If you are a University of Queensland student and are planning to take a vacation, then it is not a simple matter of making a few reservations for you. You would be living and studying on a limited budget, and if you do not want to ask your parents for more money for a vacation, then you need to plan a better use of your existing resources. Here are a few ways to plan a low cost vacation without missing out on the fun.
Strength in numbers – A vacation for a student is always more fun if you have some fellow travelers with you. But more important, in the context of this blog, a group travelling together would be able to negotiate for much better rates, especially when you are looking for accommodation.
The Smart Dates – If you do not have a constraint of dates (as we would expect students to), then it makes much more sense to fix your travel dates outside the usual time when people would be travelling. For example, avoid the weekends or avoid the usual festival holidays like Easter. If you travel during a regular workweek, you would get much cheaper flight tickets and accommodation.
Compare and contrast – The great advantage of the internet is that it brings information to your fingertips very easily. Use that to your advantage to get complete information about travel and accommodation, and find the cheapest options. While looking for best prices, make sure you do not lose out elsewhere. For example, an airline with a cheap ticket might have an unearthly departure time, so make sure it is convenient for you. Again, while looking for accommodation, check out the pictures and user reviews before you get attracted to low prices.
Pack Smart – While traveling for a vacation, many people fall into one of two extremes. They either pack too much, leading to extra airline charges and difficulty carrying luggage around. Or they pack very light but end up buying things which they need during their vacation. Leave out all non-essential stuff from your bags, but if there is something which you know you will need, then do not leave it back, or you might need to buy it during your vacation.
Look for student accommodation – There are places like Student One which offer wonderful accommodation for students who stay at Brisbane. If you are travelling to Brisbane, then you might want to check out Student One and other places like theirs to see if they have short term accommodation you can use on producing your student identity card and paying the tariffs on a daily basis.
If you are a student and have a limited budget, you need not avoid taking vacations once in a while to recharge your batteries for fear of not having enough money for a vacation. You can follow the above tips and easily plan a fun vacation for your friends and yourself. Proper planning will allow you to take a well-deserved break without having to break the bank.
