Graduation Gifts: EF College Tours

     My college commencement is right around the corner, so why not reward myself after all of those years of hard work.

     To my fellow vagabonds: You certainly deserve it a pick-me-up vacation. Think big or stay home!

     These next trips are more costly than the other ones I have posted but it’ll be worth it.
      

     Four countries in 10 days, why not? Why not three countries in seven days?

     There are travelling agencies that organize a trip for just college students. You won’t have to worry about the age group, hotels or airplane tickets. You don’t even have to think twice about the tourist activities! They literally do everything for you.

     Your job?—

     Show up and have fun.

     Check out these vacations with hotels, flights booked, breakfast and dinner included! You can have your cake and eat it too. I want to give a special shout out to EF College Tours for providing these awesome packages! To check out the itinerary, click on the links embedded in the text. 

     London,Paris and Rome: $2,959 for 12 days.

     London,Paris and Barcelona: $2,799 for 12 days.

     Tour of Italy: $2,989 for 12 days.

     Berlin,Prague and Munich: $2,649 for 11 days.

     Amsterdam, Paris and London: $2,699 for 10 days.

     Germany,Italy and Switzerland: $2,539 for 10 days.

     Tour of Ireland: $2,369 for 9 days.

     London and Paris: $2,309 for 8 days.

     Experience Germany and Oktoberfest: $2,029 for 6 days.

     Happy planning, vagabonds! May the prices be ever in your favor. 

      

    

Weekend Trip: Chicago

     Let’s face it, as college students we have little to no time to ourselves. But when you find a weekend you can salvage, why not take a mini vacation? Take Thanksgiving break for instance, instead of Black Friday shopping, travel somewhere new!

     These estimated prices are for a road trip from New Jersey to Illinois, so bring three-four friends along and divide up the costs. The more the merrier!

     Food ($80): Cut the cost of food by packing sandwiches, drinks and snacks. Make a grocery list and divide up the costs. Cold cuts, loaves of bread, cheese, chips and juice pouches are the way to go!

     Car Maintenance ($200-300): Look up how many miles you’ll be travelling. Estimate the costs of gas round trip, to be safe, add another $20 per person. Know how to change a tire. Things happen on the road when you least expect it, because that’s life and sometimes life…well, will give you a flat tire. Don’t rely on strangers driving by to help you change a tire! Make sure someone has a car service like AAA, it’s always best to be prepared!

     Personal Costs ($100 per person): Be sure to do your research. Make sure you know the costs of entrance fees for any tourist attractions, check if they have student discounts or special offers.  

     If you travel with four friends, the total cost minus the hotel is $195, so let’s make that a solid $200 for a trip to Chicago, not bad, eh?

     For lodging purposes you have two options: A hostel or hotel. Take your pick!

     Some people are a little weary about staying in hostels but think of it as a dorm room. If you are travelling with four people, you can rent out a group room that houses 4-6 people.

     ISHP Chicago: This hostel houses a lot of international travelers. For $75 a night, you and your friends can rent out a fourbed room and a shared bathroom. It also includes free wireless internet, breakfast and group events like Bar Crawl!

     If you decide to stay in a hotel, don’t narrow your search to Chicago hotels. Hotels that are conveniently located have skyrocketed prices. Since you are on a road trip you have the freedom of driving. Check out hotels that are 45 minutes away. It may be an extra drive but if you’re cost conscious it’ll be worth it!

My Chicago Road Trip:

     This past June, my two friends and I decided to take a road trip from New Jersey to Illinois. We thought of the idea on a Monday and the following Sunday, we hopped into the car and drove west. In total I spent $300 for three days and two nights.

A snippet from our trip, good music helps during the night drive!

     

     It was about a 13 hour drive including our car breaks. That might seem long, but my motto is, "Surround yourself with good company and you'll have a good time." I went with friends that I have known since kindergarten! 

     Now, one good thing to take into consideration is that there are other people travelling with you. So, all of us picked a place to take pit stops at.

     Our first stop was the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

This is Chris...

     Then we jammed out at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 Saw some stellar sights from the Willis Tower.

In Chicago you have to eat deep dish pizza. It was delicious!

We took a stroll in Millennium Park.

Met legendary, Michael Jordan... Well, his statue, that is. 

Julian is the corner!

And we stayed in a hotel in Indiana!

Travel Tip Tuesday: 6 Ways to Save for Your Next Vacation

     Let’s talk money.

