Airlines are the squeaky wheel of the travel industry, and they get a lot of grease in the media, so by now we all know how to navigate ticket buying. But baggage fees are on the rise and airfares are an uncertain game of roulette, so many of us are choosing to go to Grandmother's house by land instead. Going over the river and through the woods isn't such a bad way to do it, either, because there are some sterling savings opportunities if you go by wheel instead of wing, as MainStreet.com points out in an article today.

Here's my take on some of Lyneka Little's suggestions:

ONLINE DISCOUNTS: Some suggestions are obvious to those of us who have been using a computer for more than a few months. Those include always checking the websites of your chosen carrier (Amtrak, Greyhound, and so on) to see if its online prices beat the ticket office. Don't stampede straight to the reservations search boxes, either, because most sites have a marked page of specials that shouldn't be ignored.

MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES: Make sure you milk every discount you can. I know plenty of people in their early 50s who squirm at their AARP eligibility, but when they realize that they can use that status to save some bucks, suddenly the card is waved with pride. Even young whippersnappers might have AAA membership, and that can bring some surprising deals (although it's a motoring organization, Amtrak will cut rates for it). Check your local AAA branch for a list of discount opportunities. Often, these price cuts will work even during the holiday rush, including at hotels.

Over the past few months, one of my favorite stories has been the tale of BoltBus. A subsidiary of Greyhound, the bus line charges $25 for a one-way trip from New York to Washington, DC, and $20 for a one-way trip from New York to Boston. While this puts it in competition with the popular Chinatown bus, the real competition is with the airlines. For a fraction of the price of a seat in coach, BoltBus offers a comfortable seat, no long check-ins, and a relaxed ride. Other companies, including DC2NY, MegaBus, and Vamoose have jumped on the bandwagon, and it's pretty clear that relaxing, cheap bus travel is on its way up.

Recently, the bus lines unveiled their next weapon in the war against the airlines: Wi-Fi. All of the bus lines that I mentioned have Wi-Fi installed on their buses, and BoltBus has put electrical outlets on as well, making it possible for passengers to surf the net without wearing down their batteries. In the meantime, riders on all of these buses can do one more thing that airline passengers can't: they can use their cell phones.

Of course, bus lines don't offer snacks, the ride is a little rockier, and they lack the romance of air travel. That having been said, there is no charge for the first piece of luggage, the check-in process is almost instantaneous, and the price is right. Look out, American Airlines!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. His last couple of flights were a disaster, so BoltBus makes him cackle evilly whenever he thinks about it!

In the United Kingdom, diesel fuel now costs $11.50 per gallon, while it costs $8.54 a gallon in France. Regular gasoline is just as bad: in France, it's going for $8.67 per gallon, which is just below the Union-wide average. Part of the reason for this high cost is the increasing price of gasoline; because gas is traded in dollars, it has inflated worldwide. In fact, were it not for the euro's considerable strength against the dollar, gas prices would be much, much higher.

Another part of the reason for the huge gas prices is the EU's heavy tax on gas. While taxes only account for about 11% of gas prices in the United States, they make up approximately 70% of gas prices in the European Union. France's Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed a reduction/removal of Europe's value added tax, or VAT, which would cut gas prices by approximately 20%. Unfortunately, because of the structure of the EU, doing so will require the unanimous approval of all member states. Moreover, there is every likelihood that this tax reduction would only encourage gas suppliers to raise their prices still further.