Travelling is oftentimes treated as something special, expensive, and generally out of reach for college students… or honestly, nowadays, for most people under 30, but what if I told you that you could travel more casually? I’ve been travelling frequently and casually for years, having had to visit multiple people who lived in different states. I was consistently, almost weekly, looking at Google flights to see when the cheapest time was to fly. I have been able to take a four-day trip that only cost me $50 round trip to cities like Chicago and New York City.
Here are some steps to get you to travel more casually, or at least open your mind to it
1.  Where are your friends located?
It’s more than likely that you have at least one friend or family member who lives in a different state or city. Is this a city you want to go to? Do you just need a getaway? Ask this person if you can stay with them for a couple of days, if they can show you around, or at least host you. Your first trip does not need to be something grandiose, you can start small even if that friend lives in the middle of nowhere. I have been able to go to multiple cities by couch surfing. Some have been: Long Island, Chicago, San Diego, Alexandria… and on the books are Houston and NYC!
2.  Track flight prices
If you’re trying to go to a major city like Chicago or New York City, I promise you that there will come a point where you will find a flight that is about $50 round trip, you just need to keep an eye on it or have Google or an app do it for you. I had a friend just recently gift me a roundtrip to Chicago for $78 and you know I’ll be couch surfing.
3.  Rent a room in Airbnb
You don’t always need to be renting a whole unit for yourself, a lot of these cities often have people renting rooms with locks on them. If you’re really on a tight budget, opt for that. If not, look for the smallest place you can find, but make sure it’s in a safe and walkable area. I have yet to try this myself, but you are able to read the bios and see if the host is a good fit for you, if you like meeting new people and aren’t shy this is a great option.
4.  Take advantage of anything free
A lot of these cities have either low-cost transit support or free transport, as well as tons of free activities to do. Focus on the free sightseeing, go to a park, and try to hit the museum on a certain day. Thanks to social media, you’ll be able to find tons of free-to-low-cost options to the city that you’ll be visiting. Major cities always have free activities! Chicago is my favorite for this. Some of the free places to visit are: Lincoln Park Zoo, Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago Cultural Center and of course Millennium Park!
5.  Make it a day trip
Sometimes we don’t have all of that money to stay 3 or 4 days, so go for a day. Take a really early flight and a really late return. Make a whole day out of the city that you’re visiting from breakfast, lunch and dinner to activities, possible farmers markets, and tons of sightseeing. The best part is you don’t need to pack any luggage.
These are just 5 tips to get your mind going on how easy and accessible traveling to different parts of the nation can be. Once you start, you never go back, safe travels!