Where to Find Cheap Flights for Students

Travel can be tough to afford when you're a college student strapped for cash. But plenty of websites offer stellar student travel deals if you know where to look. The best part? Many of them will continue after graduation, offering anyone in their "youth" age ranges a deal. So study up! There are deals to be found


1. Student Universe
Student Universe offers special rates on flights, hotels, and tours for students ages 18-25 at degree-granting universities. You can access student deals automatically, but occasionally you'll have to prove your student status by sharing a class schedule, ID card or other documents. Some Student Universe deals don't require you to be a student: Anyone age 18-25 can get in on the action.

2. STA Travel
STA provides flights for all ages, but some of their airfares are available only to full-time students and travelers under 26. THOSE are the ones you want. Get an International Student Identity Card through STA for discounts on air travel, hotels and train tickets worldwide.

3. CheapOair
The online travel agency has a special student travel page where you can search cheap flights for travelers between the ages of 16 to 25. (No need to prove you're a student here!)

4. American Airlines Vacations
Check out the airline's college page to find vacation deals for travel to Jamaica, Hawaii and more. You'll have to enter your student ID and verify that you attend a participating school. (Don't tell, but we just entered a random number and browsed trips as if we were students. It worked!)

5. Generation Fly
Lufthansa's student travel program promises the airline's lowest and most flexible fares will be available to students with a valid school email address. Let the international journeys begin!

Top student attractions to see in London

London is known for being pricey, and, yes, at times it can be, but not if you know where to look. In fact, there are enough free things to cover every weekend for a whole year.

From galleries and landmarks to markets and parks, there's a whole host of activities that won't cost a thing. These are the things to do in the capital for those looking to save the pennies.

National Gallery

It’s worth battling past the floating Yodas to get to the crown jewel of Trafalgar Square; the National Gallery. The formidable building sits resplendently behind the Fourth Plinth - always a talking point for art lovers - and contains some of the most famous paintings in the world. Here you’ll find works by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Botticelli, and Van Gogh - and you won’t be charged a penny to enjoy them.

Imperial War Museum

The draw of the Imperial War Museum is its overwhelming sense of truth; this is not a place that glorifies or celebrates war, it simply documents it. Conflicts since 1914 are covered – there’s a Spitfire, a 14-meter high V2 rocket bombs, a harrowing (and award-winning) Holocaust exhibition. Modern-day causes of conflict are included too, with various looks at the way, for instance, 9/11 has shaped the present world. The IWM is an impressive, occasionally overwhelming place. Far from being a hallway of dusty exhibits, it constantly re-examines the morality of war and peace, and our changing relationship to it. 

Portobello Road Market

Portobello Road has everything from food stalls to vintage clothing, records to antiques. You don’t even have to buy anything, just enjoy the brightly colored houses and wonderful atmosphere. Take a camera and snap away.

Hyde Park

When a park is a home to a few Princes and a Duchess or two, you know it’s going to be good. As well as green spaces abundant enough to dodge the crowds, you’ll find historic monuments to explore, fountains to both splash about in and admire, myriad art installations, and free exhibitions at the Serpentine Gallery a short walk away from its namesake lake. Now that’s a walk in the park

Sky Garden

If a trip up to the stunning viewing gallery of one of London’s tallest buildings sounds like a pocket drainer, think again. Situated inside a glass oasis at the top of the “Walkie Talkie”, Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden, filled with greenery and boasting panoramic views of the capital. It’s totally free to head up there, but you’ll need to book in advance.

Abbey Road zebra crossing

Half a century after The Beatles took that iconic photo walking over the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road studios, people are still trying to recreate it. It’s not wise to attempt to emulate the photo entirely — to get the exact shot, you would need to stand in the middle of a pretty busy road, you see. But you can stand on the pavement and get an almost-as-good picture for the ‘gram. Once you’re done re-staging rock history, there’s a gift shop to visit and a graffiti wall that you can leave your own message on. There’s even a camera filming the crossing, streaming the footage live on the internet. Check the website after your visit and rewind back to the time you were there, to catch a glimpse of yourself on the famous white lines.

