In the last week, I have driven from Lexington to Dallas, flown from Dallas to Madrid, and taken a Bus from Madrid to Barcelona. I decided I wanted to have a life changing summer, and luckily by getting straight A's and saving all of my pennies, I'm 9 days into summer and am already a changed girl. Here are my suggestions to travelling when you're a broke college student.
1. Save in advance.
My new years resolution for this year was to put money aside every month. Whether is was spare change or cash I earned from babysitting, any time I had more than say 20 bucks in my wallet, I put in in my savings.
2. Travel Buddies.
Aside from the fact that you need a personal photographer and would be lonely without, having a travel buddy means you can split the bill for where you're staying.
3. Pack light... really.
Whatever you pack you alone need to be able to carry. I packed up for three and a half weeks in Europe with a weekender bag and my backpack. I brought three pairs of shoes with me and enough clothes to last me a week before I need to wash them in the sink and hang them to air dry. This said, do pack perfume, because there will come a time when you're sitting on a bus and wondering if you smell.
4. Airbnb.
Honestly, these are miracle workers. I'm currently staying in a flat with my sister that is owned by three men whose English isn't particularly good, but it's so much cheaper than a hotel or hostel! Is it weird when I walk by them sitting on their couch to go use our shared bathroom, yes very, but it's all part of the experience. No lie, I kind of feel like this is training to be Snow White and live with seven dwarves.
5. Finish any and all food you buy.
If I spent euros on it, you can bet I'll finish it. The stomachache following is unimportant, throwing away food is throwing away money. Don't be wasteful, stuff your face!
6. Save your water bottles.
It was slightly awkward having a Spanish woman watch me fill my disposable water bottle in the bathroom sink, but why recycle when you can reuse? Many a euro has been saved using this tactic.
7. Comfortable shoes.
I packed comfortable shoes and my feet still hurt 24/7, so I can only imagine the pain someone could be in. Also you're going to be walking everywhere, these shoes will get gross. You don't have to like them that much.
8. Research.
Don't just go out and stop at a cafe for food. Before you leave google search the "best cheap eats" wherever you're going. This tactic led me to a 4 euro sandwich tastier than anything I have yet experienced. Also if there is a man standing outside a restaurant holding the menu, walk away, it's a tourist trap.
9. Say you're on the guest list.
Often to hit the clubs you need to pay to get in. Also, usually you can say you're on the guest list and they won't check for your name. It's also cool to have people think you're important.
10. Pack books.
Sometimes you'll want to escape your travel buddy because you've been with them constantly for a very long time. Naturally, Netflix won't work because wifi isn't that good in different places, so save yourself the trouble and open a book. Plus, saying that you've read ___ many books over the summer makes you sound smart.
11. Learn to cook-- ish.
I'm blessed in that my sister is my travel buddy and she is an incredible chef. The cheapest way to eat is to make you're own dinner--namely pasta. So learn how to boil water and you've got a very cheap, very tasty dinner.
