wan•der•lust noun a strong desire to travel
Sitting at the back of a lecture room, listening to professor’s tedious monologue (that would have probably been more interesting had the sun not shone so bright through the high windows), my thoughts wander off – first to a dreamy Portuguese beach, then in a loud and busy Milanese street, and at last they take me to a wild party in Ibiza. First signs of spring always make me experience especially intense wanderlust. And I know I am not the only one.
Everything is clear in my mind – I want to fly the world, see the prettiest cities, party at the craziest venues, and make new friends – except, who is funding all of this? A student budget does not exactly grant one Hilton hotels or business class flights, and we cannot forever live off mums and dads. That, however, does not mean we should spend our best years stuck in one place. Below are my tips for traveling on budget as a student.
1. Sometimes you will have to settle for less.
“Ugh, I just don’t do public transport.” “I would never sleep in a dorm room.” “Low class airlines are simply not for me.” Admittedly, I used to be one of the girls who say things like that, but I have eventually learnt that paying less does not mean worse experience on your holidays. Most times, paying for a cheap hostel room in the city centre will turn out to be a much more fun adventure than renting an expensive villa in the outskirts.
2. Travel cheap.
Besides accommodation, travel is one of the biggest parts of the travel costs. Like I have pointed out in the previous point, forget your prejudices, and book a cheap flight. Travel by train when possible. You can sleep on comfortable beds and take luxurious long baths at home, but you are (hopefully) traveling to experience something new, even if that means spending the night on a train.
3. Start small.
I know you want to wander the streets of New Yorks, see the blinding lights of Tokyo, and tan in the Maldives, and there will be a time and place for that, but first discover the gems around you. Europe is the ideal place for that – three hours on a plane will get you to nearly every capital city, and the time change is ±1 hour at the most. Here are some of my suggestions – Prague, Amsterdam, Paris (obviously!), Milan, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Lisbon, Vienna, and Stockholm. All tried and tested by yours truly, I can guarantee you get a fair share of both sightseeing and partying in each of these beautiful cities.
4. Plan well.
Travel agencies are simple and quick – a sweep with your credit card, and the dream holidays are booked. Traveling with an agency, however, can as much as double your costs. Planning can definitely be stressful, but it gives you the chance to personalise your trip to every last detail. For me personally, planning is half of the fun (and it massively cuts the costs).
I hope you enjoyed this article! Please share your best travel tips in the comments below!
Eva Victoria (http://www.theundercoverprincess.com)