Fall Break: A Budget Getaway to Ireland

After studying abroad in the spring semester, I’ve noticed that I have a bit of a travel bug. So when friends mentioned some absurdly cheap flights to Dublin, Ireland over fall break, I had no choice but to hop back on a plane over to Europe. Of course, I am still a broke college student, so it took a decent amount of cost-cutting to make this trip fit my budget and still have a fun time.

First of all, we found our flights using Skyscanner.com; a website that searches all available flights through every airline. It will find the cheapest possible flight for any location and time, but give you a range of options to choose from. 

Staying in an Airbnb can be a great way to save money when traveling with friends. We got a small, central apartment in Dublin for 5 nights, and split 6 ways it is cheaper than you’d think. This can be fun if you have a larger group, but if you are traveling solo or with less people Europe has plenty of good quality and safe hostels where you can get a bed for cheap. 

Going out to eat is always a fun part of traveling, but it can get pricey going out for every meal. A good way to work around this is to go to local grocery stores and grab some quick meal prep/pre-made meals. We typically chose one meal per day to eat at a restaurant—especially in Ireland you don’t want to miss out on the pub culture with live music and good food. But it is important to balance this with some cheaper meals. 

It can be tempting to go all out on souvenir shopping when on vacation, but little trinkets and gifts can add up quickly. One way I like to save money is to prioritize experiences over physical souvenirs. I decided to pay for a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher rather than buy a sheep keychain. One loophole to this is my favorite type of trinket: postcards. A postcard rarely costs more than $2, and they are a great way to remember a trip that you can frame them for wall decor or tape into a scrapbook. 

Travel can be expensive, I’m not denying that. But if you really want to get out there, there are some great ways to still have a fun time and not break the bank.