For most college students, travel planning is a new experience. Whether you're planning for Spring Break travel, an international adventure, or other trip, this is probably the first time you've ever had to figure out how to get somewhere safely and affordably without help from parents. To help you out, here are a few common sense but very important travel tips for college students.
Watch Out for Travel Scams
Unfortunately, there are plenty of crooks out there waiting to take advantage of student travellers. Students are seen as gullible targets for travel scams for two reasons. For one thing, they're inexperienced travellers. For another, they often don't have a lot of money and are looking for a good bargain. (Here's more about Spring Break travel scams, which are far too common.)
What does a travel scam look like? One kind of scam involves selling travellers an all-inclusive vacation package at a very low price. People who don't read the fine print don't see that there are actually lots of add-ons to this so called all-inclusive deal. (Here's more about what students should know about all-inclusive travel packages and cruises).
Another common travel scam simply involves taking the money and running. This is common on the Internet. A "company" has a great looking website and a fantastic travel deal, so students take out their credit cards and purchase the trip -- which doesn't exist. The company disappears, and there's no way to track it down.
So how do you avoid travel scams? One of the best ways is to purchase travel deals and packages only from reputable agents. College campuses often have a travel office on site, and this can be a great place to look for legit travel bargains.
Plan Ahead and Don't Procrastinate
Here's another common sense but important travel trip: plan as early as possible. Students are notorious procrastinators, but this isn't an instance when procrastination is okay. Failure to plan ahead can mean a much more expensive vacation. It may also mean that you can't get the trip or flight you want because it's sold out, or that you can't travel because you don't have the right documentation.
First there's the issue of planning a flight. Getting cheap airfare means doing some homework. While sometimes last minute tickets can be cheap, travellers usually save money by shopping head. Here are some tips on how to find cheap student airline tickets.
There's plenty of other things to plan fore a trip. Here are the basic travel planning questions you need to ask yourself -- and solve before you leave:
- Where will you stay?
- If flying, how will get to the hotel from the airport?
- Do you have enough spending money for food, drink, entertainment, souvenirs, and other things you might need?
- Do you have enough money in case of an emergency?
- Do you know what to do in case of an emergency?
- Do you have necessary travel documents, like a passport or visa?
- If necessary, do you have proper immunizations?
Consider a Cheaper Destination or Itinerary
Student travel doesn't need to be expensive. Much of the expense students pay for comes because they want to go to popular destinations during premium times, like Spring Break. Panama Beach during late March is going to be expensive, and there's no good way around that. Consider some alternatives to popular vacations like the beach, a cruise, Las Vegas, or London. Here's a few ideas:
- A road trip
- A trip to a friend's hometown in another city (with lodging at his or her house)
- A trip to a big city with a stay at a youth hostel
- Camping
- A fishing trip
- A trip that involves volunteer work. (Here's more about Spring Break volunteer trips.)
In addition, if you can possibly travel during non-peak times (like Spring Break), it's much easier to find a good travel bargain.
Student travel may feel intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. Avoid procrastination and take the time to plan a trip well, and you'll save money and have a less stressful vacation. Avoid travel scams by shopping with a reputable agent, and consider alternatives to the expensive beach vacation. Happy travels.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
