City Breaks: Student Budget Style
The life of a student involves late nights, not so early mornings, junk food, cramming, new
discoveries and attempting to graduate of course! It’s a sort of experiment I suppose. As students
we also love to travel, and as Irish we were gifted with the travel bug many years ago. But as we
all know Student Life = No Money, so how do we fund the luxuries of such adventures? Stay tuned
to find out…
Timing is everything!
It is essential to buy your flights at the right time of year - at least 5 months before your trip. Booking the first and last flights between Monday and Thursday also guarantee cheap flights. The 4am wakeup call, an hour no student has ever seen before (unless of course you’re stumbling back from a nightclub) is definitely daunting but 100% worth it when you embark on your adventure.
Small city = travel by foot.
Cities like Rome, Madrid and Prague are a perfect size to allow you easy access to the main attractions by foot. Hence, eliminating the cost of trains, buses, trams and taxis. You’d be surprised how much money you can save. Plus, travelling by foot allows you to capture all the little gems you would have missed on public transport. So get those walking shoes on and start imagining all the unusual Instagram pics you’ll capture along the way!
Student dealz everywhere
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to forget about the various student deals on offer to you. These reduced prices extend outside Ireland in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin and many more. Some of the museums can be accessed for free as they’re seen as educational institutions. One thing you must remember however is that most places won’t offer you the student prices, you need to ask. Use those student deals while you still can!
Plan, plan plan.
When booking flights and accommodation try your best to space out the cost. Yes, you’re still spending the same amount of money, but spacing it out will leave less of a dent in your pocket, especially if you stretch it out between paydays. In order to find the cheapest (most reliable) deals, time must be spent researching the area.
Yes, travelling as a student can often be difficult but it’s not impossible. Save up, research and be savvy. We’re poor and unhealthy but we’re not stupid, so go forth and travel - a world of free admission awaits you!