Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Travelling On a ShoestringJun 27, 2000 Write an essay on this topic.I have been a student for the last four years and I am incredibly poor but love to travel. Fortunately, I have found that I can travel across the country incredibly cheaply just by knowing a few basic tips. 1. Get a plane ticket using the last minute deals on the web. I'm not a planner, and I know must students aren't either, but that doesn't mean that we can't get cheap tickets. If you subscribe to the weekly email lists from the airlines you can find some great deals, especially from American and United airlines. I've always paid less than $300 for a ticket and have been able to travel within a week of the time that I wanted to travel. 2. Be flexible. Especially with airline tickets. You might have to miss a Monday morning class, but hey, you probably would anyway. Also, you might have to fly into an airport close to your destination and take a train or bus the rest of the way. I did this when I flew into San Jose and took the Caltrain to San Francisco. I saved tons of money and it wasn't much of an inconvenience. Also, if you are flexible about your travel times or destinations you will have more luck finding a ticket. 3. Stay in hostels. Hotels are a huge waste of money for college students. Hostels exist in most major cities and you can almost always find one that is clean, friendly and cheap. This may take a little research on your part (some hostels aren't known for their cleanliness) but this information isn't too hard to find. Check out the message board on www.hostels.com for advice. Depending on the hostel you may be able to get a private room, double room or free breakfast. But either way, you are certain to meet other students from all over the world and get good advice about the best places to travel for students. 4. Take advantage of everything free and cheap. You would be surprised at how much fun you can have in a city for little or no cost. Visit the Smithsonians in Washington D.C., or stroll through the Capital building. Go for a walk or a jog along the bay in San Francisco to take in the sites. Take the Staten Island ferry in New York City to see the Statue of Liberty and avoid the cost and crowds of the tours. Window shop on Bourban Street in New Orleans and take time to meet other students just hanging out. Many things can be done for free or almost free; make sure you don't fall into tourist traps and waste all of your money. 5. Use as much public transportation as possible. Subways, buses, trains, whatever. Make use of mass transit. Don't spend your money on rental cars or expensive taxis. Get a map of public transportation and use it. You can usually travel in and around the city for very little money, and many cities have cheap weekend passes that are a great deal. Utilize bus and train transfers. Traveling around the country doesn't have to be expensive if you are willing to do a little research and be flexible. A little knowledge about the city that you are going to is all you need and you can have a great weekend for a fairly cheap price. And the best thing is, you don't have to plan much in advance to do any of these things. Airline tickets can be bought as soon as one day before departure, hostel reservations can often be made the same day, the the rest of the information is easily available on the web. Happy travels!  |
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