You’re a cash-strapped study abroad student but want to travel and explore nearby countries and more remote cities. In expensive countries, like those in Western Europe, hotels are out of the question.

What’s a student with wanderlust to do?

Choose from one of these budget accommodation options to stay cheaply (or even for free) anywhere in the world.

Hostels

Hostels began as student housing but have since become the preferred choice for budget travelers of any age.

The majority of hostel guests are teens and twenty-somethings, so you’ll find plenty of peers here. Hostels are a great way to meet other people, find local activities, and save money on a bed.

By sharing a dorm-style room with other travelers, you will have a built-in group of friends in whichever city you visit. Don’t like them? See who else is there by hanging out in the common room or hostel bar.

Book hostels with WeHostels or HostelWorld.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing has two big draws: (1) it’s free and (2) your host will be an ambassador for the city.

The community on Couchsurfing is as focused on meeting new people as they are on finding a place to stay. The accommodations aren’t as reliable and don’t afford much privacy, but, when you do find a place, it will come with its own social scene, much like a hostel. The difference is that you’ll be meeting a local who will also be your guide to the city. In a hostel, you’ll meet other travelers and form your own impromptu social circle.

Even if you don’t want to sleep on someone’s couch, you can find events and meetups in thousands of cities.

Apartment Rentals

Renting a shared apartment through Airbnb can be like Couchsurfing.

Airbnb also has private accommodations. You can rent an entire apartment for yourself. You have a range of options and prices depending on what you’re looking for, who you’re traveling with, and how much you want to spend.

If you’re traveling with friends, search for places that can accommodate multiple people. You can save money and stay somewhere nice when you’re splitting the cost with a group.

Home Rentals

If you have a group of four or more and are traveling outside of a dense city, rent an entire house.

The price can be shocking at first, until you divide it by 4 or 6 or more people. Many of the homes for rent on HomeAway, VRBO, or Tripping are the owners’ vacation homes. That means they’re big and tricked out with amenities. You will find homes with pools, hot tubs, and sweeping views. With a large group, you can rent luxury for a few days. It will be a welcome break from student housing.

Home rentals are great for long weekends in the country when you might actually spend more time at the rental. If you’re in a bustling city and will be out exploring all day, stay somewhere cheaper like a hostel or couch.

What’s your favorite budget accommodation?

About the Author: Fred Perrotta is an avid traveler and the Director of Marketing at WeHostels.

Visit Abroad101 to read program reviews and discover your dream study abroad destination! 

Kellie is an Abroad101 Global Ambassador this semester, blogging about her adventures abroad in Paris with AIFS.  Read on to hear how she followed her dreams- all the way to the Eiffel Tower!

“First off, let me start by saying how much of a blessing this whole experience has been. I could not have done this without my friends, family, my boyfriend, AIFS, Abroad 101, and everyone else that had a part in making my Paris dreams come true. So thank you all! Now that I got that out of the way, I will desperately try over the next couple of weeks to articulate how wonderful this adventure has been and why you should experience your own.

While I may have always had this dream of Paris, I never thought I would ever step foot in it. However, Walt Disney, my idol, once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I have that quote in my room back home and it is a constant reminder that my dreams are always attainable. After all, what a different world we would be in if Walt Disney never pursued his dreams.

You may be wondering why a country girl from southern Texas is writing all this and what the purpose of this first blog is. I mean I am in Paris and I haven’t even gotten to the good part. The reasoning behind the mushy “follow your dreams” theme is because going to Paris and learning French was not something that everyone supported or understood, but I always had faith. Back home I constantly hear, “Why are you majoring in French when you live in Texas? Shouldn’t you be learning Spanish?” or “What can you do with a French degree?” Statements like that may hurt but I would always tell myself that those people didn’t matter. They aren’t the ones who should dictate my dreams.

I arrived at Texas A&M University three years ago with no idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I sat down and thought about the things that truly interested me, you know, the things that make my eyes light up and my heart pound. I arrived at two conclusions, French and traveling. While those two things are great and all, I had no idea where to go from there. To make a long story short, I found myself in the International Studies office, and it was a perfect fit from the start. I am now a double major in International Communications and French. I consider myself very blessed that I was able to find a degree that can take me places and will allow me to do the things I love the most.

What this all means is, you can too. If I can make it all the way from College Station to Paris by following my dreams, then so can you. Was I scared to leave my home? Absolutely. I was terrified, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

If you take anything away from this blog I want it to be this, follow your dreams wherever they may take you, you never know where you will find yourself, mine just happened to take me to Paris.”

To follow more of Kellie’s adventures, be sure to visit her blog: From Paris with Love.

Our expert on expat emotional health Melissa Doman, M.A., LGPC, NCC serves up another informative Wellness Wednesday post!  Read on to learn how study abroad contributes to the important development of a multicultural worldview of human diversity. 

