Many people’s love for travelling and exploring starts from an early age. I knew I wanted to travel ever since I was as little as 13! Then when I was a student I wanted to travel so much, especially with those long breaks, but I couldn’t really afford it. The thing is, travelling to far-flung corners of the world can be an expensive hobby! You’re likely reading this because you’re a student and you want to travel. But, you want to do so in ways that will keep your expenses low. There isn’t typically a “free” way to travel the world; however, there are inexpensive ways to get you travelling the world as a student. Let’s get into these tips!
Take a Course That Includes Travel Abroad
For example, when you’re looking at university courses, consider courses where part of the curriculum involves international travel. The courses might include travelling to foreign lands arranged by a student travel company.
You might even find some courses where most of the curriculum involves living abroad for a few months. The costs you pay will typically be cheaper than if you had to pay as a regular tourist, for instance.
Teach English Abroad
If you’re planning a gap year (or even post graduation) and want to travel, one idea is to teach English abroad. Many countries, particularly East Asian countries, are crying out for natural English speakers to teach students at schools, colleges and businesses.
The qualifications you need differ from place to place but you’ll most likely need certification from a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course before you can teach abroad. However, there are positions where you don’t need certification.
Teaching English abroad gives you an opportunity to explore a new place, while getting paid, which then funds your further travel costs. Plus, it gives you a real insight into foreign cultures and how people live in a different country.
Look For Cheap Rail Fares
You might think that flying is the only way to travel, but it’s possible to travel to and through lots of countries by rail. For example, you can take the Eurostar train from London and end up in one of several European cities. Travelling the world as a student means you need to get a little creative with transportation options.
From there, you can travel by rail to other countries, which are often significantly cheaper than flights and what you paid to leave the UK. Search online for rail passes, such as Eurail in Europe or JR Pass in Japan, to drive your travel costs down.
Also, booking online ahead of your journey can often save you a lot of money compared to buying tickets on the day.
Use Student Discount & Travel Websites
Subscribing to a website that offers lots of student discounts is one of the best ways to save for travelling the world as a student. In the UK there are LOTS of them but some of the ones I used when I was in uni are Student Beans, Save The Student and Unidays. You don’t need to pay anything to get all the discounts, just sign up! Student Universe also offer great travel discounts for students.
Go Couchsurfing
I haven’t done Couchsurfing myself but I know quite a few people who have. If you’re on a tight budget, as you probably are if you’re travelling the world as a student, you might want to consider this. Essentially, Couchsurfing allows you to stay in a stranger’s house for free. It may be a room, literally a couch or maybe a blow-up bed, but it’s will cost you NOTHING!
I know, sounds a little scary but please do your research and ALWAYS read reviews before you pick and you’ll be good! Couchsurfing is a great way to not only save ALOT of money but really immerse yourself into local life and have a new experience!
Check For Travel-Related Student Discounts
Finally, make sure you spend some time researching travel-related discount deals. It’s pretty common to get at least 50% discounts on attractions, as well as on public transport fares. These savings help keep your travel costs down and allow you to explore more of the world for cheap or even for free in some cases!
Have any more tips for travelling the world as a student? Pease share the in the comments and don’t forget to share this post if you found it helpful!
Until Next Time,
