.