How To Travel as a Student
If you’re a student, that probably means you’re eager to go ahead and discover what the world has to offer! Students have plenty of time off when they’re not studying but the one thing that students don’t have much of is money…luckily for you, I’ve got all the best tips for travel as a student!
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Best Student Travel Websites:
Luckily, many people understand that students don’t have lots of money to splurge on expensive trips – that’s where student travel websites come in hand. Many of these are specially tailored made to get students the best deals when it comes to them wanting to go aboard! Why book with a student travel website? Not only are the deals so much cheaper, but they are also often ABTA and ATOL protected in case something were to go wrong, giving you better peace of mind.
Here are some of the best student travel websites:
- Eftours – Eftours is one of the best student travel websites for finding tours specifically for students. The tours Eftours offers are specially curated by experts as they understand that tours should be fun and have plenty of learning opportunities. Eftours believes travel should be available for everyone, which is why they prioritise safety, value and education above all else.
- StudentUniverse – StudentUniverse is a must-visit website if you want to travel as a student! They have negotiated with more than 90 airlines, such as British Airways to Air China in order to offer exclusive student flight discounts that can’t be found anywhere else online! StudentUniverse aims to make travel as a student affordable for all!
- Momondo – Momondo is another great website for students looking for cheap airline fares, it searches all the cheapest airline prices on the web and compiles them all in one place for you. I’ve personally managed to save almost £400 on a flight with Momondo! One thing to remember though is that Momondo is just a search tool – so do your research if you find an agency through their website, as some agencies can be unreliable.
- BUNAC – BUNAC is a great way to get work abroad or volunteer as a student! They offer excellent customer service all along the way, and you can choose to go to a variety of destinations, such as Japan, New Zealand and Canada! They have over 60 years of experience and are trusted worldwide, so you can be sure to count on BUNAC.
Best Tips to Travel as a Student:
I’m personally a student myself and I’m also studying tourism at university, so here are my best tips to travel as a student:
1. Travel as a Student during off-peak months
Off-peak months differ around the world, however, generally, the off-peak season is September – May and it’s the cheapest time to travel as a student during these months. What I like to do is go somewhere usually during my reading weeks or weekends and then get a summer job abroad for a few months where I practice slow travel in the destination I’m working in. This gives me the opportunity to make money whilst being abroad and still travelling!
2. Make Friends Abroad!
Making friends is an amazing thing – you get to meet and connect with people and gain a different perspective on life. It’s even better to have friends abroad as you can learn about their country’s culture and customs firsthand. It can also make travel as a student slightly cheaper too if they let you crash at their place whilst you’re visiting. I love having friends who live in different countries as it’s nice to know that I’m never truly alone and makes me feel so much safer. I also love how eye-opening it can be, and love learning their language and their way of life.
3. Budget! Budget! Budget!!!
As a student, it’s completely natural to see that student loan arrive in your account and then want to go and spend it – I think we’re all a bit guilty of that (I once spent almost £100 on 3 makeup items…shh!), but it’s important to remember that everything adds up.
There’s a well-known saying that goes something like “pennies into pounds” and I remember rolling my eyes at this – but it’s so true! Spend £3 on a latte there, buy a £3.50 meal deal for lunch, take the train to university for £10, get an Uber home because it’s raining and it’s better to spend £6 than get your hair wet – it’s easy to get carried away with spending things on what you consider cheap, but just remember that if you don’t actually need it, then don’t buy it! It’s good to treat yourself once in a while, but make sure you prioritise what’s important to you.
4. Do Odd Jobs
If you’re on FaceBook, then chances are you’re in a local group about where you live. Maybe you’ve seen lots of posts before of people asking for help mowing the lawn for a few hours or painting their walls – if you see these, don’t be afraid to ask if you could help because they will pay you for it (negotiate it beforehand though!). If there are not many being advertised, it’s always worth making your own post, as I’ve seen this be a very successful way of people getting some odd jobs to do. It is the perfect way to travel as a student as it means you get greater flexibility and good money too!
5. Don’t Be Afraid of Going Solo!
It’s great travelling with your friends, but often it can be hard to find a time where you’re all free unless you book wayyy in advance. Don’t let this stop you from going abroad, ever. It’s so much better to travel abroad solo than miss out on memories of a lifetime, just because you couldn’t find anyone to go away with.
My first solo trip was to Lithuania and I remember thinking that I didn’t want to go by myself because I’d be bored and lonely. Was I bored and lonely? Sometimes, but I know I would’ve been so much more bored and lonely if I stayed at home on my week off from uni. The beauty of solo travel is that you get to do what you want when you want and you’re never really alone as you’ll probably stay in hostels where everyone will want to meet people! Solo travel is an experience almost everyone should do once in their lives – it’s great to push you out of your comfort zone and build your confidence.
6. Stay in Hostels
Hostels do sometimes have a bad reputation, but I promise you there are so many good ones out there (and hopefully none like the movie!). They can make your trip so much cheaper than if you stay in a hotel, and are very practical. When you’re travelling, you don’t need to spend hundreds on somewhere luxurious to sleep, you just need somewhere basic to rest your head – remember you’re there to travel, not sit in a room. That’s why hostels are an amazing option if you want to travel as a student! Many hostels also have the option to pay a little extra to stay in a private room, whilst still being cheaper than a normal hotel.
7. Study Abroad
If you’re really into travelling as a student, but no matter what – it’s still very expensive, then look into if your university offers a study abroad program. These programs often don’t cost you things like tuition fees as they will already be paid to your university, all you need to possibly pay for is the visa fees, flights and accommodation whilst you’re there – but this can be cheap depending on the country you choose! I highly recommend looking into the accommodation options before you choose the final place, as I know many students who have had issues with their accommodation and ended up costing them way more than it should’ve.
Studying abroad is not only a great way to travel as a student, but it is also a great way to learn a new language and give your CV an edge when you apply for jobs. Usually, the university you choose to go to will have a language course to help you with the language of the country included with what you’re studying.
In Europe, there is a scheme called Erasmus that also helps students out with flights and living costs – which is always a godsend! In the UK, we have a new scheme called Turing – but I have no idea what’s happening with that at the moment, and I don’t think anyone does.
8. Take Your Student ID EVERYWHERE!
You’ll be surprised how many places offer student discounts if you have your student ID on you – many people save such a big amount by simply flashing their little card at so many different things. Student discounts can be found in shops, on attractions such as museums and even on flight prices – such as Qatar’s Student Club.
ISIC is always worth joining too if you’re planning to travel in Europe, as some places only use these as an official type of student ID. ISIC cards can be both digital and physical forms – so choose what suits you the most and enjoy the fabulous deals on offer.
Do you have any tips to travel as a student? Where do you want to visit the most? If you’ve enjoyed this post, I also recommend:
