The beginning of November has come all too quickly, and our longing for winter break and tropical vacations haunt us daily. If traveling is in your future, there are several steps we recommend in order to travel successfully.
First, decide what type of trip you want to take and where you are going to end up (private island with personal bartender is always a good start). Then, research your possibilities such as where to stay, where to eat, how much money to bring and in what form.
We have to say road trips are one of the best ways to have fun; you can see random sights and get goofy with your friends.
To go on a successful road trip, you should buy a map, pack your car full of snacks, CDs and film. The most important part of a road trip is not being in a hurry-plan for randomness, or better yet, don’t plan at all.
If your vacation requires flying, allow yourself time for more planning. Airfare alone needs to be scheduled at least three weeks in advance. Check out Web sites such as www.travelocity.com, www.expedia.com and www.cheaptickets.com.
Tip: Airfare to the Pacific side of Mexico is often considerably cheaper than the gulf side.
Airfare to major European cities are often similarly priced to one another. And as students, we have access to the Student Travel Association, which offers great deals. Use this travel company while you can- they really do make things easier. Visit www.statravel.com for more information and travel pricing.
In countries with foreign currency, the best option is to use credit and ATM cards. Using ATM cards allows you to carry around smaller amounts of cash, which is especially helpful when you are traveling between countries with different currencies.
The Euro is now in full effect in the majority of the Western European countries, and is comparable to the dollar in value.
But let’s say that you are like us: all of this sounds good and dandy, but really there isn’t any money squirreled away somewhere for lollygagging.
Over the break at least hit some restaurants you’ve been wanting to go to, try something completely new, and maybe even try talking to a few strangers. Sometimes your own town can seem like a foreign country when you walk down different alleyways.
