Traveling on a College budget

By Max Berman on June 24, 2016

For the past four summers, I have been able to do something that most college students would have thought was impossible. Working as a barista for the past two years, money wasn’t exactly flowing in like it would be from a 9-5 job. Determined to still be able to travel, regardless of the fact I was a full time student, I set out to do anything to make it possible. The first step in all of this was grounding myself, and deciding where would be the best place to go where you’re centrally located, and that was affordable to stay. Immediately, my mind wandered to Paris. While it’s not the cheapest country in Europe, it’s possible to grab a hostel from fifteen to twenty dollars a night. What’s most important is Charles de Gaulle, and if you’re able to fly into here, you can virtually travel anywhere in Europe for next to nothing.

If you search the traditional flight sights (Delta, Jetblue, etc..) you’ll find ridiculous rates that will send your laptop flying across the room. Many times, this is where everyone stops. They were so excited, sat down with a snack and started looking at a map, and then it was all over before anything even happened. You didn’t even make it twenty minutes before totally giving up and turning Netflix back on, ready to cry yourself to sleep because you’ll never go anywhere cool in your entire life.

The immediate fix to this problem is bargain hunting, and with the internet there is really no excuse to not be able to find the best deals. Between Kayak.com and Google flights, I have been able to fly round trip every summer from Miami to Paris for less than $800, the cost of a typical flight to California and back. After you’re able to snag a deal on a plane, the next thing your mind turns to is lodging. For some reason, everyone believes that you absolutely must stay in a hotel and under no circumstances are you able to open yourself up and discover and experience new things. Instead, look for a hip hostel, which Europe is literally teeming with. For less than twenty dollars a night, you have a bed and a shower, and what more do you really need? If you’re okay with sleeping with anywhere from five to forty people in a room, then you really have nothing to worry about! As long as you bring a lock with you, there should be no worry of theft. I’ve managed to go the past four summers without having anything stolen from me, so I’m fairly confident as long as you’re not being flashy, you should be fine with your valuables.

Image via gettyimages

After flights and lodging, all you’re essentially left to deal with is food and entertainment. Luckily, eating in Europe is a much easier and cheaper process than in the States. What do I mean by this exactly? Europe has an incredible grab and go culture, and at every street corner there’s something to be purchased for a euro or two which is guaranteed to keep you full for at least a few hours. If you want to be extremely frugal, there’s always the same option you have in america, simply grocery shopping. Often times, hostels have communal kitchens where you’re able to store your purchases as well as prepare meals! If you really wanted, you’re able to stretch your budget much further that way.

As far as entertainment goes, it’s relatively easy to keep these costs down. Most of the time is going to be spent walking and exploring, so besides that it isn’t too hard to keep track of what you want to do the most. For example, my favorite museum in Paris is the Louvre. I’ve never once had to pay to go in because I simply bring my student identification card from America, and I’m automatically allowed to enter without a fee! While this isn’t heavily advertised, with the proper research you’re able to find that there are days in a month where museums are free for everyone.

Photo taken by Tony Futura

As for safety (everyone’s main concern), I’ve never had a problem while traveling where I’ve felt threatened. Even in the heart of Slovakia, I never once felt intimidated. I believe what’s most important is to realize that there is no where in the world where you are going to be completely protected, so you might as well and enjoy what is out there! If you hadn’t thought travel was possible before, I highly recommend checking out some of these sites and seeing if it’d be possible to work traveling into your budget!

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format