Wondering how to travel the world as a college student? These budget travel tips can help
Backpacking is a great way to see the world. All your worldly goods are crammed into a big bag that follows you around from the comfort of your own shoulders. You don’t have to be one of those eccentric travellers with tin mugs and spoons hanging all over the place, just a self-contained adventurer having a look at the wider world. In terms of compactness, we’re at a distinct advantage in this day and age.
Look at all the things your phone helps you with, from mobile banking to taking pictures. Forget, for now, that things like fancy hotels and restaurants even exist. At this point in your life, it’s all about making memories and you can leave the pampering and the luxury for later. You’re young, resilient, you’ve got energy, and you’ve got a bucketload of boxes to tick.
Got a Passport?
The US is so big and diverse that many Americans feel they don’t really need to cross the sea or any other border to expand their horizons, but most of us like to check out other parts sooner or later, be it seeing Paris, London, Sydney, or Toronto, or exploring other cultures in South America or Asia. Travel broadens the mind. It’s an old saying but it’s true. What you take for granted in your life might be completely different from how someone your age lives in another country. Better or worse, that helps you put things into perspective.
Money Matters: Credit Cards and Credit Ratings
There is one easy way to take all your financial resources with you: a credit card, and if you haven’t got one yet, maybe now is the time to do so. Check out the options as there are plenty of credit cards for students and choose the one that suits you. You can review a guide online that will go through the different interest rates and repayment terms. Get enough credit but not so much you’re going to have trouble paying it off, because this might be news to some people but, tomorrow really does come, and it comes with a bill to pay. You might also want to look at money transfer systems, which enable you to get paid as well as to pay, and if it’s linked to your bank account, you’ve got that flexibility too.
Student Discounts?
It is very attainable to explore a new city on a budget you just need to know the hacks. Many businesses will give special deals to students because you are the big customers of the future. Travel-wise, see if there’s some kind of rail card you can use where you’re going. In some places for a modest one-off payment, you can use the whole network. Buses, too, can have these deals available. To get there in the first place, shop around for your air ticket. Times of year, days of the week and even times of day can affect prices so play around with different combinations. You might find yourself flying out of Miami at five o’clock on Christmas morning, but so what? You’ll survive and you’ve saved some cash.
Eat Local Food
For reasons of budgeting as well as authenticity, try the local street food. It’s going to have local quirks; it’s probably very tasty and food trucks are a lot more sophisticated than they used to be. Have a burger now and then if you must, but check out the fish and chips, try the curry, have a go at the curried noodles, and if the menu includes deep fried grubs or weird squid-like things in mango and garlic sauce, think of the stories you’ll have to tell when you get home.
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