When asking my friends what is holding them back from travelling, they almost all say that it’s money. It’s easier, and yes, more practical to hold off travels until “you can afford it”. But what if you actually can afford it? Travelling on a student budget may seem daunting, but with a few tips and tricks, you could be jetsetting in no time without a maxed out credit card to follow you home.
1) Do your research
Don’t book a $1000 flight to Europe because it seems “reasonable”. Compare as many websites as possible, and if you can, track pricing for at least a month to see when the prices rise and drop. By the end of a month, you’ll know what the going rate is for your flight. My favourite websites to compare flight prices are momondo.com and skyscanner.com, both of which you can set to send you “price alerts” to your e-mail when the prices drop significantly so you can get the best rate.
2) Be flexible with your dates
This one can be tricky for students, as we typically only get a couple weeks between semesters. But changing either the outward or return date of your flight could save you hundreds of dollars. Flying Monday – Thursday tends to be much less expensive than Friday – Sunday, and might just make the trip worth it for you.
3) Keep your mind open to new destinations
On skyscanner.com, you can type in your home airport and available travel dates, and then put your destination as “everywhere”. It then lists the cheapest destinations for you to go from your home airport! Perfect for an impromptu getaway. For us Vancouver travellers, my new favourite website recommended to me is yvrdeals.com. You have to be fairly flexible with your dates, but it posts new deals all the time on flights out of YVR to just about everywhere. The best part, the research is done for you. It tells you the cheapest dates and website to go through for your trip! And in my opinion, some of the most exciting travel locations (Roundtrip flight to Peru for $538?! Hello, Machu Picchu!)
4) Are you in Europe? Fly Ryanair.
If I could literally sing my praises to a company, I would write a symphony for Ryanair. They were my lifesavers during my travels in Europe, because it was so inexpensive. The airline itself is pretty barebones; you have to pay for any checked luggage, boarding passes must be printed at home prior to arrival at the airport, and there is nothing luxurious about the planes themselves. However for the price, I could not care less. I have had flights from Ireland to France, Portugal to Scotland, Prague to England, you name it, each for 10 euro. This is equal to about 14 Canadian dollars. YES, a flight for fourteen dollars.
5) Limit food spending
Eating out is exciting in a new country – you want to try all the delicacies and eat like a local. Trust me, there’s no one who loves stuffing their face with foreign food more than me. But eating out for every single meal and snack of the day takes a huge hit on the wallet. If you are staying in a hostel or an airbnb, consider making use of the kitchen provided for at least one meal of the day. I personally like to hit a supermarket when I first arrive and buy breakfast foods and snacks for the time that I am there so I only spend money on lunches and dinners while I’m out.
6) Those boots are made for walkin’
Travelling can be exhausting. But what adventure isn’t? Flights are already expensive enough, so I try and limit my spending on transportation wherever I can. Taxis are always a no-go for me. When the drivers see that you’re a tourist, the majority will rip you off big time. Public transportation is great for airport transfers and if you have a limited amount of time and a bunch of tourist spots you need to see quickly. However, I often find the quirkiest spots in cities and get the best feel for the culture and people when I am walking around a city (it also helps burn off all the pastries you just had to try at that last bakery).
7) Mind the conversion rate!
This one may seem redundant, but I know too many people who just look at prices in foreign countries and pretend it is in Canadian dollars. Don’t do it. When a £15 meal in England ends up being $25 Canadian, at the end of the day, it makes a huge difference.
8) Take a break from your phone
I am a self-confessed phone addict, it’s true. I find living without data on my cellphone challenging. Especially since I am also directionally challenged and use Google maps on a daily basis to get around. However, when I went to foreign countries with friends and didn’t pay for data, I found it surprisingly easy to find Wifi around the city and had a refreshing break from snapchatting my every move. However, when I travelled alone, I knew I needed data for my (and my mother’s) peace of mind. I found the best way to do this was to: 1) Unlock your phone before you leave: Call your cell phone provider and let them know you’d like to unlock your phone; it costs about $30 and will be charged to your next bill. 2) Buy a sim card in whatever country you’re in and swap out your old one! Just don’t lose it, or else you won’t be able to reconnect to your network back home! You can often find great deals in foreign countries, I’ve gotten 7 GB of data and 200 minutes for about $15. Once again, doing your research beforehand helps.
9) Hostels aren’t scary
There is definitely a negative stigma around youth hostels – either that they’re dirty, creepy, or a 24/7 frat party. While there are cases of all of these problems, the great majority are clean, safe, and quiet. In my opinion, they are one of the most fun ways to stay in a foreign city. Benefit #1 is that they’re inexpensive. Score. Additionally, they are a great way to meet new people, especially if you’re travelling solo. They are often placed in convenient, central locations in cities, and offer fun nights out or sight-seeing excursions for their guests. Whether you’re a hostel-avoider or a hostel-connoisseur, reading the reviews of your hostel beforehand is a must-do to make sure you make the right choice for you.
10) FREE WALKING TOURS
This is my favourite frugal travel tip. Almost every city has companies that do free walking tours every day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Book your space online beforehand, show up at their meeting point and get taken around the city for a few hours by a local tour guide! I like to take my tour as soon as possible upon arrival so that you get a taste for everything and can then choose what I’d like to come back to. Although they are free of charge, it is expected that at the end of the tour you leave a small tip for the tour guide, the equivalent of $5 Canadian is usually appropriate, but you can be the judge. Now go jetset, and still be able to afford to stuff your bag with souvenirs … and your stomach with some of those French pastries?