Life is pretty tough when you are a college student, so it is essential to take small breaks to give yourself a boost of energy and freshness. With that being said, traveling sounds like a pretty fun idea as a college student. It will be fun, amusing, and exciting, right?
However, keep in mind that traveling can be a super difficult task, especially as a college student. There are a lot of challenges you will have to face; How am I going to plan everything? How will I afford the trip? How will my phone work while I’m out of the country?
Well, if you are also a college student dying to travel but can not due to these minor problems, don’t worry! As always, we are here to answer all your questions!
In this short guide, we are sharing some of the best and top traveling tips for college students, keeping in mind their budget and experience. But before that, let’s go through some reasons why every student needs to travel. Keep scrolling!
Yes, traveling is undoubtedly one of the most fun activities, but that is not the only reason students should go for it. In fact, it has additional and countless benefits for college students and their overall health. Let’s dive into the reasons now!
Traveling is an excellent chance for students to broaden their horizons and explore different world perspectives. The more they see the world and get out of their comfort zone at a young age, the more they will be prepared for their future.
Traveling also allows students to explore different cultures globally, from Chinese to French to Arabian. With the cultures, you will get the opportunity to experience different food, holiday traditions, and dressing styles. Trust me; experiencing different cultures firsthand will make you knowledgeable about the diversity of this world.
Sometimes college students forget how blessed and privileged their life is and how many good things they have. However, traveling helps them acknowledge and appreciate everything they took for granted before. Also, they will start learning and practicing gratitude by seeing all the beautiful things around them. How? Because you will realize some people can never see what you are witnessing right now.
Obviously, traveling helps the students to create cherishable and everlasting memories. They will remember every fun and unique part of their trips. Eventually, they will have interesting things and stories to tell their kids and future peers at parties and gatherings. For example, they can say, “I have seen the northern lights. They are mesmerizing”. Trust me; traveling and exploring make you the best storyteller!
Independence and self-confidence are essential parts of a college student’s personality. Guess what? Traveling can give them that sense of confidence and Independence. They will be traveling to a whole place on their own and figuring stuff out. They will be learning how the navigation system works, how to communicate with the locals, and how to order food. Doing all these things will make them more confident, Independent, and Responsible. If a college student doesn't travel at all, he might not get the correct exposure or chance to learn independence.
Last but not least, traveling allows college students to learn and explore new and different languages. They will witness different language styles, accents, and variations. Moreover, if you are a student and want to learn a new language, nothing would be better than staying in the native country of that language. Trust me; just a week in that country can do wonders!
Traveling also helps students in enhancing their resumes and professional development. If a student with lots of travel history applies for a job in the future, the employer will definitely prefer you because you spent time in different countries. By traveling, you will already get sufficient experience and exposure.
Now that you have gone through why traveling as a college student is essential, it’s time to look at a detailed step-by-step guide to planning your travel vacation. Read on!
The first and foremost thing while planning a trip is to decide beforehand when and for how long you want to be away. Do you have a week, a month, or just a weekend? Honestly, weekend trips are not too bad either. They work like a breath of fresh air, which is less expensive.
If not weekends, figure out whether you want to go for summer, spring, or winter break? These three breaks will allow you to have a more extended vacation.
Suppose you are planning on traveling alone, well and good. But if you want to travel with your friends, it would be best to check their availability and time flexibility before making any decisions. Consider your classes, their classes, and then set the dates accordingly.
As a college student, determining a traveling budget will be the most important and most challenging task for you. However, you still need to make a budget and stick to that until your trip ends. First of all, you need to figure out how much money you can or are willing to spend on the trip. After that, figure out how much things will cost where you plan to go. Then, write down how much you will spend on tickets, accommodation, and entertainment.
This is not a tip; this is something you should definitely do while planning your trip. Always buy tickets in advance and as soon as you can. We recommend buying tickets at least 6 to 12 months in advance if you ask us. Why? Because this way, you will be getting the tickets in a steal deal and at a relatively low price.
Now we know it's hard to book tickets this much in advance because sudden plans often happen, but try to when you can. Check your yearly exam calendar and vacation dates, and start planning the trip months before to save money.
Obviously, if you are traveling somewhere International, you need to apply for visas, right? However, we would recommend you start this process as early as possible. The visa processes have gone super complicated lately due to Covid-19, and every country has changed its requirements.
Therefore, it would be best to start applying for the visa early. Because sometimes, transit and layover destinations also require separate visas and Covid-19 tests. Also, read all the documentation requirements carefully, so you don’t face any inconvenience afterward. Better to be prepared and safe than sorry, right?
If you think you will reach the destination first and then find somewhere to stay, please don’t do that. It is always better to book a stay before or while applying for the visa, whether it is a hotel, Air BnB, or hostel. Booking a place to stay beforehand will also make the visa process smooth because the embassies will know you are an authentic traveler. Other than this, it will save you from the hassle of finding a place right after reaching your destination.
Now, returning to the booking part, always make sure the place is comfortable and clean no matter where you stay. Check for online reviews of real travelers and customers while looking at a specific hotel, hostel, or Air BnB. Also, make sure that the place is in a prime location, so you don’t have to spend money or time commuting.
