Just becuase you are a college student with limited funds, doesn’t mean you can’t still afford to travel. Here are some tips that can help you travel on college student budget:
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
WWOOF is basically what it sounds like. In exchange for a place to sleep and food to eat you agree to work on your hosts’ farm. I’ve heard of people working on wine vineyards, olive oil farms in Italy, flower farms, ranch/farms hybrids, and just about everything else. It’s important you find a farm that fits your interests or at least is asking for work you don’t mind doing. Another important factor is how much time off each host is willing to give you!
Head off the beaten path
Skip pricey locations around Europe and head off the beaten path! Some of the cheapest places to travel right now are also the coolest. Vietnam, Argentina, Guatemala, Morocco…Take your pick.
Skiplagged
Forget Expedia, Skiplagged is where it’s at. Sometimes it’s less expensive to book a flight with a connection and have that connection be your destination. Skiplagged, unlike every other travel website, includes these flights in its’ searches. Kind of confusing, but awesome when you think about it. This website has the potential to save you so much money that United Airlines sued the founder, Aktarer Zaman, hoping to shut it down. The only downside is you can’t check any bags or they’ll end up in the wrong location!
Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
It’s way easier to get a job teaching English than you might think. In a lot of cases you only need to get certified online, which I’ve heard is also fairly easy. You don’t make enough money to save much but you definitely make enough to live and adventure in your free time.
Take advantage of “off seasons”
For example, go to tropical destinations in summer instead of winter. Flights and everything else will be considerably cheaper. It’s not like there is actually a bad time to head to the Caribbean or some South Pacific islands!
Couchsurfing
One of the most expensive parts of traveling is finding a bed. So why not try a couch instead? Couchsurfing is an online community that allows you to connect with locals in your chosen destination who are ready to offer up their coach or guestroom to you for a little while. Everyone on the website is rated and recommended for safety reasons. The minus is obviously that this still sounds a little sketchy, but a huge plus is that you might make local friends. Check out the number of people around the world couchsurfing:
The grocery store is your best friend…
I don’t recommend totally missing out on restaurant cuisines because that’s one of the best parts of traveling! But a picnic every now and then is a huge money saver and an equally awesome experience if you find a beautiful beach or hike to bring your meal. Same goes for alcohol!
Work Away
Like WWOOFING, work away provides you with a list of hosts willing to exchange food and housing for labor. The big difference is Work Away has broader options. Also, they have a helpful “Last minute” page for those of us who are not exactly planners.
Happy Travels!