By Guest Blogger, Carly Mills

I work for STA Travel, and we live and breathe sending students into the world to experience it in any way they choose.

Unlike the business traveler or the older leisure travelers, students have the luxury of time – and we’re not talking just 2 weeks of vacation time.  When times get tough, students aren’t saying NO to travel.  They’re just changing the way they do it to save a buck.

Two weeks ago, we sent a survey to our customers just to find out if they are still going on Spring Break this year.  78% said “Yes, of course.,” just 3% said “No”.  Amongst those going on Spring Break the majority are budgeting between $500 and $1000.   So this year, STA Travel is packaging trips to meet these budgets.  We have a Bahamas cruise package starting at $310 and a combo volunteer-beach package to Dominican Republic for only $700.   We’ve done the same thing with winter holiday trips and weekend packages to make it easier for students to choose from what falls within their budget.Photo Credit: International Festival

Students are notorious for saving money, and we can all learn a lot from how they travel. Maybe stay at a hip hostel or the B & B down the road instead of that 5 star hotel?  Maybe this year, go to Asia or Latin America, where the dollar goes further once you get there?  There are things we can all do to keep traveling without breakin’ the bank.Here are 5 tips from the student travel experts that we can all use for holiday and spring break travel…

1.    Be flexible with your travel dates.  If taking a day off work or skipping just one class (not on a test day, of course) knocks $50 off your flight, it’s worth it.
2.    Eat & Stay Cheap- Choose a hip hostel or 2-Star hotel and stop at the local joints and food stands – delicious and cheap.
3.    Travel in Groups- 4 or 5 to a room is way cheaper than 2.  Some companies, including STA Travel, offer discounts- and free trips- when you have large groups.
4.    Book Early!-  Space fills up, and if you want the cheapest deals for holiday and spring break you’ve got to book early.

Last, but not least…

5.    If you’re gonna go, go big!  Student traveler pick: The ‘Round the World Ticket. Pack your bags for one super-size trip.  It will save you money on airfare and help you put off that thing called the real world for a while.

Happy Travels!

Carly Mills

Carly is the Marketing Manager for STA Travel.  Her favorite country is Spain, and if she could go anywhere in the world, she’d go to Argentina to learn to Tango dance.