Wherever you plan to go, as a student there are many things that you need to take into consideration. Your mode of transport, destination and insurance all need to be sorted and usually on a low budget. In this article we look at ways to plan the perfect trip.
Travel by train
Despite being expensive, rail travel can be one of the simplest ways to get around the UK. For a student though, there are ways to cut the cost of train travel. A 16-25 Railcard is designed for students and for a small fee, it will give you a third off the price of any tickets bought over the year. If tickets are booked 12 weeks or more in advance, they are cheaper and with the 16-25 Railcard on top, can work out to be a great bargain.
Sometimes buying two single tickets will work out cheaper than a return for the same journey. Also, buying separate tickets for each part of the journey can be better value than a ticket straight to the destination when arranging trips for students.
Travel by coach
If cost is a problem, but not time, trips for students by coach could be a better option. It will take longer to get to your destination, but will be a lot cheaper than the train.
Travelling by budget airline
Budget airlines have enabled students to fly longer distances at reasonable prices. There are a number of airlines offering cheap, no frills flights, but be careful of additional charges for baggage, seat allocation or meals. To avoid these extra charges, shop around and compare flights, take only hand luggage and check-in online.
Student travel safety
Always take out adequate insurance before any trip. Even travelling with an EHIC card in the EU, you will still need insurance to cover things like lost luggage, or repatriation. It doesn’t cost much and it is better to be prepared. Various policies are available designed especially for the student traveller and are priced accordingly.
Things often get lost, so before leaving home, make 2 copies of your flight details, your travel documents and passport. Leave one copy with a friend or relative that can be contacted easily and take the other with you but keep it separate from the originals.
While gap year students often set off on solo adventures to strange and far off countries, wherever possible, it is far safer to travel in groups and look out for each other.
Gap year travel
For a lot of students, a gap year travelling the world will never be forgotten. Trips to relax, volunteer or even work take a lot of organising. One option is to look for a volunteering project. There are lots of projects around the world for students, from building to conservation and helping out will make a difference to the people you help and also look good on your CV.
On a gap year, staying in hotels would be far too expensive. The alternative for the student are hostels. These provide safe and cheap environment and you will meet other students from around the world doing the same thing.