AbeBooks.com: Travel Tips For Students

Students have it hard enough. With the cost of textbooks, tuition and madcap exam schedules, it’s hard to squeeze in a trip to an exotic destination. While AbeBooks makes it easy to save on textbooks by helping you buy secondhand textbooks, we’re also here to help you save on other things in life.

Wish you could see the world, but have no money for those expensive holidays? Luckily there are lots of options that won’t put you in the red.

Cheap Travel Tips for Students

Research your flights. Flights are often the biggest cost on a trip. Compare prices at multiple sites online to make sure you’re getting the best value for money. If you’re going to multiple countries layovers can sometimes be as long as a few days or a week. Adapting your schedule to have one of these can add an entire country on to your itinerary for little money.
Check online to see if an advanced reservation is cheaper than buying on the day. This is almost always the case with hotels and airfare but sometimes bus or train trips work on the same pricing model
Research your destination – know what sights and cities you want to see beforehand. Knowing how expensive sights are can help make sure you’re not getting ripped off. Buy a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to help plan your trip.
Plan to travel in low season – accommodation and admission prices are often half of the high season… plus less fighting for space
Budget – a budget helps you stay on track. After researching your destination, make a budget of how much you’re expecting to spend. Don’t be surprised by a big bill when you reach home.
Beware of credit cards – if you’re not great when it comes to budgeting and keeping track of what you’re spending, don’t use credit cards.
Don’t eat at restaurants – Go to a local grocery shop or market and buy food there. You’ll save money and stay healthier. Cheese, bread, and fruit can go a long way.
Bring a knife with its own sheath and it will pay for itself many times over compared to the cost of restaurant sandwiches. Just don’t take it to the airport in your carry-on baggage.
Learn to barter – In many countries, bartering is as much as a necessity as an art and social pastime. When researching your travel destination, be sure to know the ins and outs of the bartering system and what rules to follow. Knowing how to barter can save money and make sure you’re not overpaying.
Carry small bottles with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as a couple simple spices when on long backpacking trips – perfect for bruchetta or salad dressing and increases your cooking options at hostels.
Find a lift – If you’re travelling locally or across the country catch a lift with someone. You pay for a portion of the petrol with someone else. You save money while being kind on the environment.
Stay in hostels for FREE if you do a little bit of work for them … eg. Make up rooms in exchange for free hostel stay
Get a job at a restaurant so you can eat free food

Comprehensive Travel Guides

The first time you go to a new country buy a travel guide. Both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books are ideal for first-time and inexperienced travellers. They’re also fantastic for students as they outline the best places to buy cheap food, accommodations, and how to save extras. You can buy these guides for almost every region in the world. They also give background on the history, culture, food, and language of the country.

So before you hop on a plane, make sure to start your research with one of these guides:

Books for the Armchair Traveller

If you’re an armchair traveler, or if you have wandering feet but no money, here are some recommendations to help your mind wander: