TravelGuide

Travel Planning Guide

Travel Agents

You have many choices on how to book your travel, but my personal recommendation is to work with a human to get it done right. Sometimes working with a travel agent is a little more expensive, but you get personal attention through the planning process, in addition to someone to call if anything goes wrong. An agent will be on the case for you, as opposed to having to call some 1-800 number where they’ll probably tell you to go wait in line at the ticket counter. (Behind about 300 other people whose flights were also cancelled...) Check out Liaison Travel at 800-651-7447.

Booking Flights
My favorite travel website is www.kayak.com because it does a search of ALL airlines for the cheapest seats. Once it finds you a good fare, the link takes you directly to that airline’s website to book it. This is good, because you avoid any of the service fees that other online travel tools charge you. Also, many airlines offer bonus frequent flyer miles if you book online at their website, which is another great perk. If you don’t have a frequent flyer account with the airline you’re flying on, set one up. You can do this online at the airline’s website in just a few minutes.

Vacation Packages
There are some online travel services that will sell you your air, hotel and car as a package. Sometimes this can save you money, so it’s worth looking into. Many of them will offer all-inclusive vacations, which is good because there are no financial surprises. My favorite sites to book vacation packages are listed on the resources page.

Going on a Cruise
Cruises can be great all-inclusive deals, which makes it easy on the wallet. If you go on a cruise, make copies of important documents like your passport, driver's license, credit cards, insurance cards, and plane tickets. Leave a set of these copies at home with friends or parents, and also take one set with you. (But keep separate from originals.) Many cruise ships will hold your passport to expedite clearing the ship in foreign ports.

Alternative Spring Break
Beaches and sand aren’t the only way to spring break. If you’re feeling the need to give back to the world, a great choice is Alternative Spring Break. This program hooks up college students with community service projects around the country. It’s fun and rewarding, not to mention a fantastic thing to add to your resume. Most colleges have a program like this on campus, so call your student volunteer center. No luck? In that case, visit www.alternativebreaks.org.

Youth Hostels
Tight on cash? Hostels could be the way to go. They are pretty cheap, and also a good way to meet fellow student travelers. Youth Hostels are run by the National Youth Hostel Associations. Each hostel abides by strict rules set by the IYHF, which carries out regular inspections. Hostelling International publishes an annual guide called The Official International Youth Hostels Guide, in addition to a guidebooks for individual countries. Shop for these at Amazon.com.

Medical Insurance
Regardless where you go, make sure you have proper medical insurance in case of an emergency on spring break. It’s common for foreign hospitals to require cash payment for services, and a medical evacuation to the U.S. costs around $50,000. Give your medical insurance company a call before you go to make sure it’s covered. If not, many travel agencies offer a medical insurance plan you can purchase for your trip.