How To Live Your Best Life Travelling The World On A Student Budget
2024 has only just started and we need a holiday already.
If you’ve had enough of the dark and rainy UK and wish you were living it up on a sunny beach in Bali instead you’re not alone. Whether you’re planning a gap year, a few weeks of travelling this summer, or a spontaneous trip next month—holiday daydreaming will get you through your dullest lectures.
Of course, it’s not always cheap to jet off around the world and if your overdraft is your best friend, money might be holding you back from running away for a month off in Australia.
Luckily, travelling doesn’t have to break the bank and there are loads of simple and easy tips and tricks to help you live your best life travelling the world on a student budget.
All you need is your passport, the motivation to cut down on a few nights out to save some cash and some sage advice to have your dream holiday before you know it.
1. Stay in hostels for affordable accommodation
One of the easiest ways to save money when travelling is to opt for hostels instead of hotels. Hostels are a great opportunity to meet new people and save some serious cash when travelling and thanks to our Hostelworld student discount you can save money at hostels all over the world.
Whether you want to visit Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico or Colombia you can easily search and book affordable hostels in your chosen destination.
Best of all, each hostel will have a rating based on scores from previous visitors and there are plenty of reviews too, so you’ll be able to see safe and highly rated hostels that suit your budget that thousands of other travellers have already enjoyed.
2. Research the best time of year to travel
The time of year you choose to travel can have a huge impact on your budget as flights are often more expensive in the summer months or popular tourist periods.
Before you plan your travels make sure to check what time of year is cheapest to travel and what the weather will be like, as that will make a huge difference to your experience.
Of course, the UK might be grey and miserable in January but that’s the peak of summer in Australia which means while this is a great time to visit and work on your tan, you can expect to pay more when booking your flights.
3. Use the Hostelworld app to make new friends
Whether you’re travelling on your own or you just want to make some new friends, it couldn’t be easier with the Hostelworld app.
With the Linkups feature, you can easily see events hosted by hostels and sign up to participate.
From pub crawls to movie nights you’ll be able to find something that reflects your hobbies and meet loads of new friends while you’re on your travels.
Linkups is available for anyone who has booked a hostel with Hostelworld and is staying in the city where the event is hosted, so whether you’re staying for one night or a week you’ll be able to make the most of the time in your chosen city.
If you’re thinking of travelling solo, Hostelworld’s social feature will help you to chat with people staying in the hostel you’ve booked for up to two weeks before you arrive.
This way you can chat with fellow travellers who will be staying in the same hostels as you and make friends before you’ve even arrived.
This could also help you to cut costs on things such as taxis or renting a car as you can split the cost with your new friends, rather than having to cover the costs alone which can make travelling much more affordable.If you love to make new friends and want to make new experiences while you’re travelling, the app features are a great way to meet new people and get out of your comfort zone to make lifelong memories while you’re travelling.
4. Save as much money as you can before you head off
No phone signal, no mobile data and no money. We’ve all been there after a night out but there’s nothing worse than it happening when you’re abroad.
While it’s worth having crazy nights out for the memories, you don’t want to find yourself in a difficult situation thousands of miles away from home with no money for food or accommodation.
If you’re going travelling it’s best to over budget as you never know how much money you’ll actually need, so definitely be prepared before you set off and try and cut back the pennies where you can.
Sacrificing a few nights out or takeaways might seem hard at the time, but it will be worth it once you’re sunbathing in Bali 3 months later.
5. Only pack what you need to bring
We all know an over-packer who tries to cram every possible item into their suitcase. If you’re frequently moving between hostels you’re going to want luggage you can easily transport around, which is why most people opt for a backpack rather than a suitcase.
You don’t need to bring every single dress and pair of shoes you own to have a good time on holiday and you probably won’t need to bring every item from your bathroom either.
Remember, you’ll be able to buy things along the way and if you make new friends in hostels you’ll probably be able to borrow things from your new friends too.
A great way to prepare for travelling is to have a bit of a wardrobe clearout and sell anything you don’t need on Vinted or Depop.
Not only will it give you some extra cash for your travels but it will also make it way easier to decide what you actually need to pack.
Trust us, once you’re carrying your backpack in 40-degree heat, you’ll be grateful for packing lightly.
Now you have all the saving hacks you could possibly need to start planning your next adventure, even if you’re on a tight student budget.
Don’t forget to use our student discount at Hostelworld to help you save on your travels and make some new friends along the way.
