Best Money Saving Travel Hacks for Students
Travel is getting cheaper and cheaper all the time. But, if you don’t have the right information, the deals, promotions, tips and tricks might pass you buy. There’s plenty of ways to cheat the system. Here’s a few you might not know about.
#1. Fly — Don’t be a slave to the land.
It feels like there’s a certain purity in never taking a plane when you’re backpacking. There isn’t. Sleeping on trains and busses may feel more authentic, but, flights are often more efficient and can even be cheaper.
You don’t have infinite time, make the most of it. Here are the top cheap flight websites to hit up:
Europe: Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, Wizz Air, AirBerlin, Transavia, Norwegian, Flybe, German Wings, Monarch Airlines, Smart Wings and Meridiana.
Asia: Scoot, AirAsia, Indigo, Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia, Peach, SpiceJet, Nok Air.
South America: This excellent blog from thrifty nomads has all the info.
(For all others, check out this Wikipedia page)
Flight comparison site: The best one, by far, is Skyscanner.
#2. Where to Sleep — Do people actually stay in hotels anymore?
If you are on a backpacker student budget, hotels are out of the question. A lot of the times, cheap hotels are sterile and offer poor service, so you end up paying more for less. In addition, there is no common room, no bar or the local authentic experience. Avoid them!
Here’s some great alternatives:
Couchsurfing — This concept that started in the nineties, it is still going strong. Couchsurfing offers free accommodation and cultural exchange, giving you that local experience. They also feature meetups and events.
Hostels — Hostelworld have the most offers on their site. Look for hostels that have great common areas, bars or games rooms if you are travelling alone.
AirBnB — A great option if you are travelling with friends or in a couple and after your own space. You can house-share or get a place to yourself. It can be cheaper than paying for individual beds in a hostel, and you might even up in a castle, boat or one of the many quirky accommodations they offer.
#3. Travelling on land — Trains, Busses and Ridesharing
Trains are the classic way to travel the world. (Especially if you hate the idea of cheating and taking a flight). There are ways a few ways to get cheap train travel in the UK, on mainland Europe and even, in countries like Japan and even the USA.
British Railcard — The under 25’s/Student Railcard is around £30, but gets you a 1/3 discount off all train travel in Britain for a year. Vital. Also, check out the idea of split ticketing. (Also, use the Virgin Trains ‘Ways to Save‘ button to, hopefully, slash train ticket prices).
Interrailing — Ticket prices vary, but with early bird deal, you can get travel 30 countries for €170, with early bird offers.
Earlier the Better — Speaking of early bird, trains, in Britain at least, are cheaper the earlier you book.
Amtrak Passes — Surprisingly, the USA can actually be crossed by train for under $300. There’s a range of other types of ticket available.
Megabus — The thing that explained busses to the Americans again. The earlier you book, the cheaper it is. They cross a lot of the continent these days.
Eurolines — A decent European rival to Megabus, prices are usually under £30 to places like Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin.
FlixBus — Great low cost bus operator in Europe. Travel from just €5 to more than 2500 destinations in 36 countries.
Other options: National Express, IDBUS, Berlinlinienbus, Mein Fernbus and ADAC Postbus.
Ridesharing
A couple of decent websites let you share longer trips and journeys. There’s even a few professional companies getting in on the act.
BlaBlaCar — This is probably one of the biggest, and safest, sites to use. Trips can be reviewed, and they also run a ladies only service.
GoCarShare — You can list your trips and set a price that people can then select from. It’s great for trips back to uni or for getting to festivals.
LiftShare — Likewise, this site is a swish way to do all the previous.
UberPool — When you’re on a night out in the city and looking to get home, you can now carpool your taxi for a cheaper rate in select cities.
#5. Things to do
Free Tours — (Well, you have to tip)
Each city is different, but there are enough tricks that work universally. This especially applies to tours and museums. In some cities that stuff is free, but…if it’s not, try these guys.
New Europe Tours — A collection of cities, from London to Tel Aviv are covered by tours covering pubs, ale and ‘Alternative’ whatever that is. You tip at the end, but they tend to be worth it.
Free City Tour — They cover some more unusual destinations, like Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Kraków and Saint Petersburg.
Original Europe Tours — A bit more stylized, yet friendlier for it, Original Europe are good for the hidden sides of some more common cities.
There’s also a glut of free tour agencies in North America, including Strawberry Tours (who also cover Havana).
Make use of free museums
Always check to see which museums are free, and if not, many attractions offer a free entrance on Sunday. For example, in Paris, the Louvre offers free entry to the under 18s and Eu and EEC citizens under the age of 25. Also, many of London’s key Museums and galleries are also free, like the British Museum and the Tate.
Getting an ISIC Card, available to international students, can provide huge discounts in places like the Kremlin and at almost all Chinese national parks and museums.
#6 — Food and Drink
Finally, here’s some great general advice for eating abroad. Something which can be quite tricky. We all want to avoid ‘Delhi Belly’ take this advice.
Pay more in certain countries — India, for instance, has a fierce reputation for food poisoning. Often the food in hotels will be safe, as will the vegetarian street food. It’s recommended to go fully vegetarian there anyway.
Cook at the hostel or Airbnb— This is very useful in Europe, Australia, the USA and parts of South America
Make use of Happy Hours — Most cities have them, especially expensive places like Paris. Although they are banned in the UK. There’s even places in Reykjavík that serve pints for around €3.
Extra tips
- Avoid backpacking in Western Europe, you’re only going to travel there when you’re old anyway. (The rest is cheaper).
- Always buy transportation cards and bundles where available.
- Don’t get a taxi from the airport. (Who are you, the Queen?)
- Take a backpack, not a suitcase. You’ll pack lighter and avoid extra baggage fees.
- Shop around for travel insurance, you can usually get it for less than €25 a month.
- Buy all your travel essentials (pillows, adapters, etc.) outside the airport.
And remember: if you are staying for longer, find the perfect accommodation with Uniplaces.
