Your student years are some of the best times to travel, but traveling on a budget doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Here are some money saving tips and tricks for summer 2017.
Volunteer – Go WWOOFING
WWOOF is a money saving travel option which allows you to explore a range of different cultures while supporting the organic movement. Their website states: “WWOOF is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences.”
Although WWOOF do charge a fee, which can be around 56€ (depending on what country you choose to visit), this option is perfect for traveling on a budget as farmers often offer free accommodation and meals in return for work.
Flight searching
As always, finding cheap flights is a number one priority for the traveller. The good news is that cheap flights do exist, if you know where and when to look for them. The first thing you want to do is open an incognito window on your browser. Sometimes airlines will raise flight prices based on your search history, so opening this private window will allow you to get the best deal. Equally, always plan ahead when booking your flights and make sure you search around – don’t just settle on the first flight you land on.
Cheapflights.co.uk is my personal favourite, as it allows you to search thousands of airlines to find the best price. One benefit of being a student is the long summer holidays, which allows you to fly at non prime time (June-August). You might find that the best time to travel this summer is May or September when teaching for primary and high schools is still in progress.
Sleep cheap
Aside from staying with a host family, hostels are the cheapest form of accommodation, and are a great way to meet like minded people. Hostelworld.com is a great site which rates each hostel out of 10, and gives you access to hundreds of reviews. If you are the type of person who doesn’t need four walls in order to feel at home, maybe camping is more your thing.
Pitchup.com allows you to search the UK for the perfect camping spot and is probably your cheapest option as, on average, prices are around £15 per night – or even free!
Student Discounts
Being a student doesn’t have to mean you can’t afford to travel. The key is to use your student status to your advantage by making use of the plethora of student discounts that are available to you. A quick search online will bring up several sights, such as studentbeans.com, which will give you discounts on everything from busses to hotels, and even a free Uber ride. So make use of this while you can and get saving!
Don’t be put off by higher flight prices
Sometimes people are sucked in by cheap flight prices and base their decision on where to travel solely on this fact- I admit myself included. A flight to Berlin may only cost you £50, but food and accommodation may cost you a fortune. Where as a flight to India may cost you a couple hundred, but once you arrive you can live like a king for mere pennies.
Plan ahead
Set a budget and stick to it! Budget traveling can be both rewarding and fun and it allows you to get more for your money. Don’t exchange your money last minute at the airport, as the exchange rates won’t be in your favour – post offices and travel shops are a much better option. Also, book your flights EARLY. Not only will this lower the price of flights but gives you more time to plan your trip and your return.
I’d honestly be so careful if you’re going overseas to volunteer/intern. There are a lot of really sketchy organizations out there and the only one I’ve heard good things about is doing stuff through the UN. Have you had any experience with WWOOF personally?
Great post! Never heard of WWOOF before, but will check it out!