Trip tips
Collegian freelancer offers advice on traveling abroad, making the most of vacations without busting the budget
William Clayton
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Features
For many students not bound by internships or summer jobs, travel is a popular alternative to twiddling one's thumbs at home. Travel can also be so alluring that students, like this Collegian freelancer, take a whole semester off to travel the world.
Having just finished a six-week stint abroad in Australia and New Zealand, staying in everything from hostels to 100-year-old farmhouses and covering a range of activities from SCUBA diving the Great Barrier Reef to climbing Franz Josef Glacier, William Clayton has collected quite a few first-hand travel tips.
Taking an overseas trip doesn't require scraping and saving for months or years. For those willing to set aside the idea that 'vacation' is synonymous with staying in plush hotels and eating out in elegant restaurants, Clayton offers some tips, both economical and generally helpful, to students who plan to head abroad this summer or in the future.
To read more about Clayton's travels or check out his photography, go to williamclayton.com.
Learn all you can about the places you are going. Knowledge is power, and being even vaguely familiar with your destination is a big plus. Pick up a few travel books by Lonely Planet, Fodor's, Let's Go or other travel guide publishers. Make a list of sites, restaurants and activities you want to enjoy to prevent wasting time once you're there.
Students can use sites such as kayak.com and statravel.com to find cheap flights. A major percentage of the cost of any overseas trip is airfare, so search hard and book as far in advance as possible to get the best deal with the most availability.
Cut back on restaurant dining. Shop at the grocery store for granola bars, fruit and whatever else will complete your breakfast. A loaf of bread and some peanut butter and jelly will take you far. If your accommodations have a kitchen, cook your own dinner and skip eating out for the most expensive meal of the day. In some countries, you don't need to add tip when you dine out. Tip and the tax are sometimes included in restaurant and most store prices. Lodge inexpensively by booking hostels. Hostels are usually clean and offer basic conveniences. Plus, they offer the opportunity to meet other travelers. Most hostels have kitchen facilities, and the kitchen is always a good place for meeting people, so be friendly as you go about making your supper. Read hostel reviews and check before you book to make sure you won't be charged for linens or towels if you didn't bring your own.
Always ask for a discount. Many stores, restaurants, museums and lodging facilities will give discounts to members of certain organizations, like Hostelling International. Become a Hostelling International member to receive discounts at most hostels (hiusa.org). Couchsurfing.com can help the frugal and adventurous find people willing to let tired travelers crash on their couches.
Consider renting a camper van to combine transportation and lodging. Many come equipped with mini-kitchens. To rent camper vans in Australia or New Zealand, check out Spaceships (spaceships.tv) or Wicked Campers (wickedcampers.com).
Some countries charge an exit fee. New Zealand, for example, charges $25NZ to leave the country.
Having just finished a six-week stint abroad in Australia and New Zealand, staying in everything from hostels to 100-year-old farmhouses and covering a range of activities from SCUBA diving the Great Barrier Reef to climbing Franz Josef Glacier, William Clayton has collected quite a few first-hand travel tips.
Taking an overseas trip doesn't require scraping and saving for months or years. For those willing to set aside the idea that 'vacation' is synonymous with staying in plush hotels and eating out in elegant restaurants, Clayton offers some tips, both economical and generally helpful, to students who plan to head abroad this summer or in the future.
To read more about Clayton's travels or check out his photography, go to williamclayton.com.
Learn all you can about the places you are going. Knowledge is power, and being even vaguely familiar with your destination is a big plus. Pick up a few travel books by Lonely Planet, Fodor's, Let's Go or other travel guide publishers. Make a list of sites, restaurants and activities you want to enjoy to prevent wasting time once you're there.
Students can use sites such as kayak.com and statravel.com to find cheap flights. A major percentage of the cost of any overseas trip is airfare, so search hard and book as far in advance as possible to get the best deal with the most availability.
Cut back on restaurant dining. Shop at the grocery store for granola bars, fruit and whatever else will complete your breakfast. A loaf of bread and some peanut butter and jelly will take you far. If your accommodations have a kitchen, cook your own dinner and skip eating out for the most expensive meal of the day. In some countries, you don't need to add tip when you dine out. Tip and the tax are sometimes included in restaurant and most store prices. Lodge inexpensively by booking hostels. Hostels are usually clean and offer basic conveniences. Plus, they offer the opportunity to meet other travelers. Most hostels have kitchen facilities, and the kitchen is always a good place for meeting people, so be friendly as you go about making your supper. Read hostel reviews and check before you book to make sure you won't be charged for linens or towels if you didn't bring your own.
Always ask for a discount. Many stores, restaurants, museums and lodging facilities will give discounts to members of certain organizations, like Hostelling International. Become a Hostelling International member to receive discounts at most hostels (hiusa.org). Couchsurfing.com can help the frugal and adventurous find people willing to let tired travelers crash on their couches.
Consider renting a camper van to combine transportation and lodging. Many come equipped with mini-kitchens. To rent camper vans in Australia or New Zealand, check out Spaceships (spaceships.tv) or Wicked Campers (wickedcampers.com).
Some countries charge an exit fee. New Zealand, for example, charges $25NZ to leave the country.
Be the first to comment on this story