As we are all aware, for most students university life comes hand in hand with a lack of funds, making post-study escapes abroad or within the UK a rather difficult, if not impossible feat. Undeterred by this inevitable reality, here is a list of ideas of budget holidays for students to get you started:
Camping
Although the notion of camping always reminds me of that hilarious Inbetweeners episode, for outdoorsy types camping is a fab way to explore the countryside and just escape the stresses of general life for a while. There’s always the option of glamping if you feel you cannot go without your luxuries-think WiFi, running water for those all-important hot chocolates and warm comfy beds. You can view a list of global campsites that welcome student groups here.
City breaks
Fancy soaking up some culture with your pals, snapping some amazing photos and exploring beautiful cities? STA Travel provides excellent package deals for European city breaks, including Paris, Barcelona, Berlin and Prague, with prices starting at just £119 inclusive of flights! The site also provides helpful guides to the various hostels and hotels available at each destination. You can check out their site here.
Volunteering
Organisations such as Original Volunteers pride themselves in providing budget volunteering experience overseas, with projects starting from just £37 per week. Opportunities include teaching English, working with children and getting involved with conservation projects. Check out their site here.
Visit family and friends
Why not make the most of your connections and catch up with old friends by taking the opportunity to visit relatives living abroad, or friends that are on their year abroad? As well as saving you money on accommodation, they will be clued-up on all of the best places to visit and could be your very own tour guide. Last-minute flights can be surprisingly cheap!
Festivals
Although technically not a holiday as such, volunteering at music festivals allows you free entrance and camping for the duration of the event in return for three 8-hour shifts. Other benefits exclusively available for volunteers are showers and hot meals. There’s only so long you can live on the myriad of pizza and burger stalls, let’s be real. My boyfriend and I volunteered at 2016’s Leeds Festival through HotBox events and loved it. Amongst shifts patrolling campsites in cooperation with the security teams, helping festival-goers with putting up their tents and stay safe, we managed to see so many bands including Biffy Clyro, Asking Alexandria and The Wombats. You can check out HotBox’s dedicated site here.
Airbnb
A cheaper alternative to hotels, Airbnb provides thousands of different accommodation options both within the UK and globally, giving students the opportunity to have more control over their holiday than pre-organised packages. What’s more, the options available are so much more quirky than your average hotel, including a bamboo cottage in Bali, a secluded treehouse in Atlanta and an Airstream glamping experience in Andalucia. Hosts also offer cultural experiences for a fee, largely based around art and design, food and drink, lifestyle and sports. Check out the options here.