Whether it’s the thrill of the unknown, or just a desire to see something more than just the country you were born into, travelling to far off lands to explore new cultures and experience all that our beautiful planet has to offer is the dream of many a young person. However, for many students, these desires may only be a dream thanks to financial worries. The good news is you don’t need a massive bank balance to see the world. Even more now, that accessible private jet charters are becoming more and more frequent.
To help you on your journey we’ve compiled some tips to help you plan your holiday so you can make the most of your gap year.
Know Where You Want to Go and Plan Ahead
While spontaneity is nice, unfortunately, it doesn’t pay to travel without a plan and especially when you’re travelling on a budget. The first thing you need to do is decide on a general destination, and choose how long you plan on being there. From there, you should look at when the tourism season is in that region and try to plan to be there out of this season as many hotels and tourism destinations drop their prices significantly during this time. Do your research and you may be able to shave a significant amount off your spending just by choosing the right off-season travel destination.
Pack Smart to Avoid Unnecessary Expenses
Planning ahead is super important for travelling on a budget, and this extends to your packing too. Aside from the basics like your toothbrush, make sure you have all your everyday hygiene needs taken care of, as your favourite skincare product may be extra expensive or unavailable in another country. Also, take note of the weather conditions in your destination country and try to pack smart. If you’re heading into a tropical paradise, maybe only take one warm jacket and leave some room for your favourite beachwear.
Be Savvy with Your Accommodation
Staying in a four-star hotel may be a part of your dreams, but being able to afford this kind of luxury is something that many travellers are not privileged enough to experience. Luckily there are accommodation options that won’t take up all your budget when you’re out on the road.
Dorm rooms and hostels are definitely options you should consider as, aside from the cost being on the low-end of the spectrum, these kinds of accommodation offer a number of other advantages, one of which is the chance to meet other like-minded travellers and make some new connections.
If you do want to splurge a bit on this part of your trip, you may need to consider getting some additional financial help. Even as a student, taking out short term loans, bad credit ranking or not, is always an option.
If you have a hankering to wander in some of planet Earth’s lost places, these tips will help you focus on the journey ahead rather than the bank balance that you left behind. What other tips can you share?