By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
As a student you’re probably only too aware of the need to save money wherever possible. Travel often has a reputation for being extremely expensive and while that can be true, with a small amount of research you could find yourself travelling through Vietnam on just $300 a month. A lot of students wait until they get a full-time job before they even begin thinking about seeing the world but we believe that the best time to travel is when you’re young.
There are hundreds of ways for you to make travel more affordable and this article covers the best and easiest ways of doing so.
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Choose Your Destinations Carefully
Opportunities
to save money begin before you even leave home. One of the most
important decisions you’ll make while planning a trip is choosing where
you’d like to go -- you could get by on a backpacker budget of $10 a day
in Si Phan Don, Laos or easily spend $150 a day while sightseeing in Stockholm, Sweden!
If you have a tight budget of around $15-$25 then you’ll probably want to head for countries in Southeast Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Europe or Central America.
Slightly more expensive destinations, where you can expect to pay $30-$60 a day include parts of Eastern Asia (barring Japan) and large amounts of Africa.
Most African countries can be done on the cheap but the cost of
activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting, hot air
ballooning and safaris can really add up. South America can be cheap but
long-distance transport is expensive -- and you’ll be doing a lot of
it.
Places to avoid when you’re on a budget include most of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the United States. You can expect to spend anything upwards of $60 a day here.
Now that you’ve decided where to go, it’s time to start saving as much money as possible while you’re there!
Save Money With Accommodation
The easiest way to save money on accommodation is by staying in dorm rooms in hostels.
You can find hostels in almost every country around the world and it’s
quick and easy to book them online using a website such as HostelBookers. Hostels are extremely safe and are a fantastic way to meet other travelers on the road.
[post_ads]If
the idea of staying in a dorm sounds like your worst nightmare, then
nearly all hostels offer private rooms for a slightly higher price.
You’ll still get to meet other travelers in common rooms but you’ll also
have privacy and a much better night’s sleep! Private rooms in hostels are still nearly always cheaper than staying in a hotel.
Some chains of hostels, such as YHA and HI, offer loyalty cards, which give you access to cheaper room rates and occasional free stays.
Hostels not your thing? There are still plenty of options for getting cheap or free accommodation while traveling.
• Couchsurfing
is a popular website that helps you to connect with locals who are
offering up their couch for travelers to sleep on for free. Not paying
for accommodation is a great bonus but the main benefit of Couchsurfing
is that it allows you to meet locals, gain a deeper insight into their
culture and discover parts of city you probably wouldn’t have found on
your own.
• WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic
Farms) is a website that allows you to receive free accommodation and
meals in exchange for working 4-6 hours a day on a farm. WWOOFing
is great if you’re looking to stay in one place for more than a few
weeks. It’s a way to prolong your travels while connecting with locals
and learning about their culture and customs.
• Housesitting
is another way of finding free accommodation. Housesitters travel the
world by looking after the owners’ pets and homes while they’re on
vacation in exchange for free accommodation. It takes a lot of work to
become a housesitter and you’ll need to have previous experience and
references in order to find a house to sit, as well as loose travel
plans. However, if you’re planning on travelling long-term then it’s a
fantastic way to see the world without spending a penny on
accommodation. Trusted Housesitters and House Carers are the two main sites that have the largest selection of housesits.
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Save Money With Food
In
general, when you’re traveling through more expensive countries such as
Western Europe, the US and Australia, it’s always going to be much
cheaper to buy food from a grocery store and cook in your hostel kitchen
instead of eating out. Similarly, a lot of hostels offer a free
breakfast as part of their rate so if this is the case then make sure to
eat as much as possible.
In some regions of the world there’s
often no reason to eat in your hostel at all. Parts of Asia, in
particular, have an incredible street food culture
where you’ll frequently be able to find a meal for under $1. These
meals will nearly always be fresher, cheaper and much more delicious
than eating out in a restaurant.
While you’re out sightseeing make
sure you eat a big lunch and have something smaller later in the day –
dinner is often the most expensive meal so this can really help cut down
on costs.
