Traveling on a Budget for College Students

With the approaching holidays and breaks from school, many college students are hoping to go home, but with all the expected purchases throughout the winter, it can be particularly difficult to afford travel costs. Throughout my college experience, I found the best means in which to receive discounts and researched alternative forms of transportation that will be a relief to any student.

Travel by Air:

1. One airline I always suggest in terms of discounted flights is Southwest. Their website often offers a 'web only' fare that can be as little as $99.00, depending on your destination throughout the United States and one of their web only promotions is free baggage checks. They also have a helpful option called the Low Fare Calendar, which shows customers which days of the week are ideal to travel, in terms of cost.

2. Always check the websites of airlines for a 'Specials' or 'Discounts' link. These often host low-fare packages for certain locations, one of which may be your destination! Airlines don't go out of their way to advertise cheap deals, so make sure you check thoroughly for these offers.

3. If traveling on an airline that does not offer free baggage checks, only pack the minimum that will fit into a carry-on sized bag and avoid the cost of checking a large suitcase.

4. Buy your tickets early and online! Don't wait three days until your college break to buy airfare, the price can jump hundreds of dollars. Avoid spending unnecessary money by confirming your tickets up to a month in advance.

5. Save extra by adhering to the 3 ounce rule for toiletries. If you bring items larger than this, they will force you to throw them out, which can be horribly expensive. You can buy these special travel containers at a local pharmacy shop for only a few dollars and reuse them.

6. Pack bottled water and small snacks to avoid having to buy food within the airport, which is often extremely overpriced. Save your money for such occurrences as weather or technical delays, so if you have run out of packed goodies, you will still have money to buy more food.

Travel by Train:

1. It may take longer, but traveling by train is extremely cheaper than air and one of the best lines to take would be Amtrak. If you travel often, an ideal purchase would be to get a Student Advantage card, which when used on Amtrak trains, will give you a discount on each ticket bought. Just a trip home for Thanksgiving and Christmas makes the card pay for itself and then some.

2. Make purchases with special credit cards. If you make your Amtrak ticket purchase with an Amtrak MasterCard, you will receive points towards free train travel with every dollar spent. If train is convenient for you location, plans and offers like these can be extremely rewarding and beneficial.

3. Buy your tickets early and online! Amtrak train tickets are cheaper if purchased online than at the station and they go very fast, due to their low prices, so make sure to plan over a month in advance around the holiday season. Buying at least ten days in advance will have the tickets mailed to you for free, whereas if you buy late, you will be charged an extra $15.00 to have them expressed.

4. The train food isn't as expensive as airports, but their choices are limited. Always pack a bag with several goodies and some drinks to keep you happy on the long ride and avoid spending money when it isn't necessary.