As a student it can be a fantastic time to imagine new destinations, and travel beyond your usual horizons. But how can you make it an affordable experience? As many a housesitter will tell you there are many advantages to travelling on a budget. And housesitting offers a collaborative experience. Free accommodation in exchange for free home and pet care.

Budget Traveling Secrets for Students

There is nothing impossible to a willing heart. Even if you are a student and have far from the best financial situation, you can still explore the world. All you need is a big desire and a little effort.

You cannot just set on the trip out of the blue surely. You’d better do some preparation. This will allow you to travel on a budget and get your plans implemented with the smallest possible time, money, and effort wasted.

So, decide where, when, and how to travel soon and get ready to gain a great experience for peanuts.

Travel Together

Find someone who has the same priorities as you do. Save and plan your trip together, it will have better and more interesting results.

Moreover, plans are not the only thing you can share with your travel partner. Share transport expenses, such as gas or car rental, get accommodation together, cook in turns if you can, and have more fun.

Maybe you have always dreamed about solo traveling, but it may turn out to be a dangerous and quite expensive option. Mind, that the bigger company you join for traveling, the less you will pay for some common things, and the more discounts you will be able to get the use of.

Student Travel in Off-season

Seeing all your friends going on vacations in the hottest travel period may tempt you to join them, but this is not the best idea.

It is more beneficial to travel in the off-season. There is no difference when going sightseeing around Europe, so work in summer, and take a week-off in autumn and travel on. This way you will have lower prices on transportation, food, accommodation, and tours.

So, don’t stick to certain seasons, dates, events, travel in the period of best bargains and discounts and you will be able to save even more.

Pre-purchase and Pre-Book

The more you prepare beforehand, the less effort you will waste during the trip. Pre-purchase and pre-book everything you can. This counts transport tickets, yet sometimes you may buy the ticket at the last minute before the trip. Also, purchase tickets to visit famous sights and events online. This will allow you to save time on queuing and money on discounts. Pre-book hostels, or b&bs, so that you won’t sleep in the car due to lack of free places, and so on.

The popular travel blogger Rebecca Maven says about her booking experience: “I try to get most out of the Internet for everyday purposes and traveling as well. I buy resume online, I order food, book hostels, and catch flights discounts on the travel platforms. This all makes your life easier, so, why not exploit it.”

Stay at Friend’s House

Hotels are not the only option. There are also hostels, b&bs, camping sites, and more. And if you know someone living in the place you are traveling to, it is even better.

Stay at your friend’s house or relative’s flat to save money on accommodation. You can do some housework or cook in return. Or if this suits both you and the host better, agree on a certain sum, you will pay for staying. As a result, it will cost you less, and bring more comforts.

Try Housesitting and Petsitting

Another very affordable way to try travel as a student is to try housesitting. There are many housesitting opportunities around the world and you can stay in a real home as opposed to a hostel or campsite. Housesitting is a growing trend in the sharing economy and allows you to exchange your pet and home care skills for free accommodation.

Stick to Daily Budget

Prevent some unnecessary waste and optimize your spendings while traveling, by creating a travel budget beforehand. And the top advisable thing is setting a daily limit.

Explore the living conditions and prices of the places you are heading to and set the daily budget you will stick to. If you book accommodation and tours in advance, you will only spend on food and souvenirs daily.

It is also good to have some extra money for emergencies and unplanned needs. But it doesn’t mean that you have to waste them.

Try Out Street Food

Eating in restaurants and popular cafes will lead you to poverty soon. In case you cannot cook yourself, which is the most beneficial option, you’d better look for some other budget variants.

A good way to stay full and explore local cuisine is street food. Select stalls with bigger queues. This means that the food sold there is more delicious and fresh. Yet, this option is not advisable for people with problems with digestion since street food is usually well-spiced and deep-fried. So, if you don’t want to spend your vacations coping with the health issues, go for some budget canteens instead.

Go for New Experience

If you want to travel on a budget and get satisfied with your trips, you should concentrate on the right things. Money doesn’t need to be your only concern. Be flexible and open to possibilities that don’t need money at all.

There is no need to stay hungry for two days to visit the Louvre on the third one. Better explore nature on the outskirts, visit small cozy museums and cafes, don’t collect souvenirs, but memories and stunning experiences.

All in all, travel with great pleasure and break personal limits to discover the best in the world.