House of Parliament

You’ll have to pay to take a tour of the Houses of Parliament, but there are other ways to get in if you just want to look around. Debates in the Commons or Lords have public viewing galleries, which you can queue up for on the day, and you can stay for as long as you like. You can also request tours or a free ticket from your MP but these are very limited. Expect airport-style security, so no sharps or liquids.

Walking around Southbank

Art, culture, indie bookstalls, Instagrammable views and an endless supply of booze and street eats: the Southbank is unquestionable, the BEST place for you and your mates to hang out in London. Period. If you go at night, our advice is simple, grab a bike (or just use your legs) and whizz down Embankment all the way down to Tower Bridge. It’s the quintessential free sightseeing London experience

Barcelona for Students: What to see and do?

One of the most popular locations for study abroad students or young people of this age is the city of Barcelona, Spain. Not only is it a great combination of history and of modern society, but it is also a place where you can end up stretching your dollar quite a bit.

There’s a lot to see and do and there are a lot of student discounts, so you shouldn’t feel the need to skip a trip there if you are worried about paying for it.

What you should see in Barcelona

Park Guell

It would be a shame to visit Barcelona without a trip to Park Guell featuring architecture by the city’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. Before Modernism was even considered by other artists and builders, Gaudi developed a style unique to the region of the Catalan. If you have taken a Modern art history class, you probably have studied his work.

Unfortunately, there is no student discount for this attraction, but booking it online can often save you some money and can help you when you need to book a few months in advance. Traveling with friends can get you access to a group rate, which is less expensive and can accommodate 10 to 70 people. The general admission price is €7, but it’s worth it to see unique works of architecture unlike any in the world.

Picasso Museum

Gaudi isn’t the only famous artist who called Barcelona home. 

Picasso was another famous artist-in-residence who spent time in the Catalan region and who produced some of his finest works there. The city of Barcelona has put together a great museum on the edge of the Gothic quarter to celebrate his life and his work.

Another great fact: it has a student discount! You can see the majority of the museum for about €7.50, which is a great price for the amount of art and history based on Picasso’s life that you get to see. There is also a tour available, but audio guides are cheap if you need to have some more background information other than the signs that are provided.

Gothic Quarter

One area of the city that is definitely worth an afternoon is the Gothic Quarter. Barcelona is a fairly modern city—most of it has been rebuilt and redesigned after numerous wars and a World’s Fair in order to attract tourism.

However, if you want a glimpse of what the old city used to look like, a quick stroll around the Gothic Quarter can be the best way to immerse yourself into the past.

Churches are mostly free to get into, but you will start to notice that most of them have the same kind of architecture (Medieval/early Renaissance), so seeing one is just like seeing many of the other. If you are still interested, think about peeking into Santa Maria del Mar — it’s free to enter and is a great example of architecture from this time period.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral

Still a work in progress, it’s a living, breathing tribute to Modernism. Though it’s essential to visit and to take a look at the exterior, it is not to go inside. Regular admission is €14.80 Euro, though students can get a discount for €12.80.

Taking some time to snap a picture of the fascinating façade should be more than enough, and you can save some money for some delicious food.

Free attractions in Barcelona

One of the reasons why Barcelona is such a popular place for young people is that there is a lot to do without having to worry about paying a ton of money. It’s also a great location to visit during different times in the year.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic is worth a quick metro trip and can be the perfect place to bring friends or a significant other. Best part? It’s free to watch the light and water show built for the Great Universal Exhibition of 1929.

The show starts at different times on different days so you might want to think about looking up the schedule earlier in the day to make sure you will get there on time.

Of course, the beach can be one of the best attractions. If you are considering going topless abroad, this is the place to do so. June is a great time to lay out a towel or rent a seat or two (usually cheaply depending on where you are on the beach). Tourists haven’t arrived yet, and it’s still warm enough to get some tanning done.

Also, the harbor can be a great place to relax and enjoy the water without paying any money. Think about stopping by one of the many bars on Las Ramblas and having a drink before taking a seat on one of the docks.