Now that you are done with the basics, it is time to complete the most important task: PACKING! When you are traveling, you need to pack very, very smart. You will have to ensure you have all the essentials like toothpaste, toothbrush, mobile charger, money, medicines, etc. Also, try to pack light and save space for shopping, gifts, and souvenirs. If you don’t, you will have to pay for the extra baggage while returning. You can pack only the basic clothes and two pairs of shoes you will need and nothing extra.
Apart from your main suitcase or bag, you will need to pack a small carry-on bag as well. You can put an extra change of clothes, pair of shoes, and medicines you might need in that carry-on for emergencies. Obviously, your main bag will not be with you while you are on the flight!
After you are done with your visas, tickets, and packing, it is time to relax and research where you will travel. Thankfully, Internet has made everything extremely easy, and you can take a virtual tour of almost every place. You can check the most incredible places to visit in your travel destination, check the prices of the tickets, and the main attractions. Moreover, you can also check the distance of all the main attractions from your hotel, hostel, or Air BnB.
Additionally, you can search about the commute options like metro trains, buses, taxis, etc. Also, you can search for what kind of cuisine that specific area has and what are your food options. And yes, try to learn a few common phrases of their language; this will help you easily communicate with the locals. Most importantly, make sure to check the customs rules of your travel destination to avoid any trouble.
Now that we know about the basics of planning and traveling, it is time to go through some additional traveling tips for students. These tips will help you save both time and money. Keep Reading!
If you are a college student, we are sure you would want to save as much money as you can while traveling. Therefore, try to travel off-season to save on tickets and accommodation. For example, summertime is off-season in Dubai, and tickets and everything are relatively affordable during this time. Similarly, wintertime is off-season in Europe. Trust me; if you plan to travel off-season, you will be able to save a lot of cash, and your destination will be less crowded too.
So, take advantage of your spring, summer, and winter breaks and travel somewhere off-season to make the most of your hard-earned money and student life.
If you are traveling someplace internationally, please double-check all your documents before leaving for the airport. Check if you have your passport, Student ID, visa, hotel accommodation papers, and air tickets. Not to forget, ensure that you have all the cash or debit and credit cards. If your travel destination has asked for a Covid test, make sure you have the report with you to avoid inconveniences at the airport.
Trust me; if you are a college student, you are super lucky! A lot of restaurants and hostels offer student discounts for travelers. Different amusement and theme parks also give discount offers for students on tickets. Therefore, make sure that you have your Student ID everywhere you go. If you are not sure if a place is offering a student discount or not, you can simply ask them!
For tickets and accommodation, here are a few sites that offer student discounts for booking:
If you don’t mind doing some extra work for 3 to 4 hours every day on your vacation, you can even stay somewhere free with the locals. Yes, sometimes locals allow the tourists to stay with them for free in return for some extra help like cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, helping with groceries, taking dogs for walks, etc.
If you help them, they offer you to stay with them for free with usually one free meal on the house every day! So, if you are a little too tight on budget, you can always opt for this option. A few hours of house chores wouldn’t hurt, right?
Different Airlines, hotels, and Air BnBs have sales going on throughout the year. They have sales like Black Friday, Anniversaries, Cyber Monday, etc. Therefore, keep an eye on them and purchase tickets or hotel accommodations in advance if you have a trip adequately planned in the future.
You will need to turn on your cell phone's International Data and Roaming if you are traveling internationally. Your regular phone won’t help you stay connected back home unless you have Wifi. However, roaming charges can be extremely expensive. So, what you can do is buy a local sim when you reach your destination. They usually offer tourist sim cards with data and minutes at a very reasonable price.
Flights during the night are known as the Red-Eye flights, and they are the best option you have as a college student. These flights are cheap, and they will help you save on accommodation money since you will be traveling at night! I mean, you can just sleep on the plane instead of in a hotel room, right?
We want you to be fully prepared for your first travel trip as a college student; that is why we can’t stop adding information and tips. Here is a must-to-do list for students to enjoy their vacations to the fullest:
First of all, turn off your shy mode before going on a vacation. You will come across different people and fellow students of your age while you are traveling. You will also come across young and enthusiastic travelers like you while staying in hostels or on group tours. So, connect with them, make friends, and broaden your horizons.
Please don’t sleep in till late while you are traveling. Doing this will surely make you miss a lot of things. Also, if you really want Instagram-worthy pictures for your travel blog, you need the morning light. Therefore, wake up early, start your day, and don’t miss any place you want to visit. Doing this will be good for your future routine as well!
We know that fighting jetlag is the hardest thing you may encounter, but please try. Try resisting your jetlag and sleep as much as you can so you can explore the travel destination properly. If you let the jetlag get to you, you will just waste your time sleeping. So, try to adjust your eating and sleeping routine quickly, pour some caffeine into your body, and start exploring! You can rest all you want when you get back!
If you have an adventurous nature, don’t let student life bound you. Save up, take out some time, and do what you love; TRAVEL! If you follow everything in the guide mentioned above, we promise you won’t face any difficulties. Happy Traveling!