     The first thing about travelling is to research the costs. The second thing?

     Save money.

     I’ve had a job since I was 16-years-old, so I’ve become accustomed with saving as I go. With bills to pay and everyday living expenses, saving money can seem impossible. So here’s what I did!

    Save spare change: At the end of the day, put your change in a travel jar. Even the pennies! Over the course of a few months you can save up to $100. After 6 months of doing this, exchange it at a bank or at a coin star. You’ll be surprised what spare change can add up to!

     Shop within your means: This is coming from an ex-shopaholic. I went to the mall at least once a week in high school, looking back on it, I had quite the addiction. It’s simple as this, buy only what you need. If it’s not broken, don’t get a replacement.

    Before your go grocery shopping make a list. Look at what’s on sale for the week and base your meal plans off of them. That list is your only mission. If you browse around, you’ll be tempted to pick up things you don’t need.

     Pick up an “every-now-and-then” job: I like kids, so I picked up an occasional babysitting job. Parents are willing to pay for good babysitters! After all, you’re taking care of their kids. A bonus?— You get to see what parenting skills work and don’t work.

    If you play a sport, pick up an assistant coaching job! You get paid to do something you enjoy. Who could ask for more? I was an assistant coach for my old high school. 

    Retail stores are always looking for seasonal employees, work one day every weekend and get those checks directly deposited into your bank account.

     Tithe into your bank account: Tithing is a term used in Christianity but the concept can help you save money for your next trip! Every week put money into your savings account. It can range from $5 a week to $50. Put aside a practical amount. Don’t be too ambitious, spending within your means also means saving within your means.

     Vision Board: Create a vision board of your vacation and hang it in a place you will always see it. Use it as a constant reminder of why you are saving.

     Pick-up more hours: If you have a part-time job, let your co-workers and boss know that you are looking for extra hours. You can be the go-to person for picking up shifts. We all work with someone that likes to call out of their shift, sweep in a save the day and make money while you’re at it. You get brownie points with your boss and you can add that extra money to your savings. 

Travel Tip Tuesday: Surf the Couch

     

     You can surf the web, surf the waves and surf on couches. Yeah, that’s right, you can surf on couches.

     What am I talking about?

     I’m talking about couchsurfing.org, a website for the adventurous soul.

     My co-worker, Brittany, happens to be a good friend of mine and knows that I love traveling. 

     She was giving a tour to prospective transfer students and started talking with this 25-year-old transfer student. It’s amazing what you can find out about a person. This transfer student took a break after community college and just wanted to travel, so she did. In the past five years she has traveled to 40 different countries. Naturally, Brittany asked how she paid for it.

     The transfer student answered, “I would come home and work my butt off. Then I would take time off to travel. You can’t live life scared.”

     When Brittany told me in the office we were so inspired we made accounts for ourselves.

     So, how does it work?

     First you have to sign up to become a part of the couch-surfing community. From there you fill out a profile. It’s almost like a dating site but instead of finding your significant other, you’re trying to find the perfect house and couch to crash on.

     Here’s the deal, people who are a part of the online community have three options, to be the traveler, the host or even both.

     It’s really simple. Once you complete your profile you can start surfing for couches. On the top of the webpage you’ll find “surf,” click it. It will then bring you to a page where you can start planning your home away from home. You indicate where you want to go, how many people you are travelling with, for how long and give a brief description of why you are going. Your details will match you up with hosts that are available and you can start making arrangements.

     This is an awesome solution for traveling on a budget because it’s free. Your fellow couch surfers are just as adventurous as you are! All you have to do is pay for your flight, pocket money and pack your bags.

     If you are interested in hosting, you have to complete your profile and must have a background check done. Background checks on this website costs about $25 plus tax.

Couch-Surfing Tips:

     Legitimize. Make sure your host is legit. Is there any missing information?

     Travel in numbers. Let’s face it. You can’t trust everyone in the world. Travel with a couple of friends. Remember, there is power in numbers.

     Communicate. The chances are that there have been other people who have crashed on the host’s couch before you. Most likely they’ll leave a review. Get into contact with them and ask questions that might concern you. Reviews and comments cannot be deleted by the host, whatever couch surfers say, stays.

    Tell your family and friends. Give your family and friends every detail of your stay. Where you are going, who your host is, provide them with the conversation you had with your host, tell them everything! The more details, the better, it gives them something to work with.