How to travel to Europe or America when you are broke

We all know how expensive traveling can be but I believe that traveling is for everybody. If you really set your mind to it, it can become a reality. Here are the following steps I use as a struggling student to ensure I am able to travel.



1) Figure out exactly where you want to go

The first step might sound fairly straightforward but believe me when I say it can prove to be more challenging than you think. Traveling as student or as someone who does not have a lot of spending money is not impossible but it can be limiting. Accept that you will most likely not be staying at a 5 star hotel with a view of the Eiffel tower. It is important to remember that you will be spending most of your time in the place which you are visiting. That is essentially what traveling is all about, it is getting to know the surroundings, the people, and the culture. These are a few important aspects that should be take in for considerations before making your final decision. Other factors include weather, do you want a Nordic climate or a nice spicy Spanish one. Do you prefer an physically active vacation with rock climbing or a relaxing one filled with sightseeing? To help narrow down the search I always ask myself: What am I looking forward to the most in a vacation? Jot down your thoughts and proceed from there.

Tip: have a rough estimate of how much you are willing to spend for a vacation


2) Cutting costs for flying

Once you figure out where you want to go you have to figure out how you are going to get there. If you are flying to America or Europe you know that the majority of your money is going towards the flight. There are a few things I keep in mind which allows me to cut traveling costs in half.


Travel during the low season

This is by far the most effective way to cut flight and accommodation costs. For those of you who do not know, airlines and hotels have a low season and a high season. High season is the time of the year where the most people visit, meaning they jack up the prices. If you travel during the low season prices are dropped dramatically to encourage visitors.

Europe:

High season- Summer
Low season- Winter
High season bubble- Christmas/New Years


America: determined by city

e.g) New York

High season- July- December
Low season- January- June
High season bubble- spring time if weather is nice



Flying on a particular day of the week

Yes, believe it or not but flying on a Monday can actually be more expensive than flying on Thursday. This is particular true for the weekends. The cheapest day to fly has been claimed to be Wednesday but just play with the dates while searching for a flight to get the best deal.

Book your flight early

The closer your flight date is to when you are purchasing a ticket the more expensive it is going to be. Avoid this by booking your ticket months in advance of when you are planning on traveling.

Frequent flyer miles

Frequent flyer miles are essentially reward points for flying that can be used towards paying for a plane ticket. If this is your first time traveling then this is not particularly useful but if you are planning on traveling in the future this is something to sign up for. You can also earn frequent flyer miles by using a credit card linked with a specific airline. The more frequent flyer miles the less you have to spend on a plane ticket. There have been a few times where my frequent flyer miles have completley covered the cost of my flight.


Flying to a cheaper destination

Certain destinations are cheaper to fly to than others. You can take advantage of this by flying to a cheaper destination near where you want to vacation and then travel there by car or by train. This can be a little bit inconvenient and may take slightly longer but can make a significant difference in your costs.


Utilize being a student with student sites

If you are a student like me you know there are a lot of discounts that are available, this includes flights. My favorite discounted flight site is Student Universe ( https://www.studentuniverse.com/students/promo-codes) they offer specials to certain destinations which could be a contributing factoring on your location choice.


*Tip: When you are traveling to a country with a different currency, exchange your money at the bank, not the airport exchange place. This will help to save money because airport exchange centers typically try to rip you off.



3) Cheap accommodation

Accommodation is another expense yet an important one. Although it does not always have to be expensive. If you do fly during low season these prices will also be reflected in hotel or site prices.

• Camping- this will be the cheapest option by far and is a great choice for those who love the outdoors. If you decide to fly during a high season (summer) camping can be a good way to balance out the expenses. 
• Easyhotel- if you do not want to camp because of weather or because it's just not your thing yet don't really care about how nice your hotel is then the Easyhotel is a great option. This is the farthest thing from fancy but if you are trying to pinch your penny and only care about having a bed at night then this is the option for you.
• Local hotels- if you are looking for a cute place to reside while on vacation then small local hotels or bnb's are typically offering great deals as well as a personalized atmosphere. 

Tip: to ensure you don't get scammed or stuck in a bad hotel use trip advisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/) to check reviews and prices of hotels and establishments. 

5) Maximize your trip (optional) 

A great way to maximize your experience on vacation is to see as much as possible with as little money as possible. To do this your options are sleeper trains or renting a caravan. This can also double as accommodation at night cutting costs.

Europe:

Interrail- this train allows you to travel across Europe and depending on how many places you would like to travel determines the price.

e.g) travel on 5 days within a period of 15 days for only 206 euros.

https://www.interrail.eu/en/interrail-passes/global-pass

America:

Renting a caravan- America is the epitome of road trips.  This option allows you to see the diverse nature and people of this country and cuts significantly in accommodation costs.

6) Budgeting your trip 

Now that you have figured out where you are going, how you are getting there, and where you will stay you have to total up all of the costs. If everything is in your range of what you are willing to spend that's great! In order to be successful in making your trip happen you must be setting yourself a goal. Tell yourself you will be setting 100 dollars/euros (whatever the amount may be) aside each month until you reach your goal. If you put that money somewhere you know you wont touch it then you will be in your vacation location in no time!


Adventure Awaits!

I have found that not having as much money for traveling actually provides with a more interesting experience. What are some of your dream vacation destinations? Leave a comment below

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