I'm just like you, a poor—just kidding—on-a-budget college student. Traveling out of country is basically out of my reach right now, but I'm focused on traveling domestically. Since my fiancée lives in New York and I live in Las Vegas, these tips are a lifesaver to me, my time and my money.
1. Be flexible with your dates and have alternative options available.
Try to be as flexible as you can. Instead of having one particular date in mind, have a few different dates that might work for you. For example, let’s say you have a four-day weekend in September, try to see if you have a few days also in the next couple of months in case something might come up or you have to change due to financial reasons. The cost of plane tickets can vary (even just weeks apart). You may save upwards of $50 or more by switching your dates by just a week or two later.
2. Flying on a weekday is usually cheaper than flying on a weekend.
Try to fly on a weekday, not a weekend. There are certain cases when some weekends may be cheaper, but it doesn’t happen often. Always check various airlines to see when it’s cheapest to fly. This also goes back to being flexible with your days: you might lose a day on your trip, but you may also save tons of money that you don’t have. Because let’s face it, if you're in college like me, you most likely don't have the money to travel leisurely. Also be careful about holiday weekends: prices really increase during those times.
3. Don't overpack.
Pack minimally! I can’t stress it enough—you can easily take just a few pieces of clothing with you, especially if you’re only in the area for a few days. If anything you can wear all your “extra clothing” on you when you board the plane. Just layer your clothes so you have less in your luggage. Also if you can just fit all you need in a carry-on and a personal bag, do it. You will save money if you don’t bring a checked bag (as most airlines charge a fee). Rolling clothes and stuffing socks, belts and other misc. items inside your shoes helps save space. If you have to, you can use space bags to minimize the bulk in your luggage.
4. Prioritize your tech gear.
Organize the tech gear you need. If you need your laptop make sure to have that in your personal bag so you know it’s safe. Bring a tablet if you have one. Put all your cords and wall plugs in zip lock bags so you don’t misplace them and they’re in a convenient place in your bags. Pack your headphones in zip lock bags also. Pack an external battery if you have one, it helps when you can't find a wall outlet.
5. Look into all available airports within a reasonable driving distance to your destination.
Depending on where you are flying, it might be better, easier and more convenient to fly into an outside airport rather than the main hub one. In New York, for example, they have a few different airports: JFK is the main hub and there is LGA (La Guardia) and EWR (New York, Newark, NJ) that may be available to you at a cheaper rate. Always keep checking though because prices always change.
6. Search for tickets using a private browser.
Do not search on a regular browser, always search on incognito (Google Chrome) or private browsing (i.e., Safari.) This will help keep your ticket prices low. If you ever searched for plane tickets on a regular browser and keep refreshing or reloading flights and travel websites, you will notice a slight increase in the price almost every time. It is because they can track your cookies and see that you have been looking for airline tickets. You don’t want that at all. You want to get the best deal for a low price.
7. Sign up for airline loyalty programs.
Sometimes there are promotions for cheaper flights or airline points that you can grab if you sign up with them. Every time you fly you earn points with them and can achieve free airfare or upgraded seats.
8. Use a credit card to obtain airline miles.
If you want to earn miles for flying, you can always open a credit card that allows you to earn miles. Be careful though, because it can screw your credit if you aren’t using and paying it off. Talk to your local bank and see what options you may come across in terms of airline miles.
9. Reuse old hotel shampoo containers.
If you have ever stayed in a hotel before, you can take their shampoo/conditioner containers and reuse them as your own. They are typically travel size and after those containers are empty you can easily fill them up with your own shampoo or other body products and boom -- you save on buying travel size containers.
10. Use gift cards as an alternative method of payment.
If you don’t really want material items for your birthday/celebrations, you can always ask for gift cards instead of cash. You can get a prepaid debit card basically, and use that as a way to budget what you spend during your travels. Food gift cards are insanely popular and most franchises have them. It’s great in a pinch if you don’t have the money for food or you want to save that money for souvenirs. This way you don’t spend the money you actually saved up for the trip.
11. Stay in a hostel or alternative hotel.
If you’re going to a place where you may know someone there, ask them if you can crash at their place for a few days or pay them money to stay rather than paying for a hotel room. Airbnb is also another popular way to stay in a convenient location within a decent price. Hostels are also an option: an establishment that provides inexpensive food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, or travelers.
12. Buy one-way tickets.
Buying two one-way tickets may be cheaper than buying a round trip ticket. Also it gives you more flexibility, if you end up cutting your trip short or you want to extend it. Plus it gives you an advantage to explore to other places if you want to hop from one city to the next.
13. Take a train or bus instead of an airplane.
Taking the train can be a great alternative, especially if you reside on the east coast of the U.S. There are trains that go up and down the east coast and it’s usually a cheaper alternative to flying. If you have the time, you can hit up major cities and have a couple days in between to explore instead of flying to each place. You save a lot more money and it’s a great way to sight-see. Also, there are a lot of bus services that can take you to popular cities for a low-ball price. It can be around $60+ round trip from Las Vegas to LA versus a plane ticket that will cost at least $100.
14. Make copies of all of your important documents.
It would be very beneficial if you made copies of all of your documents, including passports, airline tickets, itinerary, identification cards, visa's and any other important documents for your trip. You never know what can happen to the original. Just copy them and fold them up to put inside a zip lock back or inside a folder to put in your personal and/or suitcase.
P.S., bring an empty water bottle or water container so you can fill up after you get through security check at the airport, because no one wants to pay for overpriced water.
Here are some links to help get you started on your next travel:
15. Check out travel agencies that aim at college students for great travel deals during your breaks.
There are a lot of travel agencies that give college students a really good deal on airline tickets, hotels and attractions in various cities, and countries from all over the world. A popular site that has a travel package for those between the ages of 18 - 28 is EfCollege Break, you get a lot more than you think plus personal guides and a safety net for those traveling by themselves or with a group of friends. StaTravel is also a great site to buy plane tickets, again specifically aiming for college students who just wants to explore.
Happy traveling! Get those aesthetic Instagram photos.
