Constantly surrounded with stress and pressure, many college students look forward to escaping the real world for a week and going away for spring break. However, the outrageous costs of flights and hotels often deter many from traveling to exotic places. Luckily for students, there are plenty of ways to find great deals on flights, hotels and vacation packages.
www.StudentUniverse.com
Looking for a plane ticket but can’t seem to find one that isn’t hundreds of dollars over your limit? If Expedia or Travelocity’s “great deals” just aren’t cutting it, then look no further than StudentUniverse. The Web site is dedicated entirely to student travel deals, and providing StudentUniverse with a simple college e-mail address grants you access to substantially lower rates on airfare and hotels.
After deciding to go to Miami for spring break, Victoria Wiley, a sophomore Spanish major, was quickly discouraged after she realized how expensive airfare was.
“After searching all over the Internet for flights, I was unable to find anything that was under $500,” Wiley said. “After a friend suggested that I try StudentUniverse, I created an account and within five minutes found a round-trip flight for $250.”
There’s a reason half-priced airfare seems too good to be true — there is one catch.
“You can only book one ticket per college e-mail address, so I had to book separately from my friend who I am traveling with,” Wiley said. “Even though I don’t get to sit next to my friend, I’m saving so much money that it doesn’t even matter.”
www.Hostelworld.com
Now that you have found an inexpensive way to reach your destination, one question remains — where can you find a place to sleep that will be clean, centrally located and won’t wipe out your bank account?
Although the 2005 horror thriller doesn’t exactly give hostels the best reputation, they can actually be a fun and economical vacation choice. Often providing meals, clean linens and featuring amenities such as a pool, restaurant or bar, a hostel is a great alternative to staying in a hotel and costs only a fraction of the price.
If sharing a room with strangers isn’t your style, then have no fear. Most hostels also offer private rooms for a higher price.
Hostelworld.com is the ultimate resource for finding the perfect hostel. The Web site features more than 20,000 hostels in more than 170 countries. Simple and easy to use, an advanced search allows you to choose your exact location and browse for hostels by features of the actual hostel, destination features and much more. Featuring many different types of hostels, you can search for anything from a haunted hostel to an eco-friendly hostel.
Jennifer Shlomo, a sophomore English major, rated her Hostelworld experience as excellent.
“The Web site was so convenient and easy to use,” Schlomo said. “Each hostel had a great description of its features and amenities, and also profiled what there was to do in the area. There was also user feedback and ratings, which made it easy to find the perfect hostel. I would definitely recommend Hostelworld to anyone who is looking for a great deal.”
www.StudentCity.com
If the ultimate spring break package is what you want, then look no further than www.StudentCity.com. Featuring destinations such as the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica, StudentCity makes planning an exotic vacation a quick and easy process.
Although a week’s vacation through StudentCity can cost anywhere from $700 to $1,000, StudentCity has a “package deal” style that includes airfare, a hotel and unlimited food and beverage. The Web site has a great selection and features an unlimited number of hotels and vacation packages to choose from.
After selecting a vacation package, travelers can make their vacation experiences even better by adding activities such as party packages, outdoor excursions, restaurant packages and much more.
To make payment easier, StudentCity offers a monthly payment plan. Package prices are significantly lower when booked far in advance, so make sure to act fast if you want to go away on the ultimate spring break.