Are you a student? Do you have a limited amount of money that you can spend? Do you want to discover the world on a budget?

A micture of the world with different amounts of paper money pinned around it. Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash

Being a student is expensive, but traveling doesn't have to be!

What are my travel options?

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As a student, there are various budget-friendly opportunities to travel locally or abroad. There are also many resources and websites out there that help with discounts.

How can I find low cost flights?

A plane's wing in the clouds with sunlight shining over the sky. Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash

To keep flight costs low:

  • Pack light and consider traveling with a carry-on. Some airlines charge expensive fees for checked baggage.

  • Search for flights on low-cost carriers through sites such as Kayak, OneTravel, and CheapOair.

  • Check for hidden fees. For example: cancellation fees, travel insurance, and checked baggage fees.

  • Purchase tickets early and choose off-season dates to reduce costs.

How can I find low cost transportation?

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  • City buses are always a good option.

  • Research different apps that offer bike sharing options where you travel. Remember to follow all bike return policies!

  • There are ridesharing options, such as BlaBlaCar. Make sure the drivers have good reviews before booking with them.

  • Trains may be a good option in Europe or for cross-country North American trips.

How can I find low cost accommodations?

Friends walking in the forest with hiking backpacks on their backs. Photo by Lukas Allspach on Unsplash

There are many options for budget-friendly accommodations when you travel. Some options include:

  • Camping

  • Staying at a hostel

  • Staying with friends or family

  • Volunteering with WWOOF on farms around the world. This option is great for adventurous souls.

Check out websites such as hostelworld.com, couchsurfing.com, and contiki.com for good deals.

How can I find low cost activities while traveling?

Friends on a trip taking a selfie.

There are many free or low cost activities you can do when traveling.

For example:

  • Free walking tours

  • Follow your own tour online with your phone

  • Cook your own meals

  • Airbnb experiences: discover fun activities led by locals

  • Couchsurfing events: meet others while traveling

  • Language exchange meetups: practice different languages in a group

  • Nature experiences

You can check local expat group pages as well on websites such as meetup.com.

Quiz

What are some budget friendly activity ideas when traveling? Select all that apply:

How do I decide to travel by myself or with others?

A woman by herself having a drink at a cafe in an old movie.

Sometimes it can be confusing to know if you want to travel by yourself or with others.

How can you decide? There can be pros and cons to both of them:

  • Traveling by yourself can be a refreshing and unique experience, but sometimes lonely.

  • Traveling with others can be fun and budget friendly, but sometimes stressful.

  • You can also check out tour groups to try to meet new people if you are alone, or if you are with a group of friends and you want some help with the planning.

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