Shopping, cinemas, and leisure

In the center of Barcelona, in the Plaza Cataluña and La Rambla area, you will find many high street shops and international boutiques, as well as Spain’s main department store, El Corte Inglés. But there are numerous other shopping districts and centers in the city too, some of which also offer multiplex cinemas and other leisure pursuits. Here are just a few:

• Las Arenas shopping center in Montjuïc is an impressive circular steel and concrete structure designed by the British architect Richard Rogers, offering a huge range of shops and restaurants.
• Avinguda Diagonal is known for international fashion, including names like Calvin Klein, Armani, and Gucci.
• Diagonal Mar offers a huge and very central commercial center with almost 300 stores, as well as a multiplex cinema, mini golf, aquarium, and a food court complete with restaurants, fast food places and bars.
• El Bulevard Rosa is an indoor market arcade in the Barrio Gótico, with almost 100 different clothing, shoe, accessory, bric-a-brac and gift shops.

Sports in Barcelona

Barcelona is a perfect city to visit for sports fans. With a nice climate, all year round you can practice nearly all sports available. For the 92 Olympic Games, the infrastructure was built to host all type of sports facilities all over the city which has since then been completely modernized.

In the Olympic port area and throughout the coast it is possible to practice all types of water sports. If you like running the coastline is also a perfect location.

Although you can practice nearly any sports in Barcelona the city and the whole region of Catalonia is properly most famous for being the home of the soccer club Barcelona FC. Even if you don't like soccer it can be highly recommended to take the guided stadium tour or if possible to experience a live match as the atmosphere is incredible.

We can also highly recommend the Barcelona FC camp where you can train with the famous Barcelona FCB Escola youth coaches at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Camper where also the Barcelona first team trains daily. This is a summer program available for children between 12-17 years old and is a great option for kids to get the real Barcelona FC experience.

Food on a student budget in Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the best places to get a great meal. Even better? It won’t cost you much. Even the most expensive restaurants on the strip of Las Ramblas are reasonable for students.

You might want to consider ordering several different kinds of tapas in order to get the full effect of Barcelonan cuisine. With so many options, you might think that it would be expensive to try them all. However, most can be ordered for €5 or €6. Have an accompanying beer and you are set for the evening. The portions are also usually large, so just by ordering one or two you are set.

Another great dish that doesn’t cost much is paella, which you can order with meat or with seafood (highly recommended since Barcelona’s harbor provides some great kinds of fish). You can order a large helping for €11 or €12 and that is often enough to feed two or three people — incredibly cheap prices for the quality of food that you get. Don’t forget the sangria — also cheap at €8 or €9 for a pitcher.

Street food is another option if you are walking around and you are starting to feel hungry, but there are definitely fewer options than most European cities. A churro is worth visiting a stand, and ice cream can be nice on a hot day.

Paris for Students

Paris is an amazing place to be an international student – provided that you enjoy big cities. Life here is busy and exciting, and there are opportunities to meet people from all over the world. It has lots in common with London, New York, Berlin, Barcelona, and other popular cities – they’re both bustling with tourists, business people and commuters and full of theaters, museums, bars, restaurants and so on. But of course, it’s also very different…

Coffee, clubs, and cuisine

The tearoom at the Petit Palais is one of the most popular student's spots to visit, although the Musée Jacquemart André is also great for a coffee.

In terms of shopping, a visit to one of Paris’ markets is a must – the quality of the product is superb and often very reasonably priced. The Grande Épicerie, a food hall in the seventh arrondissement, is also a favorite of mine.

The music is overwhelmingly house/trance/techno-based, so people who enjoy these styles will be spoilt for choice. Favorite clubs and bars that students visit are Showcase, Batofar, Rex and Social Club. If you’re a jazz fan, the rue des Lombards has to be visited: there’s great quality live jazz there every weekend.

If you enjoy restaurants, visit the Grand Colbert in the second arrondissement or, if you’re on more of a budget, the Bouillon Chartier in the ninth offers a very ‘French’ dining experience. (Be prepared to drink lots of wine if you move to Paris!)

Out and about in Paris

A popular walking spot for students is Bois de Boulogne, which is located on the western side of the city and many bars and restaurants that are popular by students. Its narrow winding streets are a refreshing get-away from the grand boulevards which are so commonplace throughout much of the rest of the city.

Paris’ Metro is considerably affordable public transport, but not as clean or as well-looked-after,  and taxis are much less costly.

