Even if it is possible to save thanks to various reduction cards, the train (more ecological) is still twice as expensive as the plane in Europe. However, there are unusual ways to travel cheaper!
About every five weeks the children are on vacation. But traveling is expensive! Whether it’s going skiing or exploring a European capital, the budget adds up very quickly, especially when traveling with family. If we are today encouraged to prefer the train for obvious ecological reasons, it turns out that this mode of transport is often more expensive than the plane. Unless you book well in advance or benefit from a one-off promotion to combine with a reduction card. But there are actually other, much lesser known, ways to save money.
What if you could make part of your train journey profitable by carrying a simple package? This is the opportunity offered by the Marseille start-up We Post. Founded in 2021, the company offers, based on the carpooling model, “to provide a service by transporting a small package for an individual or an eco-responsible merchant. The service is offered both to individuals who have forgotten a key or a mobile phone and to traders committed to an eco-responsible approach. Depending on the case, all you have to do is go to the platform to offer your shipping announcement or suggest a route. The package is collected at a relay point or at a meeting point at a station and the service is risk-free. Identity document control is provided by Stripe, with double authentication at each step and insurance is included in the event of loss, breakage or theft of packages. And for the postman for a day? Up to 20 euros reimbursed, particularly on Ouigo tickets.
Parcel transport is not the only way to save money on train, bus or even plane tickets. The start-up Kidygo connects parents who wish to accompany their child on a trip, with travelers willing to provide this support. Security is obviously at the heart of the concept since KidySitters must provide a valid email address and telephone number, a copy of a valid identity document and provide proof of a clean criminal record (Extract B3). They can also provide additional documents attesting, for example, to BAFA or first aid training. Registration is free for parents, but the KidySitter must pay a monthly subscription of 9.90 euros, without obligation, which is activated only on the first trip made. The operation is really very interesting since in half of the cases, the ticket is fully reimbursed by the parents. In all cases, the minimum compensation for support is 30 euros.