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 by
Rebecca Royle
More youngsters than ever are taking time out to travel. LINC
reporter Rebecca Royle takes a look at the benefits of going abroad and
the best ways to go about it.
Travelling is possibly one of the most beneficial experiences there is
and, if you plan ahead, it can be cheaper than you think.
Hostels are cheap and comfortable if you don’t mind not having a private
bathroom, and are very popular amongst backpackers and students, as much
for the social atmosphere they tend to have as for the prices.
If the idea of sharing a bathroom with other people really isn’t for you
then there are plenty of cheap hotels, many of which offer deals. If you
take the time to search through the mound of accommodation on offer you
can find what you are looking for at the right price, for as we all
know, young people, in particular students, are not flush with cash.
Expedia.com is a very useful site for finding accommodation wherever
your destination, but just as worthwhile is google.com. If you type in:
‘destination (replacing ‘destination’ with the place you want to go!)
cheap hotels’, Google will usually give you a list of hotels in the
area. I used Google to find my hotel when I went to Berlin and found
that the hotels thrown up by the world’s most famous search engine were
substantially cheaper than the ones on expedia.com.
With regards to the actually traveling, budget airlines such as EasyJet
or Ryanair are great, as long as you don’t mind missing out on the meal
served on more expensive airlines, and lets face it, most of us complain
about the excuse for food they serve up anyway. If you book as soon as
the flights are published it is extremely cheap, although it is
important to remember that the fares advertised exclude taxes, which can
add another £20 or so to the cost.
It is a good idea to sign up for e-mail newsletters from budget
airlines, and then you will be the first to know when their flights are
being published.
Although some travellers want to stay in one or two places, others want
to travel around and see as many different countries and cities as
possible. For these people it is a good idea to buy a Railcard, which
costs £277 for a month and allows you to travel on trains in Europe for
free. Railcards are available online at
www.railchoice.co.uk.
If you don’t buy a Railcard (or can’t afford one!), it is worthwhile
taking local transport in Europe, as it is very punctual, reasonably
cheap and generally better than in England.
Travel brings innumerable benefits. By experiencing other cultures, you
learn to respect and understand other customs and religions, and with
understanding comes tolerance. You learn that there is more to the world
than the area you live in, and you learn to be independent and to take
responsibility for yourself.
There are lots of beautiful sights to see in the world, there are
languages to discover and new people to meet. Traveling has never been
so popular, or so easy and affordable.
Tourism also has an important part to play in boosting the economy,
particularly in poorer countries. Tourists can play a vital role in
helping the people of a country to be able to feed and educate
themselves and their families. However, it is necessary that tourists
always think of their surroundings and in the words of a famous proverb,
leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
Recommended Links:
►
www.expedia.com
►
www.railchoice.co.uk
►
www.statravel.com – Cheap travel for students
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