"The Experience"



Getting Around Without Going Broke

Author: petersons, Category: College Search

Travel here. Travel there. Travel everywhere…and back again. It’s inevitable that besides just the obvious need to get to your destination, you’ll want to travel around while abroad and see as much as possible. The challenge is trying to do that without spending a small fortune. Fortunately, it’s common knowledge that most of us don’t have money to burn and there are ways, and agencies, which can help shave your costs.

Getting There and Back
If you’ve done much traveling by air, it might seem that your options are pretty limited as far as tickets go since they always seem to be non-refundable and unchangeable without paying a hefty fee. One-way tickets aren’t particularly useful since most countries won’t let you cross their borders without a return ticket in hand. If you buy a non-refundable roundtrip ticket, you’re stuck with setting a departure date for your return home months in advance — or with an expensive new ticket further down the road if you decide that you want to stay a bit longer and see the sights.

Fortunately, there are ways around this dilemma. Flexible roundtrip tickets do exist and they’re the best way to get you to your destination while allowing yourself a little leeway in changing your travel dates if needed.

Student-friendly travel sites like STA Travel (and others like it) specialize in student travel and can get you tickets at low rates and with great flexibility built in. They do have expiration dates, but you can get tickets that are good for a year — giving you at least an extra three months to hang around after the nine-month academic year is over.

The benefits of these tickets don’t end with just changeable return dates, either. You can purchase tickets that allow you to return from a different city or build in low-cost add-ons that allow for extra stopovers en route — a great way to stretch your dollars and see more of the world while you’re at it. Usually, extra stopovers are available in the airlines’ hub cities, and the stopovers can be for two or three days (or more). On your way to Athens? Make arrangements ahead of time, and you may be able to enjoy a few days in the City of Lights before landing at your final destination.

Other extras
Many student-oriented travel agencies can get you more than just discounted airfare. Most can also assist with overland travel and accommodations once you reach your destination. With access to such things as a network of student hostels, budget hotels, and package deals, they can help you plan a cost-effective travel experience from start to finish. You can usually purchase things like a Eurail or a Eurobus pass (or similar passes for other regions), international student I.D. cards, travel gear, phone cards, and travel insurance. It’s worth checking out everything they have to offer, but don’t forget to shop and compare. Good research and careful planning ahead of time can save you a lot of money!

Don’t leave home without it
Make sure you purchase an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), either through a student-oriented travel agency or through your college or university. This all-purpose card can get you a wide variety of discounts pretty much everywhere you go. It also provides you with a 24-hour Help Line emergency service as well as some basic sickness and accident travel insurance for trips outside the US.

To be eligible, you must be a full-time student over the age of twelve, and enrolled in a program in which you’re working towards a diploma or degree.

Minimize your cash
Consider using traveler’s checks and credit cards — they’re safer than traveling with cash. Stick with companies that offer extensive services in the country you’re visiting since you’ll need to find one of their offices if your cards or checks are lost or stolen. American Express, Thomas Cook, and VISA are good bets since they all have networks around the world, but it’s a good idea to find out about local preferences too.

If you decide to use traveler’s checks, keep the check registers up to date and store them separately from the checks themselves. You’ll need this information if your checks are stolen.

Plan ahead…and have fun!
There are a lot of details to take care of before you head out of the country for several months. With some advance planning and help from experts in the world of student travel, worrying about how to get from Point A to Point B without spending all your reserve cash won’t have to be one of them.

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