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that a large
percentage of backpackers’ budgets are spent on alcohol, so if you can
cut back on your drinking you can save a lot of money. If not, then opt
for the cheaper alcoholic options – drinking local beer instead of
imports and no cocktails.
Make sure to reuse your water bottles,
especially if you’re in a country where you can drink the tap water.
Water might not seem like a lot of money at the time but if you’re
buying several bottles a day this can easily add up.
Save Money With Transportation
It’s
nearly always cheaper to travel overland (and it’s much better for the
environment) so always try to travel by bus, train and ferry wherever
possible.
[post_ads]If you’re short on time or need to fly then you can use Skyscanner or Adioso to find cheap airfare.
Both websites have several useful features that help you find the
cheapest flights. You can search for flights by country rather than city
and check prices for dates over an entire month. This is especially
useful if you aren’t travelling with fixed plans. Skyscanner even allows
you to select “everywhere” as a destination, a fun tool if you’re not
sure where to head next.
The website Flightfox
can help you save money if you have a complicated route with multiple
stops. You pay a small amount and then flight hacking experts set about
finding you the cheapest fare – you’ll usually end up saving a lot more
than the fee.
Public transport is always cheaper than taking taxis
and offers a much more local experience. Only take a taxi if it’s late
at night, if you’re in a dangerous part of town or if there isn’t any
public transport. When you arrive in a new country make sure to research
the most reputable taxi companies to prevent getting scammed or charged
extortionate rates.
If you’re going to be travelling in Europe
then Eurail/Interrail passes are a great way to save money and explore
the continent by train. These passes work best if you’re going to be
seeing a lot of Western Europe (where long-distance train rides
frequently cost over $100) over the space of several weeks or months.
You can still save money using Eurail passes in Eastern Europe, but it won't be as much.
Hitchhiking
is another option if you’re looking to travel for free. Hitchhiking is
most common in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, parts of South America
and the United States, and it’s a fun way to meet locals. Make sure to
stay safe when hitchhiking. We’d recommend against females hitchhiking
alone. If someone doesn’t make you feel at ease, then don’t get in their
car. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
If hitchhiking isn’t your
thing then an alternative could be car-sharing websites, such as
LiftShare. These websites allow you to travel for free, or very little,
in someone’s car in exchange for gas money. You could also check the
noticeboards in hostels to see if anyone’s offering a ride to where you
want to go.
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Save Money When Sightseeing
Most
major cities around the world have free walking tours led by
volunteers, which aim to show you the main sights in the city. These are
the perfect way to spend your first morning in a new place - you get to
find your bearings, see the most popular attractions and learn about
the history and culture of the city.
Many museums, especially
those in Europe and the United States, have certain days of the week or
month where they offer free admission. For example, The Louvre in Paris
is free on the first Sunday of every month. It’s worth researching this
before you arrive as it can help reduce your sightseeing costs.
City
tourist cards are another way to save money. Such cards can get you
free admission for anything from the most popular museums and
attractions to discounts on public transport. You can even sometimes use
them to skip the line at busy tourist spots. Bear in mind that these
cards usually have a time limit attached to them so they’re best if you
have a limited number of days to explore a city.
Save Money as a Student
Fortunately, as a student there are plenty of extra ways for you to save money!
The first thing to do is pick up an International Student Identity Card
(ISIC), a discount card that is recognized in 125 countries around the
world. This gives you access to discounts on accommodation, transport,
tours, guidebooks, local SIM cards and more!
[post_ads]Companies such as STA Travel offer student airfares,
but be wary of these as they are usually more expensive than flying
with budget airlines, especially if you're looking at a short-haul
flight. It’s worth taking a look before booking your flights to see if
there’s a sale on, but make sure you also check Skyscanner or Adioso.
There
are plenty of student discounts available on overland travel companies
too. In the United States, Amtrack offers students a 15% discount card for $20 and the Greyhound Student Advantage Card gives you a 20% discount on fares for $20. In Europe, Eurail/Interrail passes give you a 35% youth discount if you’re under 25.
So
as you can see, there are plenty of ways to save money while you’re
travelling. All you need to do is to choose a destination that fits your
budget, spend a short amount of time researching discounts and offers
and be willing to occasionally sacrifice your comfort levels.
