Depending on who you ask, college can be a period in your life where you live out your youth or spend countless hours in the school library.
Regardless of which student persona you embody, it is best to use a bit of your time to explore and discover the world.
Travel is considered one of the most fulfilling activities to partake in. It’s stimulating in that it gets you out of your comfort zone by putting you into a different environment. You get to experience different cultures with diverse views and practices. In some cases, your beliefs and notions about life get positively challenged, which can be enlightening.
As exciting as it all sounds, you’re probably wondering how you can handle travel and school work without losing out on either experience. That’s where writing essays service essayhub.com comes in. You can receive 24hr assistance on your essays and assignments, meaning your schoolwork won’t suffer when you’re on the road.
The next thing you might be wondering is how do you travel for cheap? As a student, you’re not exactly the richest person on the planet, and you know about having to stretch a dollar. The good news is, being a student has its advantages, and there are plenty of ways you can travel without breaking the bank.
Read on to find out how to travel on a budget.
Plan Ahead
First things first, planning. It’s crucial to have a travel plan before you can start the booking process and work on the fine details of the trip. It’s more like having a blueprint. Without it, you can’t make the best out of your trip. At this stage, you determine your budget and set a savings plan to achieve your target.
The planning should occur at least six months to a year before the trip. This gives you enough time to accumulate funds, research destinations, and make bookings before prices skyrocket. Planning ahead also gives you enough time to seek out an alternative in case of an issue.
Sign Up for Volunteer Programs Abroad
A good way to travel for cheap is to sign up for volunteer programs abroad. They’re a good way to see the world and lend a helping hand in the process. The good thing is, these programs are designed and targeted towards students. Your accommodation and meals are often catered for, which means you’ll only handle flight tickets and miscellaneous expenses.
Some volunteer programs might be in a remote area with no wireless broadband or limited connectivity. You might think that it’ll prove to be challenging for your schoolwork, but it might not. You can get help from a research paper service in USA no matter where you’re located. This is beneficial as you can fully focus on helping a local community abroad without worrying about your studies.
Use Public Transport
Besides plane tickets to your destination, local transportation can be extremely expensive. That is if you opt for using a taxi to get from point A to B. Ride-sharing apps like Uber might not be expensive initially, but the costs can add up. In addition, they might rob you of the chance to have a unique experience of living like a local.
You should consider using public transport to get around. They’re often much cheaper than taxis and give you a unique perspective of the city or country you’re in. Some examples of public transport include tuk-tuks, buses, trains, and even motorbikes. You’ll find that you’ll spend a fraction of the price and get to see what it’s like to live like a local.
Get Tours from Locals
Local tour guides and travel agencies have packaged tours which can cost a pretty penny for non-residents. This can prove to be challenging for a student who’s on a tight budget. Luckily there are alternatives you can seek out.
If your accommodation is a homestay, you can ask your host to give you a tour around the area. They’ll likely be happy to do so, and in most cases, they might have already planned for it. You can also ask through a local Facebook group for a tour/cultural exchange. You’re bound to have a tour that’s more true to the area and much more immersive.
You’ll visit less touristy locations and go places not listed on travel itineraries. You can even gain inspiration for your future essays and projects! Keep in mind that you can lose track of time while exploring, so it’s good to find a paper writing service in USA to get help with your schoolwork so as not to fall behind. That leaves you free to move around and explore with ease.
Select Your Destination Wisely
It’s important to be very objective when choosing a destination. Your instinct would be to seek out popular tourist destinations like Paris or Rome, but these can be expensive cities. On top of that, popular destinations often have a huge influx of tourists leading to overcrowding.
When selecting a destination, consider things like the cost of travel, accommodation, food, and activities. It’s also important to look at safety. If there’s instability in the area, it’s best to pass on it. Besides general safety and wellbeing, you should work on selecting a destination that gives you the best bang for your buck. You shouldn’t have to compromise on anything for a lesser experience.
Stick to the Budget
As with anything else related to spending, it’s best to stick to your budget. Overspending can lead to complications that can leave you stranded in the worst-case scenario. Always opt for what is within your realm of affordability. There’s no need to upgrade your flight ticket or room for a few extra dollars if what you have will serve the same purpose.
More often than not, once you go over your budget in one area, it snowballs into others. For instance, you’ll find that once you spend more on a flight ticket, you’ll feel like it’s okay to spend more on food, activities, transport, and other things. It’s important to realize that you can work within your means without depriving yourself of any comforts.
Travel Over the Low Season
One of the best ways to travel on a budget is to do so over the low season. Most destinations operate on a seasonal basis. More people tend to travel over the holidays, which means prices are hiked and there will be crowds of tourists.
Plan to visit high-traffic areas over the low season. It’ll be less crowded and way cheaper. For instance, you don’t need to go to the Caribbean in December. You can plan to go in March or April instead. Flights and accommodation will be cheap, and you can have a relaxed trip with minimal tourists in the area.
Look for Cheaper Accommodation Alternatives
Number two on the list of the most expensive things on a trip is usually accommodation. As a student, you really don’t need to be staying in hotels and paying exorbitant prices. It’s just not reasonable. If you opt for that route, you’ll find that you won’t have much left in the budget to get out and fully immerse yourself in activities and experiences at your destination.
A good solution is to look for alternative accommodation options that can save you a huge chunk of cash and put you in a position to interact with locals. Another pro is that you may end up meeting fellow student travelers. As such, you can exchange tips and ideas on what to do to make your trip worthwhile.
Here are some accommodation options you can consider:
- couchsurfing;
- homestays;
- shared apartment;
- hostels;
- backpacking;
Utilize Student Discounts
One thing about being a student is that it comes with many perks in the name of student discounts. Almost everywhere you go, there’s always a chance you can get a price reduction. From flight tickets to museum entry fees, national parks, and recreational areas. It’s one of the main benefits of being a student.
So, how exactly do you get student discounts while you’re abroad? You can apply for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which is recognized in most countries and makes you eligible for student discounts while abroad. You can get things for free like museum entries in some countries and subsidized rates on other activities. It’s not recognized in some countries, though, so it’s good to check in advance.
Avoid Eating Out
Depending on your habits, meals can generally be cheap, but one slight miscalculation can poke a hole in your budget. The thing most people do is decide to eat out constantly since they’re on holiday. This can be detrimental to your travel budget as a student, as you can redirect most of that cash to activities and experiences.
If your accommodation allows it, buy ingredients and cook for yourself. Alternatively, you can choose to eat at local restaurants that are cheap instead of higher-priced restaurants. If you can save a few dollars every day doing this, it’ll be much better in the long run because you’ll have more disposable funds.
Final Thoughts
Every student should consider traveling during their studies at least once. It’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone and gain a new perspective on the world. Ultimately, it can end up being a life-changing experience.
Unfortunately, most students are held back from traveling because they believe it’s an expensive endeavor. The tips outlined above prove otherwise. All it takes is careful planning and being flexible enough not to hold yourself back when analyzing options.
If you take advantage of your student status, you’ll find that you can have access to almost anything you’d like for a lesser amount. When it comes to traveling on a budget, anything is possible with a can-do attitude.
