What Every Student Should Know About Vacationing Internationally
As beautiful and diverse as some campuses and their communities are, such as Stanford University, sometimes getting away from familiar surroundings is called for every once in a while.
There are plenty of vacation destinations within the United States but for college students with very big goals, selecting an international spot to spend time away from campus and classes can be a very memorable experience that is well worth the money—if planned wisely, of course.
Get Your Passport in Order
Students can’t go anywhere outside of the United States without a passport. Don’t currently have one? Then apply ASAP—sometimes it can take a few weeks or even a few months to get approved and receive a new passport. Lagging on this matter could mean delaying the trip until the passport arrives or even having to cancel it altogether if there is only a small window of time to plan for the trip.
Students who already have passports will want to check the expiration date. If it is close to their intended travel dates, the first step should be to renew the passport immediately.
Learn About Where You’re Going In Advance
It goes without saying that the tourist experience for students will be much more enjoyable if they go in with some knowledge of the place(s) they’ll be vacationing at. A Chamonix accommodation will be more special to student travelers if they understand how rich the history of the area is, as well as the hot spots to visit, such as The Jekyll, which is a famous bar in Chamonix or the Aiguille du Midi, a famous peak and a famous cable car.
These little tidbits make the overall experience not only memorable but educational in a fun and insightful way.
Save for Additional Expenses
There are more than one type of expense when it comes to traveling internationally. Aside from the plane ticket, transportation, food and accommodation costs, students should also expect to set aside “play money.” Not budgeting properly in this aspect could limit the types of activities students can participate in while on vacation.
For example, students with plans to go skiing in the Alps will likely need extra funds to rent supplies if bringing their own isn’t practical for the trip.
To determine this part of the budget, it helps to do an online search on the chosen destination to find out which activities students might want to take part in. It is a good idea to try and “combine” activities that are related to where students will be staying during their vacation so they won’t have to travel too far and incur extra costs.
Package Deals Are the Best Deals
Want to enjoy the festivities during French ski holidays? During the planning phase, do an online ski accommodation search and find out if there are travel packages available that are all-inclusive. This means the meals, travel and lodging are included in the overall price. This is a very easy way to not only budget but to save the right amount of funds.