While stuck in your boring lecture on a cold and dreary day, there are probably a few different places your mind is wandering to...
1. What you want to eat for lunch - you're so hungry and only had a granola bar for breakfast.
2. Why Chad, from Apple Delta Zipple, isn't texting you back.
3. Being anywhere but that lecture hall.
When the days are short and temperatures don't get above 30 degrees, all I can think about is going south and being on a beach in the sun not worrying about the 20 million assignments I have to complete.
We all get the travel bug, some more than others, but we all get it, no doubt.
Whether it's to experience new cultures, learn more about the world, or just get bomb Instagram pics, it's important to get out and see the world.
God knows it's not cheap, though... and as college kids, well we're ballin' on a budget here.
1. Flights
I could buy one semester's worth of textbooks or I could buy a flight to Cabo. Truthfully I'd rather say "fuck it" and buy a flight to Mexico but realistically that's not going to happen.
With careful planning on when your next vacation is, however, you may not have to choose between the two.
Thrifty Nomads has some helpful hints on how to find the cheapest flights. Put your browser on private or incognito to search flights so it's not keeping track of how often you are looking up flight prices. Because every time you go back to look it jacks up the prices more and more.
Than use websites like Skyscanner or Kiwi to search for cheap flights!
Another good way to constantly be looking for cheap flights with little effort is using the Hopper app. Simply download and enter in what flights you want it to look for, and it will constantly be looking up prices and send you notifications on when to hold off on buying or when is best to buy a ticket!
It's seriously been a lifesaver on planning my next trip to Mexico!
Pro Tip: Tickets are usually cheapest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and buy tickets two months in advance for best pricing.
2. Lodging
This is the area where you can end up spending the most money the fastest without a blink, so it's important to be as diligent in looking for a place to stay as it is looking for a flight.
TBH Airbnb is going to be your best bet in finding a great place to stay for the cheapest price. They usually come with more amenities than a hotel (full kitchen & living room) and can sometimes be a lot closer to the heart of a city than a hotel.
If you are planning on going somewhere more tropical and insist on the Kardashian experience of a resort, go for the ALL INCLUSIVE resort, and do your homework on what is really included. Some resorts charge extra for alcoholic drinks or deserts, and some only include dinners in the meal plans. So find one that has everything you want included in the price.
Another option if you are planning of heading over to Europe is hostels.
Seriously, take this option seriously. you really only need a place to sleep, because there is so much to see in any city you go to in Europe you'll barley spend any time in a hotel room, so don't pay extra for a place you'll only sleep maybe eight hours in.'
Pro Tip: Travel with friends that have family in other places and you might just get a FREE place to stay!
3. Location
Yes, yes I want to go to Paris, Dubai and Barcelona too but places like that are some of the most expensive locations to go!
There are a ton of more unique and Instagram worthy places to visit for farrr cheaper. Places like Thailand, Tanzania, Bolivia and Peru are just a few examples. Southeast Asia, Western Europe and South America will be some of your best bets of inexpensive vacation spots.
The food and drinks are far less; in Thailand you could spend less than $20 on a full dinner for 4. Transportation around the city and souvenir shopping could be cheaper than buying a cup of coffee and a muffin in Paris.
Forbes has an awesome list of inexpensive places to travel to both domestically and internationally, and now I can't decide if I want to go to Sri Lanka or Colombia for summer break!
While we are still young and in college, there is this AMAZING company called EF Ultimate Break that helps sends you off on breathtaking vacations. Easy payment plans, flights, hotels, and activities included, AND you get to meet new people your age from all over and have unforgettable experiences.
They say to travel is to live and I'd have to say I agree.
So, get out there and live it up in this beautiful world of ours!
I promise you won't regret it.
