Student Budget Travel: Helpful tips!

Student Budget Travel: Helpful tips!

Spring semester is already on its way and you’re already thinking about getting away from school. Sometimes, planning a trip or a getaway is frustrating or just down right overwhelming. You’re a college student who needs to plan with a budget. Here are the top three things you need to know to help you with your preparation.

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1.       Know your schedule and pick a date.

Duh! What’s the number one thing you need to plan? You need to decide when you’re going to do it and how long you can do it for. Most of the time, there will be breaks and holidays that you can schedule a trip well in advance. However, there are times when you just need to get the hell out of there and take a spontaneous weekend road trip with the buddies.

Here are the dates that you should plan for:

• Spring Break – Week long vacation around March
• Holidays & long weekends –
  • Valentine’s Day (Feb 14)
  • Washington’s Bday (Feb 18)
  • Memorial Day (May 27)
• Road trips – Whenever you feel like it!

2. Location, location, location:

The next big thing to plan for is the LOCATION. Typically you can narrow down where to go based on what interests you, whether that may be partying the night away to climbing a mountain. Here are some great spots for different scenes:

Nightlife –Las Vegas, Nevada

Time to gather your wolf pack to have drunken misadventures!!!! Las Vegas is the number one spot in the US that comes to mind when you’re looking for a blowout party scene.

Student budget tip:  Try checking out hostels versus hotel rooms. Plus if you book with hostelworld, you get $2 off every booking.

 

Outdoor recreation – Yellowstone National Park

Looking for something more rustic? Yellowstone offers some amazing outdoorsy activities including biking, camping, and fishing. It also houses the world’s largest collection of Geysers including Old Faithful.

Student budget tip: BYOB: Bring your own bed, and split your costs renting a SUV with your friends instead. Rent a car with Hertz, and avoid paying young renter’s fees if you are under 25 + get a 10% discount on standard rates for being a student! Just use CDP #1966052 and Promo code number #168210 when you book the rental online.

Student budget tip: Don’t forget to check the price of flights before you make up your mind on driving. With the cost of gas added to the trip, driving could wind up more expensive. Even though the roadtrip itself is a fun experience, flying is usually a lot quicker, so you get to spend a lot more time there. Alaska Airlines has some really cheap flights to fly within California, or to Vegas and Hawaii. Plus you get an additional 5% off your flight when you book through this portal.

 

Beach/sunbathe – US Virgin Islands

Forget Miami or Cancun, spend your time relaxing in the sun and getting pampered in “America’s Caribbean Paradise”. You can visit St. Thomas, St. John, or St. Croix, or why not all three? The best part is that you can pay in US Dollars! http://www.visitusvi.com/travel_transportation

 

Romantic getaway- Martha’s Vineyard

Have a long three day weekend or even four day weekend (if you have the best student schedule with Friday off)?? Enjoy a laid-back casual experience dining on seafood and maybe rub elbows with Hollywood starlets like Reese Witherspoon and David Letterman.

Student budget tip: The least expensive way to get to the island is a ferry from Cape Cod. Obviously the most expensive part of the trip is booking a hotel, try checking out a Bed and Breakfast which offers a breakfast inclusion. Definitely MONEY SAVER! Check out bed and breakfast from Hostelworld.

3.   Booking housing Hostels vs Hotels vs Bed and Breakfast

When you’re planning a vacation, we just automatically assume to book a hotel.  However, there are also other options that can help you save money. When you’re on vacation, the least amount of time should be spent inside in a room (unless you’re on romantic getaway), so you don’t always have to blow your wallet on housing. Here are the basic differences in booking a hotel, hostel and bed and breakfast.

Check out Hostelworld for great deals and reviews before booking a vacation! Good luck and have fun this semester .

Hotel – Provides a more private and personalized experience. Accommodation packages can include meals, flights, and luxury services.  Booking hotels can range in quality and style whereby the cost will be reflected accordingly.

Hostel –Provides a more sociable accommodation with a shared-room lodging (dormitory) style. Some hostels will also provide private rooms and single-sex rooms. Please ask before you book to understand what is available. Obviously Tend to be more BUDGET-oriented and generally more focused for adventure travel and offers an informal environment.

B&B – Small lodging that offers breakfast with the cost! Typically, they are private homes with few bedrooms.

 

Article written by Isabella Lam

Sources

Springbreakcalendar – http://hisdnews.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/2012-spring-break-schedule-for-hisd-offices-schools/

LasVegasHangover – http://boxwish.com/1197-las-vegas-resort-boosted-by-the-hangover/

USVirginIslands- http://www.visitusvi.com/travel_transportation/from_here

USVirginIslands2- http://www.visitusvi.com/travel_transportation/island_hopping

MarthasVineyard- http://travel.usnews.com/Marthas_Vineyard_MA/Pictures/

HostelworldDeal- http://www.studentrate.com/studentrate/itp/get-itp-student-deals/Hostelworld-com-Student-Discounts–/0

Yellowstone http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1402057

Yellowstone http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/best_usa_vacations/

http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Best_Affordable_USA_Destinations/