President Jimmy Carter once said, “we become not a melting pot, but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” This beautiful combination of words really encompasses the natural beauty of multiculturalism and diversity of the human condition. Exposure to cultures, people, and beliefs different from your own is one of the most invaluable experiences you will ever have in your life. I want to help call attention to one of the most important character developments you are experiencing during your time studying abroad: how your international exposure is shaping your worldview of human diversity.  You are not just experiencing new things – you are learning as well.

Developing your knowledge and sensitivity to differences of those around you serve you so well in your personal life and in your professional career. You may not realize it, but studying in a different country and living your daily life in another culture is expanding and changing the lens you view your entire life through. Within your personal life, you might find that during and after study abroad, you may pose questions and challenge yourself to think more broadly about general human behavior, how you interact with one person, or how a group of people interact with each other. You are fortunate to get first hand experience through experiential learning about diversity as opposed to just studying it in textbooks. Doing something, versus simply reading about something, goes miles further than you could ever be aware of.

In terms of your career path, as I noted in my post last month, studying abroad can potentially change your career path for the better. You can bet your bottom dollar that a significant number of jobs, specifically those that are people-oriented and service oriented, usually have criteria demanding these skills. Such phrases may include descriptions like, “must possess familiarity and sensitivity to different multicultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.” Employers are acutely aware of the fact that multicultural sensitivity through cultural immersion is a rare skill for potential employees to have. This is an invaluable skill that you’ve picked up during your travels! Respect it and use it the best ways you can.

Some additional benefits you may notice from experiencing diversity in a foreign context first hand are:

1. Increased patience when encountering difference
2. Curiosity and a voracious hunger for knowledge about the unknown
3. Appreciation of uniqueness
4. Finding common ground and unity between yourself and someone very different
5. Helping to ‘pay it forward’ by educating friends back home on your experiences

It’s so exciting to take what you once knew about yourself and how you viewed your environment and enhance it by what you’re now experiencing and seeing. It fundamentally alters how you process things. It could range from something small to something substantial. It could be subtle nuances of how people communicate to each other through tone of voice, the connotations of a phrase, different body language, cultural meanings, or how family processes are interpreted. Try to soak it all in.

In a previous posting, I mentioned the importance of self-reflection during study abroad. This is an example of what I mentioned! Take note of these changes you observe in how you process things and relate to your environment around you. You may be starkly surprised in your ‘before’ and ‘after’ version of yourself.  I leave you with the words of the American Philosopher, Mortimer Adler, who described this experiential process best. “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live.”

Visit Abroad101 to read the largest collection of study abroad program reviews! 

Our friends at Feedacq are experts on what it takes to make an international move. In this post they share with us why more students should consider studying abroad in an emerging country.  

“People look to study abroad for a number of different reasons. Some people would like to see different places around the world and experience new cultures; some students are intrigued by the idea of living somewhere different and exciting.  Whatever your reason, it’s an incredible learning experience, and one that can be enhanced depending on where you choose to study.

Many students leave to study abroad because they want to expand their views of the world- they want to face new challenges. The best way to really get out of your comfort zone is by studying in a place that is really different from your usual environment. Here are a few reasons why you should look to study in emerging regions.

By studying abroad, you have a chance to make a real impact on the local community. In many emerging countries, there are still places of high poverty, meaning that you have the opportunity to lend a helping hand.  Be it teaching English or simply serving as a cultural ambassador, you can have a real impact in a developing country.

Living and traveling in emerging countries takes more time to adjust to as you get older- so do it while you’re young! Save the resort towns and expensive European cities for when you’re older and your pockets are deeper.

It is much cheaper to study abroad in say Vietnam than New Zealand for example. The travel cost, food, and general living expenses are much more economical studying abroad in emerging countries. However, this does not mean that you will have a lower level of education.

Lastly, most of the fortune 500 companies are now setting up offices in emerging countries as the costs are better, and they have a large talent pool of potential employees. Most of the CEO’s who overlook the operations in these developing countries are people who have lived in these countries for sometime and know the nuances of the local region. By opting to study in a developing nation, you are giving yourself this advantage. If you have a choice today, I would urge you to consider spending a semester abroad in a developing nation.”

Arjun is a writer for Feedacq, an international relocation company that connects expats and repatriates with quality moving companies.

Visit Abroad101 to read reviews and discover your dream study abroad destination. 

Abroad101 Global Ambassador Katie O’Brien blogs from Perugia, Italy.  In this post she shares with us tips for planning the perfect spring break adventure across France, Spain, and Morocco.

“Planning my spring break abroad was the ultimate opportunity to live out my traveling fantasies. Sampling colorful French macaroons at Ladurée in Paris, eating tapas and dancing until morning in Barcelona–and yes, I do want to ride a camel in Morocco. It always seems impossible until it happens.

