Almost everyone loves to travel and visit picturesque locations to post on their socials. But when you are a student it can get a bit difficult to travel on your limited budget. Thankfully, if you plan your trip by following a few tips you can start your journey as a traveler sooner than you planned.
Read along to find out how you can travel almost anywhere in the world with a minimum budget, live in a luxurious hotel at the lowest fare, or stay for Free at the location you plan to visit with locals!
1. Choose your destination
First things first choose your destination wisely. If this is your first time traveling on a budget start with cheap countries and cities. You don’t need to see Paris in your very first travel experience, you can start with cheaper countries in South East Asia like Vietnam, Thailand, or Indonesia. These countries can be traveled for less but for a longer duration than what you would say spend on traveling to Europe on a short trip.
To save more you can plan your location according to your budget, the travel deals available at particular locations, and selecting them. Let the location choose you rather than you choosing the location.
2. Plan and stay longer for cheaper
The most common mistake first-time travelers make is dashing from one destination to the other trying to cover as many locations as possible. This is only going to burn you out at the end of your trip, going to be expensive and won’t give you the time to soak in the city at all.
Instead, choose a location and explore it for a week or ten days. You can also, make it your home base and explore cities or towns around it by traveling via public transportation. Staying in the same location for a longer duration also gives you the chance to save more on accommodation by getting better deals on hotels, Airbnb, or hostels.
3. Check out travel deals on flight tickets
If you have your mind set on a city or a country that you wish to travel the best way to save is to check out travel deals for the location. Travel deals are often hosted by individual airlines or hotels which are a great way to save money
Lots of low-cost airlines and booking services offer deals through which you snatch a great deal. All you need to do is keep an eye out for such deals. The best way to keep tabs on such deals is to subscribe to newsletters or follow airlines and hotels on social media to keep a tab on their current Travel Deals.
A great way to travel around the world is getting a Priority Pass! If you have ever wondered how to get into an airport lounge and enjoy a 5-star experience while waiting for your flight Priority Pass is your answer. Become a member of Priority Pass for as low as $99 and get access to airport lounges, and other in-airport benefits.
By becoming a member you get access to 1300 airport experiences worldwide airport dining, spa, and retail discounts. Next time you are flying reach the airport early to enjoy a pre-flight bite, and drink or catch up on school work in solitude.
4. Find the cheapest accommodation or FREE accommodation to save
When on a holiday even when on a budget we wish to enjoy the comforts of a hotel bed. Now not all hotels are expensive some can fall right into your budget like Radisson Hotels! Radisson Hotels has a worldwide presence that allows you to treat yourself to luxury in almost whichever country you wish to travel to.
With Radisson Hotels, if you book your hotel accommodation well in advance you get the best deals and save some much-needed cash. Become a member with Radisson and get a members-only rate along with an additional 10% discount on stays worldwide.
Booking with Radisson Hotels has various benefits which you can enjoy such as Plan and Save up to 25% on your booking from a list of hotels in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. They also have great deals for longer stay options at their hotels in London, Germany, and other countries.
Check out Radisson Hotels to choose from more than 100+ deals.
If you are looking for off-beat options to stay while on vacation explore the location these are a few of the options you can try.
The accommodation you choose dictates if you travel well within your budget or go overboard. No matter where you are traveling you can save a ton by choosing the right accommodation by thinking out of the box i.e hotel rooms. Most cities, you wish to travel to would have cheaper stay options for student travelers like local hostels, homestays, Couchsurfing, renting an apartment, or a room with other travelers.
Choose one which suits your personality the best, help you save, and keeps you within your budget.
The most trusted and highly used website for booking accommodation on any budget at any location is Airbnb. Airbnb has a wide range of options to choose from across the globe at any budget which is the main USP.
Airbnb makes it easy for you to choose the accommodation of your liking by letting you choose from the type of place you, budget, or you can choose the accommodation first and plan your trip around it the options are limitless.
While booking with Airbnb there are multiple ways you can save money. Some of the tips that you can use are to book in advance, negotiate with your host, book for a longer stay, book a room instead of the entire house, and be flexible with your dates.
One of the best ways to save on accommodation is Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing allows you to stay for free with your host which also allows you to learn about the local traditions, discover the city like a local, and make friends. All you need is a willingness to share space with a stranger who you choose by checking reviews and chatting with your host on the website. If you are lucky you hit it off with your host and make friends for life.
Or live completely free by Volunteering for organizations that do work internationally. It’s important to understand that you get free food, stay, tools, and safety equipment provided by the organization but you need to work for them to complete a project. It’s a great way to travel while getting the feeling of accomplishment by helping the local community.
5. Save on food
You can also save a ton on food by eating local food which is always cheaper than eating at a restaurant. Eating local food also gives you a complete experience of the culture and its people. To save even more on food is to cook for yourself!! Yes, that’s right you can shop at local markets for fresh produce and try your hands in the kitchen. Cooking for yourself not only helps you save money, but it’s also healthier as well. Just book an Airbnb with a kitchen or use the communal kitchen at the hostels to make a quick meal.
6. Use public transportation
Go for the local experience and explore the city like the locals. Use the public transportation like buses, and metros, by walking when the distance is just a few minutes. Thanks to Google Maps you can explore any city even when you don’t know the local language anymore, travelling by public transportation not only gives you an authentic travel experience but also helps you save a few bucks.
7. Use student insurance
One of the most important things to do before you travel is to make sure you get student travel insurance. You might feel that it’s an unnecessary expense, but it’s the insurance that comes in handy during emergencies. Look for policies that cover lost or stolen items, delays, cancellations, and interruptions. Also, do check if the student insurance covers medical emergency evacuations and health insurance.
8. Save big with a student discount
The best time to start traveling is when you are a student, as you use your student card and get discounts at more than 125,000 places in 133 countries around the world. A student id can get you a discount on flight tickets, rail, stay, car rentals, and even museum tickets.
Just make sure you have an International Student Identity Card which is accepted worldwide. This card is going to be your BFF while you travel around the world and help you save cash almost anywhere you travel.
9. Find travel jobs to earn while you explore new locations
Finding a job while on a vacation or exploring a new place is not what one plans. But if you are on a student budget and wish to continue exploring new destinations without having to run out of funds finding the perfect job which is fun and lets you explore is going to help you in long term.
There are many ways you can earn while still traveling thanks to technology. Some of the most common jobs you can take up are teaching English be it online or offline in countries where English is not their first language, depending on your skills you can freelance remotely, teach a skill you have, blogging your travel experience can be fun and will get you paid over a period of time.
You can also do an odd job at a restaurant or café which will pay you the minimum wage and allow you to make local friends. Do what you enjoy and have fun while earning some quick cash.