Student travel requires careful planning

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/10/2003 (8262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHETHER you’re flying to Thailand or catching a bus to Vancouver, travel is as much a part of student life as mid-terms and empty refrigerators. But for students who’d like to see the world without emptying their bank accounts, planning is essential.

Depending on your destination, one of the first items on your agenda should be documentation, says Allison Bender, a Winnipeg manager for student travel group Travel Cuts.

“If it’s international, they need to look into documentation, like if they need a passport, or travel visa,” she says.

If the only visa you’re familiar with is your credit card, it might be wise to pay a visit to one of Travel Cuts’ two Winnipeg locations. Run by the Canadian Federation of Students, the organization negotiates with tourist boards and airlines to find low-cost travel choices for students, according to the group’s website.

Purchasing valid travel insurance is another important step. Bender says before students buy insurance, they should find out if they’re still covered by their parents’ plan.

Once the necessities are taken care of, consider picking up a travel discount card for students. One of the most effective is the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), according to Anne Banas, features editor for consumer travel group SmartLiving.com

The ISIC is the best one,” says Banas.

“If you’re going abroad, you can use that card nearly anywhere and get basic student discounts. It’s recognized all over the world.”

The ISIC is available at Travel Cuts, Via Rail stations and some university or college student unions. For $16, it provides discounts in roughly 90 countries for everything from airline tickets to rail passes, according to the International Student Travel Confederation website.

Even with student discounts, transportation will likely be the most expensive aspect of your vacation. Plane, train or automobile, it’s important to compare costs and plan ahead, says Bender.

“The sooner you can book the better, because the longer you wait, the higher the prices usually go,” she says.

“If you show up at the airport and say ‘I want to go to Frankfurt in two days, what’s the cheapest you can get me?’ It’ll probably be very expensive.”

An alternative to booking in advance is hooking up with deals offered by cut-rate airlines, such as Air Canada’s Tango, or Jetsgo. However, the benefits of these flights depend on a student’s flexibility, says Banas.

“Often the really cheap rates are for last-minute travel, or they have restrictions, like the minimum or maximum stay requirements,” she says.

This means some discount round-trip tickets may only be valid for a week, while others may require a 30-day visit before the return ticket can be redeemed.

Bender says markdown tickets might not be possible if you’re going overseas.

“They don’t do that a lot for international travel,” she says.

Before booking a flight, you should also be aware of charges not included in the listed price of your ticket.

“All the rates that are advertised in the paper, on websites, or on news broadcasts are base fares,” says Bender.

“You do have to add in all the taxes. And when you’re traveling, there are some additional taxes, like airport fees. Vancouver has a $10 airport improvement fee that’s not included on the ticket.”

If your journey takes you closer to home, don’t rule out travel by land. The trip may take longer, but the savings could be substantial. For example, Greyhound Canada offers a companion fare, which lets a second person ride with a friend at a fraction of the cost of the first ticket.

Next to travel expenses, accommodations are a big cash guzzler, says Bender. However, there are some student-friendly alternatives to overpriced hotels.

Hostels have always been popular among student travellers, and with good reason. Ranging in price from $15 to around $40 Canadian, hostels are far easier on the wallet than many of their hotel counterparts, says Tara Wiebe, regional administrator for the Manitoba region of Hostelling International (HI).

Low room rates aren’t the only benefits.

“Most hostels have self-catering kitchens,” says Wiebe. “If you avoid eating out all the time, then you’ve got more money for splurging on other things.”

Here’s where another card will come in handy – your HI card. Available through Hostelling International, an HI card will provide discounts on thousands of hostels around the world, as well as savings on a number of tourist attractions, says Wiebe.

If you’re still skeptical about hostelling, there are several other cost-effective options.

“Hostelling has been the buzzword for student travel for a long time,” says Banas, “but you don’t have to stay in a hostel to have a budget vacation.”

Some countries may offer “pensions,” which are similar to guesthouses and reasonably priced, says Banas.

She also suggests looking into farm visits. In some countries, staying at a farm outside town will not only save money for travellers, but also give them an opportunity to experience the country’s agriculture firsthand.

If you’d like a more hands-off approach to both accommodations and airfare, consider taking a tour with groups such as Contiki, Trafalgar or Insight Tours, says Bender.

“A lot of people go to Europe, and they’re shocked at how expensive everything is,” she says. “When you’ve already paid for your tour, paid for your accommodations, it doesn’t hit you as hard.”

Red River College student Chantal Desjardins took a tour with Contiki last year.

“I found that if you don’t know where you’re going, or what to see in a country, it’s sort of like high school,” says Desjardins.

“There tell you where you’re going to sleep, when to wake up, and what’s good to see. I would never have seen half of the statues I saw in Italy; I would have spent all of my time in pubs. But I was able to take in a lot of the cultural activities because of Contiki.”

Whether you’re flying solo or travelling with a group, how much you save will ultimately depend on how much research you do on your own. It might be as simple as reading online travel diaries, or calling your backpacking friend-of-a-friend for some pointers.

“Talk to other people who’ve been places,” says Wiebe.

“The more you know about a destination, the more options you have once you get there. You’re not going to just be stuck going to all the places in your guidebook. You’ll have a lot more flexibility, because you’ll know what your options are.”

Lindsey Weibe is a journalism student

at Red River College.