In our daily lives and in social situations, car pooling is an assumed option. How many times have you heard a friend say or have you said yourself,
Let’s just meet up and all go together!
Not only is it more fun, but it saves money on parking fees and gasoline consumption, causes less traffic, and of course has environmental perks as well. Why don’t we think about it while traveling? We share accommodations (Hostels, Couchsurfing, etc). We share chores, tasks, and work loads (WorkAway, WWOOFing, etc). We also split the costs of tours and activities with other travelers we meet along the way. We are constantly sharing experiences with the end goal of saving money. Car sharing is no different! Love the concept of hitchhiking but don’t want to take the risk? Take the risk out of it by sharing a ride you’ve planned in advance!
By using the following carsharing networks you can organize your ride ahead of time and come to an agreement on where you’ll start and finish, what time you’ll meet, and what you’ll each contribute toward toll costs, fuel, and the like. You can have a prearranged idea of your transportation with peace of mind, and a cost effective way to get from point A to point B while making new friends!
Over the past few years carpooling has become more readily available for travelers than ever before, with the help of the online world of course. Here are a few networks you can get involved in to not only save yourself some money, but allow yourself to meet new people and form lasting friendships along the way!
BlaBlaCar and CarpoolWorld are both very popular and free ways to carpool, although it’s unfortunate that they are not available in every country. So what’s the first step, how does it work and what do you do? Easy! Choose the city you need a ride from and the city you need to get to. Toss in a date, and see who’s available! No one offering rides? Create an alert and receive a notification when a ride becomes available. Are you the one with the car? Offer a ride! These networking tools are free, and are just that — used for networking! A type of pay-it-forward service, and a way to expand your social circle and add a certain richness to your experience.
If you find yourself traveling through a country where BlaBlaCar or CarpoolWorld isn’t offered, check out Zipcar, Car2Go, WazeCarpool, or GetAround. Although these latter four options do involve a payment, they’re relatively inexpensive. You can pick up and drop off a car in different locations and can use the car for any duration of time – An hour? Sure! A week? You got it! You’re in charge here, buddy! Check out their apps for more information.
If you check out all six of these awesome choices and don’t find exactly what it is you’re looking for, do some Googling yourself — new carsharing networks are popping up all of the time as the idea catches on and becomes even more practical, trusted, and trendy!
Have you used a car sharing network? Would you like to? Share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you!
Hey Courtney,
When I can get out driving, my least favorite activity in the world, I will do it, so this is an awesome tip. I am also a nut about safety, so this is a great way to keep ya safe while traveling and meeting new people.
Happy you enjoyed the article, Betsey! Love seeing you coming back, time and time again! Hope you can find some beneficial information while you’re browsing!
Love this tip! There are so many places that really require a car to be truly seen, and these seem like a great option for travelers who don’t want to or can’t rent a car by themselves. I’d never heard of these sites, so thanks for sharing!
No worries, Grace! Happy to help!
Nice share! I had not thought about it, but next time I’ll definitely take it under consideration!
Hey Miguel, thanks for taking an interest! Hope you find this option beneficial for you in the future!
I never thought of it like this but it makes so much sense now. I travel often and didn’t even THINK about how beneficial it would be to share a car. I really like how it’s much more cost-efficient for everyone involved and you find heaps of nice people a long the way. It seems like such a great idea it’s virtually a no-brainer. Thanks for this article and keep up the good work.
Hey Brandon, thanks for stopping by! Isn’t it funny the things we don’t think about in one environment but frequently use in another? Funny how our brains work!
With having to commute and travel around, Vancouver is a nightmare. Construction, accidents and just overall congestion can make for a lot of cars on the road and a lot of angry drivers.
I like the idea of ride share, car loaning-even UBER!! It would certainly reduce the number of vehicles on the road, not to mention the pollution. If I could transit, I would. But even that has it’s drawbacks and won’t get me to where I need to go.
Anything to reduce vehicles and emissions is great in my books.
I agree, Brad! Everyone has their own needs and reasons for transit, which is why I listed several different options. It really comes down to what you’re needing. Uber is great, so is Lyft! I only didn’t list them because they are more of a taxi service, and using them cross-country may break the bank! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!