Thinking about a holiday, but your savings account is bare? One student tells us her top tips to save money on a great holiday.
When you’re a student, a luxury like a holiday can seem impossible to afford, although this isn’t always the case! While a three-month holiday in Australia or a backpacking holiday in Thailand may be off the cards, there are plenty of budget-friendly places to visit. Here are some handy tips for planning a fun trip that doesn’t break the bank...
Try money-saving sites
As well as looking into cheap places to travel, websites like Wowcher and Groupon have amazing deals up for weeks/months in advance. Sign up for their newsletters to get a first-hand look at their offers, as they usually sell out quickly. However, a word of advice: check out the companies that Wowcher or Groupon are selling their holidays via, as some companies aren’t as reputable as others.
Travel cheap
Don’t get me wrong, British Airways and Virgin Flights are fantastic. But a broke student will find it difficult to save the money to pay for their higher fares. Try looking at budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet, as they fly to hundreds of destinations, and the majority of flights cost under £50.
Also, if you don’t mind other forms of transport, check out Megabus or National Express. You can get a coach from London Victoria to Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and other budget destinations for under £15! This isn’t just perfect for the summer; it’s great for weekend breaks too!
Stay in the UK
Many students would see this as hellish; however, the UK has some stunning places that are right on your doorstep. There are the usual popular destinations over the summer – Broadstairs, Devon, Dorset etc, however, there are some amazing, undiscovered places too. If you like your beaches, Scotland’s Kiloran Beach and Cornwall’s Lantic Bay are must-sees. For fans of the Highlands, Stac Polly is a glorious place to visit.
Top: Stac Polly, Scotland; Bottom: Lantic Bay, Cornwall.
Try a festival abroad
When you think of the best festivals, Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and V Festival come to mind. Of course, when it comes to the UK, we ace festivals. However, when it comes to the price of a ticket, it’s enough to cause a small heart attack. Luckily, these sky-high prices haven’t stretched to Europe. So here are a couple of festivals that don’t take you into an unplanned overdraft.
Benicassim, a 4 day music festival on the east coast of Spain, is a steal at £149 for a standard 4-day ticket with camping included! Past acts include Chase & Status, Klaxons and Kasabian.
INmusic Festival in Croatia is amazing value, with the festival ticket and camping under £60! Their early bird festival tickets are on sale now for under £35, and past acts include Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals and The Black Keys.
Day Off Music Festival, in Salento, Southern Italy is one of the most underrated festivals. Yet it has also had Pendulum, Chase & Status and Nero amongst other amazing Italian/International artists. Also, Salento is one of most beautiful regions in Italy, but is relatively cheap to visit so you could make a holiday out of it while you’re there!
Dhere are hundreds more festivals around the world to be found here.
Work Abroad
Yes, the summer is a time to unwind, but there are plenty of opportunities to work abroad, in interesting roles like waitressing, childcare or club promotion. All while receiving perks like free accommodation, food and in a lot of cases, a good wage. If you’re into clubbing, check out Play Away Abroad for club promotion jobs in Ibiza, Zante, Ayia Napa and more.
Take a look into au-pair agencies online if you have experience in childcare and want a new experience! Have a look at an organisation like Camp America if you want a jam-packed holiday. Schemes like this may have upfront costs, but what you earn covers the essentials and more.
Extra tips:
- If you have family/friends abroad, stay with them and maybe pay your way/give them a gift! You could bring a friend with you, too!
- Couchsurf. Although it carries some risks, if you have a friend with you, and you check out whom you’re staying with before you set off, hopefully, you’d have a whale of a time!
Hopefully, with these suggestions, and a little research, you could get a holiday at a super price! Just remember to look and book early!
Have you got any holidays planned? Join our student panel and let us know. You'll get 1000 reward points for signing up.
