Let's face it, as college kids our spending decisions are less "What European vacation should I take?" and more "What flavor ramen should I buy this week?" Luckily for us, countries and cities across the globe are more than happy to take to Instagram and demonstrate how awesome they are.
Here are 17 Instagram pages that will fuel your wanderlust and let you travel the world from the palm of your hand — all without spending a dime.
1. Cape Town, South Africa (@lovecapetown).
A city that has hiking, beaches, surfing, and penguins?! (Also lots of sharks, but let's not talk about that part...)
I'll take a one-way ticket to Cape Town, please.
2. Queensland, Australia (@queensland).
Picture every Australian stereotype you can think of — the kangaroos, surfing, Outback, Great Barrier Reef — and boil it down into one (massive) state. Voilà, I present to you Queensland, Australia.
3. Mexico (@visitmexico).
A country as rich in beaches as it is in culture, Mexico's tourism page will have you seriously considering packing up and moving south of the border.
4. Tasmania, Australia (@tasmania).
When it comes to this Aussie island, what Tasmania lacks in warm weather and sandy beaches it more than makes up for with beautiful landscapes and insanely cute marsupials.
Bonus Photo: An albino echidna to melt your heart.
5. New Zealand (@purenewzealand).
New Zealand has been marketing itself as the #RealMiddleEarth for nearly two decades — a strategy that is working for this adventurer's paradise.
6. Finland (@thisisfinland).
Norway has the fjords, Sweden has ABBA, and Finland is just kinda, there... like the Jan Brady of Scandinavia. Don't let this fool you though, Finland is still one beautiful country and an underrated gem in the region.
7. British Columbia (@hellobc).
Even with #pnw, it seems like whatever the U.S. does, Canada finds a way to do it better. Well played British Columbia, well played...
8. Peru (@peru).
Rich in both culture and history, there's more to this South American country than just llamas and alpacas. For example, check out these rainbow-colored mountains.
9. Ireland (@tourismireland).
While New Zealand may be riding the Lord of the Rings bandwagon, Ireland has some tricks of its own and is beginning to promote itself as the filming location of "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Not bad, Ireland, or should I say Westeros?
10. Los Angeles, California (@discoverla).
Despite the fact that this city is seen millions of times in daily pop-culture, the City of Stars still hasn't lost its shine.
11. Oregon, U.S. (@traveloregon).
As a lifelong Washingtonian, it pains me to admit this, but Oregon is actually a pretty cool state and one of the under-appreciated gems of the Pacific Northwest.
12. United States (@visittheusa).
Sometimes it's hard to think of your own country as a tourist haven, but @visittheusa does a good job of highlighting regional gems you might not have known about. Follow this page and plan the route for your cross-country road trip.
13. Norway (@visitnorway).
At the top of my bucket list for years, Norway's Northern Lights and endless fjords that beg to be kayaked make this one very enticing country.
14. Montreal, Canada (@montreal).
Half-French, half-Canadian. Follow this page for bilingual bliss and a taste of European refinement in North America.
15. Hawaii, U.S. (@gohawaii).
Island lifestyle brought to you on the daily. We get it Hawaii, you're pretty....
16. Sacramento, California (@visitsacramento).
Sacramento may not have the glitz and glamour of other California cities, but what I love about this city's Instagram feed is their Guest Instagrammer series which lets you see the magic of the city through the eyes of an average Sacramentan.
17. Utah, U.S. (@visitutah).
Home to 'The Mighty 5' National Parks, Utah can pretty much be considered the adventure capital of America.
Bonus Destination: Your Hometown.
Even if you come from a small city of only a few thousand, there's a pretty good chance that your hometown has its own Instagram page to lure in travelers. Give it a follow and see your city from a new perspective.
Here's my college town of Bellingham, Washington (@bellinghamexperience). Yeah, I do live in a beautiful place...
