You dream about a lifestyle that revolves around traveling? You’d love to get one of those fancy, spacious vans and just hit the road whenever you feel like it? You’d love to be able to book a ticket for any destination, anytime?
Two things prevent you from doing that:
- College
- Your budget
When you’re at college, you can’t travel whenever you feel like it. One of the most important travel tips for students involves proper planning. You’ll choose the timing for your trips, so they won’t clash with your classes.
Your college budget is another limitation. You need to save enough money for a comfortable trip, and you’ll be very careful with the way you spend money when traveling.
We’ll give you 5 tips on how to travel well on a student budget.
5 Tips: Travel Well on a Student Budget
- Choose the Right Destinations
Let’s be honest: it’s not like you can travel to Japan or have a vacation on the Maldives for a low price. You’ll need to choose cheap travel destinations. That’s not a bad thing. India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Eastern Europe… there are amazing places to discover. Greece is affordable, but it has some of the most beautiful beaches on the globe. Barcelona is gorgeous, and it’s also relatively cheap for food and accommodation.
Check the rankings of living standards between different countries. Choose destinations that are lower on the list, and you’ll be able to get affordable accommodation and meals there.
- Choose the Timing
When you’re about to book tickets and accommodation, you’ll notice that it’s cheaper to travel off season. But you have to study during those low periods. It’s a complex situation.
Maybe you can go through a few exciting argumentative essay topics and complete your assignments way before the deadlines. You could study harder and pass all exams on time, so you can take some time off before the actual end of the term.
And if winter or summer breaks are your only options for traveling, you can choose distant destinations that are off-season at that moment.
- Use Airbnb for Accommodation
Can a broke college student afford fancy hotels? No; and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Airbnb is an amazing service! You can find affordable, but cozy accommodation. If you don’t mind hostels, it’s the most affordable way to get your needs for sleep and rest covered. But if you don’t like that type of accommodation, you can opt for a homestay or rent an apartment.
- Use Public Transport
You chose your destination and you got there. Good for you! Now, you have to get around in the most affordable way possible.
Walk a lot! The best way to experience a new place is by walking through its narrow streets without having a precise idea of where you’re headed.
And if you know where you’re going, but it’s too far for walking, use public transport. It may be messy and dirty, depending where you are. However, it’s also the most affordable way to get from one place to another, and it lets you experience the culture through direct contact.
- Use Your Student Card
Do you have an ISIC (International Student Identity Card)? It’s a card that students from all around the world can get. It’s accepted worldwide as a proof of your status as a student. You’ll be able to get a discount at restaurants, bed and breakfast places, gas stations, theaters, and more.
Go through the official website to check what discounts the card offers at the place you’re about to visit. If you don’t like carrying the card around, you can install an app on your phone. You’ll show its digital version when you want to get a discount.
The card’s cost depends on the country that issues it, but it’s $25 at most. It’s an expense, but it makes things more affordable when you travel.
Explore the World!
The issue of how to save money in college has always been problematic. You have too many expenses. The tuition fee is huge, but you also have to spend on books and gadgets. How do you save enough money for traveling?
There’s only one solution: don’t spend more than you need to. Get a part-time job that will help you accumulate some savings. Have you tried freelancing? If you’re good at photography, writing, graphic design, or coding, you can sell your skills and earn some money.
When you get your backpack and land at a dream destination, you’ll realize it was worth the effort.
