The Shoestring Nomad

Whether your travels consist of ‘eat/sleep/rave/repeat’ or discovery and immersion, there is one vital aspect that can make or break your trip – a comfortable place to rest your head.  

Hostels have long been the go-to for the majority of student travellers – praised for their affordability and support of the local nightlife scenes, yet these generalisations should not deter those who seek a more cultural affordable experience.

Many chain hostel companies, such as YHA, Wombats and Plus, along with independently run establishments, offer a more low-key option to those opting to actually remember their vacation.

For The Nocturnal Traveller

20 year old University student, Charlie Wyer, says, “I travelled to Europe with three mates over the Summer, looking to have fun and meet new people, but I never expected it to be so easy.

“In places like Ibiza and Budapest we were greeted by cold beers and smiling foreign faces almost upon entering our hostels.”

Wyer and his travel companions could not more highly recommend ‘party’ hostels to tourists on a budget who enjoy an equally as big night out as a day of exploring.

A spokesperson from one of Wyer’s favourite locations, Grandio Party Hostel in Budapest, says, “we welcome people from all corners of the globe at any time of the year and they all become so charmed by the excitement and comfort that we offer.”

For The More Culturally Minded

When Olivia Di Clemente, 23, and her boyfriend decided to tour Europe, also over Summer, they were looking for a slower change of pace.

Having previously travelled parts of Europe Di Clemente says, “we wanted to actually see and learn about our destinations and enjoy each others’ company, so I knew that the kinds of hostels I had stayed in probably wouldn’t be suited to us.

“You really don’t need to spend an arm and a leg in order to have comfortable and quiet accommodation. We found so many options in beach-side and historical places that catered perfectly for us.”

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With boundless gap-year opportunities for a high-school leaver in 2016, is it really beneficial to postpone tertiary education to go and ‘find yourself’?

Stinna Petersen, 21-year-old Psychology student at Aarhus University, left her family and friends in Denmark to travel through Africa, Australia and Asia – and after 16 months away Stinna believes a gap year should be mandatory for all high-school leavers.

While Stinna has admitted that her time abroad has made it difficult for her to focus on university, she believes that she learnt invaluable skills such as self-reliance and sociability.  

She said, “I’m always thinking about where I want to go next, what I can learn next.  I’m not thinking about university, but how I can develop as a person.”

Georgina Latif, 20-year-old Medicine student at the University of Newcastle took a different approach to her gap year, which included studying for the UMAT while working two jobs.

While Georgina believes that her year off taught her independence, it also left her feeling burnt out by the time she was accepted into UON.  

“I had invested so much and once I got in it was like that’s it, I’m in now...I almost gave up”.  

Like Stinna, Georgina believes that her lack of motivation is insignificant compared to the life skills she learnt during her year off.  

She said, “I think that what I learnt the most was to interact with other people...it broadened my horizons”.  

Mark Woodbridge - who has taught university students for over 10 years – believes that “improved maturity, is the most important benefit and justification for taking a gap year”.   He believes that other benefits include: improved self-reliance, resilience and organisational skills.

Yet, Mr Woodbrige firmly believes that “a gap year that is not carefully planned is a waste of time and money”.  

Avoid queuing in airport lines and crushing legs in plane seats by moving through the continent like the locals do.

Buses

Suited for the traveller with time on their hands but not a lot of money in their pockets, low-fare companies such as Megabus in England and Flexibus and Eurolines in mainland Europe offer unbeatable promotional prices when booked well in advance or on the odd last-minute occasion.

Student Flights travel agent Donald Green believes it’s the best option on a budget: “I think it’s purely focused if you’ve got the time,” he said. “Overnight buses are a big thing; it saves you a night’s accommodation.”

Travelling overnight from London to Edinburgh could cost as little as AUD$24 with Megabus if booked early enough (Price as for January 2017), and takes you from both centres of the city so you don’t have to spend extra time and fee’s getting from the airport to the city.

Trains

For the traveller with a little more cash to splash, and still want to experience the scenic route of a bus but in a more comfortable time frame, there can be some great deals with train trips.

STA Travel agent Karen Belista recommends trains as the best all-round experience: “I would generally choose trains because they’ve got a fairly extensive network,” she said. “But pretty much always that’s the cost effective way to get yourself immersed in the culture and he way that the locals do it.”

Like buses, booking early can prove fruitful for travellers who are willing to travel by itineraries, with trains running from Paris to Amsterdam from AUD$44 (Price as for January 2017) in less than three and a half hours.