The first step in any dream is to take action. Start by researching the best options for cheap flights. Skyscanner.com is my travel-planning bible. There’s a rumor that Tuesdays and Sundays are the best days to book flights, because the prices sometimes drop. Coordinating the times and transportation is essential. A trip to Paris through a cheap airline like Ryanair means you need to take a bus from the small airport to the center of Paris (a 45 min bus drive). Staying in hostels and couch surfing is an easy way to budget your money while traveling, and will add another excitement factor to your adventure.

Guided student travel companies also provide a way to ease your way into a country if you don’t want to deal with the details in transportation. Popular companies like Bus2Alps (I recommend the Morocco weekend trip) and Weekend Student Adventures by Andy Steve (Rick Steve’s son).

But wherever your travels take you, remember that all types of experiences make great stories.  What do you want to retell as your own?”

Follow Katie’s adventures:
Twitter @kayteaobrien
Instagram: kayteakat
Blog: http://thesweetadventure.wordpress.com/

Visit Abroad101 to read program reviews and discover your dream study abroad destination. 

The New Face of Study Abroad is an infographic by WeHostels. WeHostels makes it easy to find and book value accomodations around the world and to connect with other travelers using your mobile device.

Visit Abroad101 to read reviews and discover your dream study abroad destination.  Once abroad, book your weekend excursions on WeHostels, and connect with other travelers! 

Kellie is an Abroad101 Global Ambassador blogging from Paris, France.

Each semester Abroad101 chooses the most compelling student bloggers, photographers, and videographers to serve as Global Ambassadors.  As GAs, these students are tasked to document their adventures in a way that is inspiring, exciting, honest, and transformative.  Through the well crafted words and images of our Global Ambassadors, our readers are able to travel the world right along with them.

Kellie James is our Spring 2013 Global Ambassador and a $5,000 Scholarship recipient from AIFS:

Kellie is currently a junior working toward a Bachelor of Arts in International Communications and French at Texas A&M University. Texas A&M is located in College Station, Texas which is the perfect cross between a busy city and a small town in the heart of the Brazos Valley.

Kellie has been dreaming of Paris ever since she was a little girl. She will be living out her dream in a beautiful flat within eyesight of the Eiffel Tower. In Paris, she will be attending the University of Paris at the Sorbonne like many of her idols before her. Although a majority of her blog postings will be about the city of light and love, she has plans to explore the countries of Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and Italy.  Follow Kellie’s posts while she experiences an adventure for a life time across Europe!

“What if I told you to take your original ideas about your future professional career after study abroad, and after graduation, and to think about them while looking at a spinning globe right in front of you? Pretty fascinating question to think about, eh?

While overseas, it can be difficult to think about the future.  It may not seem as important at the moment, when we are busy having the most incredible time studying abroad. Hey, I don’t blame you, and you should focus on the amazing international experience you’re having! As I’ve mentioned in previous postings, studying abroad is sparking a fiesta of changes within you that are so incredible for character development.  I don’t mean to add onto your developmental plate, but what if during this time overseas, you thought about how study abroad could fit into your future career plans?

While in this international context, you have the privilege of finding what your broader strengths are personally and academically, which definitely play into what you will be interested in and thrive at professionally. Pay attention to these signs! By paying attention to what piques your interests and how your interests change during study abroad, it could morph your whole concept of what types of work you considered for post-college. Remember, it takes a certain type of adaptable person to be able to study and function abroad. Use those strengths to your advantage in the job market and to broaden your scope of choices. Not all people who apply to jobs have this international leg-up on their resume like you do.

When you’re studying abroad you find what new subjects may potentially interest you – especially in a foreign setting. I would encourage you to think about how this can translate into the potential types of work you want to do, the settings you think you’d like to work in, and how study abroad can fit into what you want your future to look like. Take this time abroad as an opportunity to investigate all your options for the future.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What do I really love to do?

Can I make a career out of those interests?

What strengths do I have from studying abroad that are attractive to potential employers?

How does my international travel play into my career interests?

Does my personality suit more unconventional travel jobs?

How will my international experiences help me as a candidate in the job market?

Do I want to work overseas?

For those of you who are still feeling a bit foggy about what type of personality you have, or what types of work environments you’d thrive in, have no fear! There’s a helpful personality type indicator that you can do to help guide you on the way. It gives you an indication of your most deep-seeded personality traits and the types of jobs/work environments you’d do well in. This tool is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). You can take this test online at this website.

Once you complete it, you’ll get your results of a 4-letter personality type with a match-up of great work environments you would do well in.

There is also a wonderful book that I recommend you read, that I personally read after college. It’s written with humor and can really get your brain ticking about future potential professional opportunities. It’s called How’d You Score that Gig, by Alexandra Levit. It also gives you a truncated personality test and really descriptive testimonials from people within different job sectors. I found this book to be extremely helpful for myself and I hope it brings you good ju-ju as well.

Studying abroad is an incredible experience for your college years, but try to expand its impact for the next steps of your life. You never know what wonders may come from it!”