After skimming through Facebook and Instagram for hours on end, we all can recognize the posts – “not all those that wander are lost” or the stories on how people just quit their job and found self-actualization in traveling the world, and then blogging about it. Maybe this isn’t possible for you, but you still want to travel!
Traveling anywhere whether it is by yourself or with friends is an amazing experience. You learn to be frugal, independent and courageous. You will find more similarities in strangers than you can sometimes find in your friends.
But isn’t travel expensive? This is a question I am posed often by my friends and family. If you don’t mind staying away from all-inclusive resorts and fancy hotels it doesn’t have to be.
Here are some tips to help you plan your next trip on a student’s budget!
Don’t book flights too far in advance
Prices of flights fluctuate a lot during the 2-3 months before a domestic flight. I don’t purchase my flights until about 4-6 weeks before the travel dates. Purchasing flights that leave on a Tuesday or a Thursday typically are cheapest.
Don’t book a hotel
Hotels are great if the location is within walking distance of where you want to be. That way you save money on a rental car or taxi. Otherwise, you can usually always find something cheaper through Airbnb or a hostel. This also gives you an opportunity to meet new people and live like a local.
Do google your location
Google is full of important information, along with a list of activities and events that would be going on in the place you are traveling to. You will even run into blogs from people who have traveled there previously that can give you additional tips on the area. Also, you can find out when peak season* is for the area so you can plan to visit in offseason for cheaper travel.
Do keep an open schedule
If you are like me, I usually like to schedule things down to the hour! This doesn’t always work out especially if you find that you would like to spend a little bit longer doing something else. Have 3-5 important things to do and then just go with the flow!
These are just the starting point of your plan to travel. Even if you don’t know where to go, you can find out on average what it might cost to go somewhere. Contrary to popular belief – just because the location is farther away doesn’t mean it will be more expensive to travel there (and vice versa).
*Peak-season is when a majority of people visit the area, during this time prices are higher!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s super convenient and easy to Google your destination, but it IS also important to watch out for false visuals, too. Unfortunately, Google usually tends to show only the best possible results for their image searches, creating an illusion that whatever beach in Croatia your going to looks just like the gleaming stock image that pops up on your screen. I’ve had a few friends fall for this. Google is great, as long as it isn’t your only research tool. Just sayin’ – be careful!