“It is not down in any map; true places never are,”
Many of us fall into the trap of saying ‘I can’t afford to travel’. And so instead of seeing the world in our 20s we wait until we are stressed out and only have 2 weeks of holiday time per year. But you do not have to spend a lot of money to have a holiday. True adventure and discovery comes from full immersion – which just happens to be on the cheaper side.
Become a “tourist” in your home country
We often take the countries we live in for granted. Instead of paying thousands of pounds to visit some obscure place we’ve never even heard of before, consider exploring a little bit of the place you call home. You might be surprised at what you find.
Take a look at the Mirror’s 12 most affordable British holiday destinations.
Student deals and last minute offers
If you are craving a bit more luxury on your trips, there are also cheaper options out there. You have to turn into a bit of a bargain hunter. There are a number of places that will offer student discounts if you show your student ID, and a few sites like Student Beans offer reduced train fees, and sometimes hotels. There are also holiday booking sites such as Last Minute that will have incredible offers. Also sign up to Jack’s Flight Club, which send you weekly emails of cheap flights to various holiday destinations.
Combine pleasure with work
There are some universities that will pay your flight provided you then advertise for them at university fairs at high schools and colleges. Some companies such as Off to Work will reward good employees with catering shifts in places such as Spain and even further abroad (accommodation provided). Or volunteer with a charity a pay a fraction of the travel costs.
Rent a camper van
For those of you who are a little older, this has got to be one of the cheapest ways of travelling, and one of the most rewarding. When you are in control of your own transport, and the speed at which you travel, there’s no telling what little treasures you might find along the road, that people who opt for the much more expensive plane might miss.
These are just a few ideas of how to get your “travelling bug”. Don’t use “I’m broke” as an excuse anymore. In twenty years you’ll just remember the lifelong memories you’ve made travelling the world with your friends, not the slight dent it made in your bank account.
Written by Sophie Z.