A student vacation is wonderful thing. You get to know the most beautiful places in the world, meet interesting people, taste delicious food and get away from stressful college life.
Plus, as a student, you have a lot more time to travel than “adult” vacationers. Semester breaks or the time between the end of your bachelor’s degree and the beginning of your master’s degree offer plenty of opportunity to check off your desired countries on your bucket list.
But traveling as a student has a catch: it costs money. A lot of money. Even if you sleep in a dorm room, cook in an Airbnb kitchen, and take free tours, your vacation expenses can quickly skyrocket.
So it’s important to know how much money you have available and how to create a budget for your trip. This way you know in advance how much you will spend and you won’t end up with an empty bank account at the end of your student vacation.
What type of traveler are you?
Every student has a different budget available. That’s why we want to introduce three types of student vacationers: the Budget Punisher, the Modest Traveler and the Budget Buster.
Take a look at our three examples, find out what type of traveler you are and learn how to best save for your next trip.
All three sample vacations will take place from August 6-20, 2022 and depart from a city in Central Europe.
The Budget Buster
If you are a budget buster, you have an above average amount of money available for your vacation. That budget comes from money you earn yourself in a side job, support from your parents, or a scholarship.
As a budget buster, you like to travel far away and seek a mix of adventure, comfort and culture.
Your destination this summer is Australia. You will fly for two weeks to the fascinating city of Melbourne. There you will sleep in a cozy apartment in a hip neighborhood and plan various trips to other cities and to the sea.
| Accommodations | 14 Nights at 50 EUR | 700 EUR |
| Travel | Outbound flight from Vienna: 765 EUR | 1530 EUR |
| Restaurants | 10 Days at 50 EUR | 500 EUR |
| Eat-in | 4 Days at 30 EUR | 120 EUR |
| Spending cash | 14 Days at 60 EUR | 840 EUR |
| Other expenses | 14 Days at 14 EUR | 200 EUR |
| Total cost | 14 Days at 278 EUR | 3890 EUR |
The Modest Traveler
As a modest traveler, you don’t have a lot of money at your disposal, but you still want to see the world. You save money for some time until you have enough funds to go on a two-week student vacation in Southeast Asia.
Your destination this summer is Vietnam, a country you’ve always wanted to visit. You booked a private room in a hostel in Ho Chi Minh City.
| Accommodation | 14 Nights at 17 EUR | 233 EUR |
| Travel | Outbound flight from Frankfurt: 350 EUR | 700 EUR |
| Restaurants | 14 Days at 15 EUR | 210 EUR |
| Eat-in | 14 Days at 8 EUR | 112 EUR |
| Spending cash | 14 Days at 10 EUR | 140 EUR |
| Other expenses | 14 Days at 6 EUR | 84 EUR |
| Total cost | 14 Days at 106 EUR | 1479 |
The Budget Punisher
As a budget punisher you don’t have a lot of money at your disposal. But that’s okay because a student vacation is not the highest priority for you. That’s why you choose a destination that is not so far away. Your requirements are to enjoy the sun, the beach and good food and drinks.
This summer you fly to Bulgaria. You will sleep in a cozy condo where you can prepare your food and drink a few beers on the shared terrace.
| Accommodation | 14 Nights at 11 EUR | 204 EUR |
| Travel | Outbound flight from Prague at 79 EUR | 158 EUR |
| Restaurants | 7 Days at 17 EUR | 119 EUR |
| Eat-in | 7 Days at 12 EUR | 84 EUR |
| Spending cash | 14 Days at 15 EUR | 210 EUR |
| Other expenses | 14 Days at 6 EUR | 84 EUR |
| Total cost | 14 Days at 61 EUR | 859 EUR |
How to save money on vacation
You want to go on vacation this year, but you don’t know how to pay for it? There are a few tricks you can use to save money before and during your travels.
- Take on a part-time job or extra hours at your current job to supplement your travel budget.
- Visit friends. This way you save on hotel costs during your student vacation.
- Consider options other than a hotel. There are some very nice hostels and Airbnbs that cost much less than a hotel room.
- Be flexible with your travel dates to find the best deals or travel off-season.
- Choose a budget-friendly destination.
- Pack light. This allows you to travel with hand luggage and not have to pay money for checked luggage.
- Don’t be afraid of public transportation. A rental car costs many times more.
- Cook some of your meals yourself. Opt for accommodation with a kitchen.
- Work or volunteer abroad if you’re taking a longer trip.
- Don’t forget your student ID. It can score you discounts on all kinds of travel-related expenses.
