Top Questions College Students Have About Traveling

By Kailey Walters on November 18, 2017

For most of us college students, traveling is one of many things we wish we had the time and money for. After all, there isn’t always much opportunity in between semesters to go someplace exotic, especially when we’re trying to land that summer internship or spend some time at home with family.

What’s more, traveling is expensive and sometimes we have to put our money towards tuition, student loans, and the like.

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However, if you do have the chance to travel somewhere — whether it’s for the first time or the twentieth time — there are a few questions you might have. Check out the following questions to get answers on your most pressing travel ideas, so that in the process of planning right up to when you’ve packed your bags and are ready to go, you have no lingering doubts or uncertainties.

1. Where should I go?

This is obviously one of the first, if not the first, questions you should be asking yourself. Not only does the place you choose determine everything else that you plan out — such as expenses for hotels, transportation, entertainment, etc. — but it is also the most integral part of your entire experience.

Of course, choosing another state in the U.S. versus another country on the other side of the world makes a huge difference. Perhaps you’re only up for traveling a few hours to just a few states over, or you’re craving a full-blown adventure and want to visit someplace completely foreign.

Think about where you’re dying to go — is there a particular place that’s been on your list seemingly forever?

2. When should I go?

Deciding on a time is another crucial part of the planning process. Look over your calendar and figure out when a practical time would be to travel. Because college semesters usually extend from late August to mid-December, and then from late January to mid-May, you will have to take advantage of the breaks in between.

Although the lengths of winter breaks vary at different colleges, most winter breaks are a good time to travel because they last at least several weeks. The good thing about this is that it’s typically not enough time to hold a job, but it’s the perfect amount of time to take a week or two-week trip.

3. How long should I stay?

Okay, now that you’ve picked a destination and a time to go, you should think about how much time you want to spend there. Again, it’s up to you based on your personal preferences and how much of a “vacation” you intend to make it. Just remember: the amount of money you spend is essentially contingent on how long you stay.

Which leads to our next question …

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4. What is my budget?

This is where things start to get a little tricky, as you now have to dive into the nitty-gritty, not-so-fun details of logistics. Take a good, hard look at your bank account. How much can you reasonably spend over a certain period of time?

According to this article on college.usatoday.com, which offers 40 useful tips on traveling as a college student, setting two types of budgets can be helpful. Set a total budget, which accounts for your total expenses throughout the trip, and a daily budget, which details the smaller things you might end up spending on each day.

Creating a chart or document of some sort can also be useful in keeping track of all your expenses, both large and small. While you might not need to plan for a random bottle of water that you end up buying at an amusement park, you should plan ahead for the price of the amusement park tickets.

5. Which attractions should I visit?

What goes hand in hand with planning your budget is the specific attractions you choose to visit. Based on your destination and how much time you’ll be spending there, plan logically for each day. To find attractions that pique your interest, Google is of course always an option, but you might also want to ask around — perhaps among friends, family, neighbors, your professors, etc. — for suggestions on worthwhile places to see and things to do.

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