Overall it would be fair to say that Paris is a more conventionally beautiful city and the majority of the buildings in the city center are remarkably well-preserved. 

Get off the 'tourist trail'

There are the usual drawbacks to living in a large urban area – dirtiness, crime, and so on. But the positives easily outweigh the negatives.

One thing to dislike is the seemingly unnecessary administration and bureaucracy which is so ubiquitous in French life – there’s a lot more paperwork here! However, this is part of living in a different culture and so, in a strange way, adds to the experience.

Another drawback of Paris is the French ‘assimilation’ method of dealing with immigration; for all its problems.

English-speakers should be careful not to take the ‘easy option’ and turn to speaking English every time a situation gets tricky. French people are generally eager to practice their English, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of always reverting to your ‘comfort zone’.

Aside from this, it would be advisable to encourage people arriving in Paris to try, as much as possible, to get off the tourist trails and delve into true French culture. And the best way to do this is to make French friends who know the cafés, clubs and restaurants which aren’t mentioned in the tourist guides. 

How to book cheap and cheerful trip?

Let's be honest, traveling is expensive! Between the costs of getting there, paying for a roof over your head and all the food and fun in between, the total can quickly get out of hand. Students are constantly learning about when to splurge on certain items and when to save my coins. One thing to realize is that you don’t have to spend a fortune when exploring the world! The internet can be an excellent tool if you wisely use it to your advantage. 

Use websites such as Skyscanner and Kayak.com to find the cheapest flights. These sites search and compare every airline so you don’t have to find the best flights to suit your requirements.

Hotel booking websites like Expedia are excellent search tools to find hotels that suit your needs, however hostels are always cheaper (if you’re willing to sacrifice some creature comforts). Hostelworld is the best place for just that. Airbnb is a well trusted hospitality service and has fantastic properties for good prices. There are plenty of traveling websites online which offer traveling vouchers and discounts. Use these to your advantage to get a discount on necessities. Even if you can’t save money, these blogs are a reliable source for recommendations.

If you’re in the same city or country for more than a day or two, it’s worth investing in a city pass or welcome card. Usually, the cards give you unlimited access to public transport and free passes or discounts to popular attractions.

Going solo, why not?

People who have never traveled alone often describe their first solo trip as an almost religious experience. To take in new surroundings unfiltered by the prejudices, tastes or preferences of a traveling companion can be heady stuff. Traveling alone gives you the chance to indulge yourself fully.

Of course, single travel has its perils too—such as safety concerns, loneliness, and the dreaded single supplement. But a little preparation and common sense can save you money and get you through the rough spots.

Solo travel can be the ultimate in self-indulgence; you can rest when you want and pour it on when you’re feeling ambitious. Another benefit is that your mistakes are your own, and your triumphs all the more exciting. There’s no worrying that your insistence on trekking all the way across town to a museum that was closed ruined your partner’s day; it’s your own day to salvage or chalk up to a learning experience.

Also, you can do exactly what you want to do—all the time. Always wanted to try surfing? Sign up for a class and go for it; there’s no one sitting on the beach bored while you have the time of your life. Have no desire to see Niagara Falls? Just drive right by.

Tips for Beginner Traveller

Organizing what you should pack, rushing to catch your flight and finding your hotel in an unfamiliar territory all seem like daunting tasks, however, with a little preparation they don’t have to be! Don't worry, here are some tips (or common sense) that you should take into consideration when preparing your adventure;

• Miniature everything: It may sound obvious, but purchasing mini bottles of dry shampoo, hand sanitiser, and small empty plastic bottles to put your own products it will save a lot of time and worry later on. BUT! Avoid buying these at the airport, as they will cost more than the full size and involve waiting in a huge queue to buy. Be smart and buy these things online or on the high street.

• Safety first! Buying padlocks, money bags, and cable locks may seem far-fetched and overprotective but having peace of mind will make your trip so much more enjoyable. Eliminate the risk of losing your goods by taking extra safety precautions. 

• A plastic wallet to keep your important documents avoids any organizational problems further ahead. Pop your passport, boarding pass, and important accommodation documents in there to save yourself searching your whole bag for them at the airport gates or hostel front desks!