Studying abroad gives you the great opportunity to see different parts of the world while you take normal college classes. It can be tempting to head off on different trips every weekend without noticing that your budget is disappearing faster than you had planned. Try out these ways to save money on your weekend trips so that you can see everything on your bucket list this semester.
1.Take your student ID everywhere
You’d be surprised how useful your LMU ID can be even off campus. Lots of famous sites around the world give discounts to students. Sometimes, your student ID might even be able to get you in for free. Carrying your ID around really isn’t that much of a hassle, and the amount of money you save will definitely make you thankful for having it.
2. Look up free museum days, and plan accordingly
Lots of the big cities around Europe give free or discounted admission to museums on a certain day. If you are hoping to see everything a city has to offer without spending too much money, waiting to travel on a weekend when the sites are free can do just the trick.
3.Search incognito
When you are looking up hotel rooms or travel fare, try using an incognito or untraceable browser on your computer. If your computer realizes that you are interested in booking a trip, odds are the prices will start to go up. Use an incognito browser, or book on a different computer than you research to avoid this conundrum.
4.Use search engines but book through the airline
Unlike flights within the United States where round trip bookings are often cheapest, discount airlines in Europe are usually paid for on a per flight cost. Therefore, using a website that can search multiple airlines at once is the best way to find the cheapest option for travel. Then, return to the actual airline website to book the respective flights in case they have discounts available.
5.Consider additional costs
Discount airlines are great if you are ready to stuff all of your clothes into a small backpack, but if you are hoping for a more spacious or luxe version of travel they might not actually be worth it. The $20 flight you booked can end up costing a lot more if you have to pay to check in, pay for your bag, pay for a snack and drink and pay to choose a seat beside your friend. Consider how much you are going to spend in extra costs, and see if the cheapest flight will really end up being the cheapest option.