How to make touristic travels on budget as a Student

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Traveling within Europe as a graduate student can be both exciting and budget-friendly, as there are plenty of options for booking cheap flights and exploring multiple countries. Here are some tips and tricks to help you book affordable flights and maximize your travel opportunities as you navigate Europe:

1. Use Budget Airlines

Europe is home to a variety of low-cost airlines that offer incredibly cheap flights between cities. Some of the most popular budget carriers include:

  • Ryanair
  • EasyJet
  • Wizz Air
  • Vueling
  • Norwegian Air

These airlines often offer low base fares, but be mindful of additional fees for things like checked luggage, seat selection, or printing boarding passes at the airport.

Pro Tips:

  • Travel light: Stick to hand luggage or a backpack to avoid checked baggage fees.
  • Check smaller airports: Budget airlines often fly out of secondary airports, which may require a longer or alternative commute, but are significantly cheaper.

2. Book Early

One of the most effective ways to find cheap flights is to book as early as possible. Budget airlines tend to release their cheapest tickets months in advance, and prices typically increase as the departure date approaches.

Pro Tips:

  • Set price alerts: Use apps or websites like Skyscanner, Google Flights, or Kayak to set up price alerts on routes you want to monitor.
  • Check release schedules: Many budget airlines release tickets for specific time periods, so mark those release dates in your calendar and book as soon as the fares go live.

3. Use Flight Comparison Websites

Flight comparison websites are incredibly useful for comparing prices across multiple airlines and finding the cheapest options. Some of the best websites for booking flights in Europe include:

  • Skyscanner: Allows you to search flights to “Everywhere” to find the cheapest destinations.
  • Google Flights: Has an interactive map feature that shows prices for multiple cities at once.
  • Momondo: Often identifies cheap flights from less obvious routes and includes both major and budget airlines.

Pro Tips:

  • Flexible search options: Use “flexible dates” or “cheapest month” options to find the lowest fares.
  • Explore nearby airports: Be flexible with your destination and departure airports. You might find cheaper flights from an airport slightly further away.

4. Travel During Off-Peak Times

Avoid flying during peak travel periods like weekends, school holidays, or major festivals. Prices are usually much lower on weekdays, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Pro Tips:

  • Fly early or late: Early morning and late-night flights are often cheaper.
  • Travel off-season: Consider traveling during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) to avoid high tourist demand and inflated prices.

5. Be Flexible with Destinations

If your goal is to visit as many places as possible, let the price guide you. Instead of focusing on a specific destination, search for the cheapest flights from your location to "Anywhere" using sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights. You might discover affordable travel opportunities to places you hadn’t considered!

Pro Tips:

  • Use Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” option: Enter your departure city and search for “Everywhere” to see a list of destinations sorted by price.
  • Mix and match: Book one-way tickets with different airlines or fly into one city and out of another.

6. Take Advantage of Student Discounts

Some airlines and travel platforms offer student discounts. Programs like StudentUniverse and STA Travel partner with airlines to provide cheaper tickets for students.

Pro Tips:

  • Student ID cards: If you have an ISIC (International Student Identity Card), you may qualify for discounts on flights, buses, and trains.
  • Youth fares: Airlines like Lufthansa and Air France offer youth or student fares for travelers under 26.

7. Avoid Extra Fees

When flying with budget airlines, it’s essential to be mindful of the extra fees they charge. While the ticket price might be cheap, you could end up paying more if you're not careful about the following:

  • Baggage fees: Stick to hand luggage and check the size and weight limits carefully. Use packing hacks like rolling clothes and wearing heavier items.
  • Seat selection: Choose random seat selection if you don’t mind where you sit.
  • Airport check-in fees: Always check in online to avoid paying extra fees at the airport.

8. Check Multi-City and Open-Jaw Tickets

Multi-city (also known as open-jaw) tickets allow you to fly into one city and out of another. This is a great way to visit multiple destinations without backtracking, and it’s often cheaper than booking separate round-trip flights.

Pro Tips:

  • Use Google Flights or Skyscanner to search for multi-city tickets.
  • Consider trains or buses for the return leg of your trip if the price of the open-jaw flight is high.

9. Use Regional Airlines for Short-Haul Flights

Regional airlines are often cheaper for short-haul flights between nearby countries. If you're flying within specific regions like Scandinavia or Eastern Europe, check airlines like:

  • SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) for Northern Europe.
  • LOT Polish Airlines for Central and Eastern Europe.
  • Air Baltic for the Baltics.

10. Sign Up for Airline Newsletters and Loyalty Programs

Subscribe to newsletters from budget airlines and travel comparison sites to receive alerts about sales, flash deals, and special promotions. Joining loyalty programs, even for budget airlines, can also earn you points or rewards that can be redeemed for future flights.

Pro Tips:

  • Follow airlines on social media: Airlines often announce flash sales and discounts on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
  • Use travel reward credit cards: If you’re a frequent traveler, consider using a travel credit card that lets you accumulate points or miles that can be redeemed for flights.

11. Use Bus or Train Alternatives

Sometimes, bus or train travel within Europe is much cheaper than flights, especially for shorter distances. Companies like FlixBus, BlaBlaCar, and Eurail offer extensive routes across Europe at low prices. Trains also offer flexible last-minute deals that can sometimes be more affordable than flights.

Pro Tips:

  • Check overnight trains or buses: Overnight travel can save you the cost of a night’s accommodation.
  • Use rail passes: If you plan to visit several countries by train, consider a Eurail Pass for unlimited train travel in participating countries.

12. Look Out for Flash Sales and Error Fares

Airlines sometimes post fares at significantly reduced prices, either as part of a sale or by mistake. Websites like Secret Flying, Flight Deal, and Airfare Watchdog track these error fares and flash sales, allowing you to snatch up extremely cheap tickets before they disappear.

Pro Tips:

  • Book quickly: Error fares don’t last long, so be prepared to act fast.
  • Avoid non-refundable bookings: Since error fares can be canceled by airlines, avoid booking non-refundable hotels or activities until your flight is confirmed.
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