Ideas For BUDGET Travel This Summer Before Med School

[+ve]

Hi,
I've seen several post where people say they're travelling all over the world this summer before starting medical school. I think it's safe to assume that they probably have rich parents who can sponsor these travels, have savings from work, have taken out loans or are raking up credit card debts which have to be repaid during med school. For those of us who definitely want to have fun, relax and enjoy this last free summer of our youth, but can only afford modest trips, what ideas do you have?.

Before I took a reality check of my finances, I had planned on taking a caribbean vacation- lounging on sweet beaches in the bahamas, turks or anguilla, watersports, hiking, sightseeing, liming (trinidad term for just laying-back and basically doing nothing) and partying to caribbean sounds. Since I've been to several caribbean countries but never to europe (with the exception of amsterdam airport transit) and central/south america, I considered doing spain/morocco, italy/france, costa rica/panama, or just stick with our friendly neighbor, mexico.

It has dawned on me that I'm highly unlikely to afford some place outside the sweet old US of A, so I might as well make the best of it. My boyfriend is from Arizona and I've never been to the west coast so I'm now thinking grand canyon/cabin in arizona mountains/fishing/horse-back riding/san diego/beaches/california/shopping/theme park/maybe las vegas?. I'm also considering florida since I've never been there except miami airport.

Which option sounds better? Any other summer fun relaxation ideas for poor folks like me? Thanks!

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[45408]

Just went to Vegas and had a lot of fun. The wife and I went for three nights, flying from Chicago, stayed at the Stratosphere, and it was about $500 a person, including the flight, hotel, food, knick-knacks, and a little gambling action. Go to the buffet at the Aladdin. Mmmmmm.

Vegas was relatively cheap, because they want to get as many people there as they can so they can take all their money.

 

[stiffany]

Hi,
I've seen several post where people say they're travelling all over the world this summer before starting medical school. I think it's safe to assume that they probably have rich parents who can sponsor these travels, have savings from work, have taken out loans or are raking up credit card debts which have to be repaid during med school. For those of us who definitely want to have fun, relax and enjoy this last free summer of our youth, but can only afford modest trips, what ideas do you have?.

Before I took a reality check of my finances, I had planned on taking a caribbean vacation- lounging on sweet beaches in the bahamas, turks or anguilla, watersports, hiking, sightseeing, liming (trinidad term for just laying-back and basically doing nothing) and partying to caribbean sounds. Since I've been to several carribean countries but never to europe (with the exception of amsterdam airport transit) and central/south america, I considered doing spain/morocco, italy/france, costa rica/panama, or just stick with our friendly neighbor, mexico.

It has dawned on me that I'm highly unlikely to afford some place outside the sweet old US of A, so I might as well make the best of it. My boyfriend is from Arizona and I've never been to the west coast so I'm now thinking grand canyon/cabin in arizona mountains/fishing/horse-back riding/san diego/beaches/california/shopping/theme park/maybe las vegas?. I'm also considering florida since I've never been there except miami airport.

Which option sounds better? Any other summer fun relaxation ideas for poor folks like me? Thanks!

Personally I love international travel more than staying in the States. This summer my boyfriend and I will be spending three weeks together in Central/Eastern Europe and then I'll be spending an additional two weeks on my own in France and Spain. From what I've seen online, hostels are in the $15-$30 a night range depending on where you're considering. However, with the Euro being so strong relative to the dollar, it's going to be harder to stretch ours. If you want a really cheap vacation, I'd say nix the high season idea in Europe and go for Latin America in the low season (since it's so hot)!

Post MCAT my boyfriend and I spent three and a half weeks traveling from Honduras to Mexico. If you want to maximize your money, I say pick Nicaragua, Honduras, or Guatemala and then add a little bit of time in say Belize or Costa Rica (both more expensive and touristy but really exceptionally beautiful!). You can find hostels in the first three countries for $5-$10 per night, but expect to pay at least $15 if not more for hostels in Belize and Costa Rica (with hostels in the more touristy areas being even more expensive with the $15 figure coming from a hostel we stayed at in Belize City). You could also do Mexico recognizing that it's a lot more touristy and also more expensive. We were able to find a $99 one way flight from the Cancun back up to the Northeast and hostels in the $20-$35 range on the Yucatan Peninsula - the further south you go towards Belize the cheaper it is. For Honduras, the Moon guide is good. For Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula (including info on Guatemala), try the Lonely Plant guide. PM me if you want more info about our trip! Also, consider signing up for the Top 20 Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com) email. This week they had a package in the Caribbean for like $500 and also a last minute roundtrip ticket to Tokyo (from Chicago) for $380.

 

[foofish]

If you're still interested in Europe, it's *definitely* possible to do on a tight budget. If you do your homework, you can definitely find relatively cheap airfare (e.g. through STA or other agencies that provide student discounts) and stay in hostels for as little as $15 a night (do a google search for websites like Hostel World).

There are budget-minded travel guides like Let's Go thumbup:, which is aimed at our age group, too) that can help you figure things out.

 

[epigastric]

Hi,
I've seen several post where people say they're travelling all over the world this summer before starting medical school. I think it's safe to assume that they probably have rich parents who can sponsor these travels, have savings from work, have taken out loans or are raking up credit card debts which have to be repaid during med school. For those of us who definitely want to have fun, relax and enjoy this last free summer of our youth, but can only afford modest trips, what ideas do you have?.

Before I took a reality check of my finances, I had planned on taking a caribbean vacation- lounging on sweet beaches in the bahamas, turks or anguilla, watersports, hiking, sightseeing, liming (trinidad term for just laying-back and basically doing nothing) and partying to caribbean sounds. Since I've been to several carribean countries but never to europe (with the exception of amsterdam airport transit) and central/south america, I considered doing spain/morocco, italy/france, costa rica/panama, or just stick with our friendly neighbor, mexico.

It has dawned on me that I'm highly unlikely to afford some place outside the sweet old US of A, so I might as well make the best of it. My boyfriend is from Arizona and I've never been to the west coast so I'm now thinking grand canyon/cabin in arizona mountains/fishing/horse-back riding/san diego/beaches/california/shopping/theme park/maybe las vegas?. I'm also considering florida since I've never been there except miami airport.

Which option sounds better? Any other summer fun relaxation ideas for poor folks like me? Thanks!

Try go-today.com for good Europe/Asia/South America options. Last year a couple of my friends found round-trip tickets to Hong Kong + hotel for a week for $500 pp. If you stick to their low-end hotel options, you should be fine (they'll be clean, but exactly as low-budget as advertised). You can also use one of the hostel search engines (hostel.com, hostelworld.com) if you're looking to save even more, especially in Europe.

For US vacations, I've always been partial to site59.com, although you have to be willing to book only two weeks out.

You might not know that the cricket world cup is the Caribbean this summer--check the calendar to figure out which days for which island and avoid, avoid, avoid, as you'll find nothing available at a decent price around those times.

 

[laawalla]

In my experiences, most trips can be worked well on a tight budget with a good amount of planning-especially if you're willing to rough it. If your budget's really that tight, consider camping even-it certainly cuts down on costs.
Your 4 main costs for travel are transportation, lodging, food, and activites. So find ways to cut down on each of these individually. Plan on buying food in a grocery store and eating sandwiches. Camp or find hostels rather than hotels (especially in Europe-camping is where you meet the coolest people while spending the least). Limit the number of locations you want to visit when backpacking, as getting to each city costs more than you'd think. Don't underestimate your budget-it always costs more than you plan on. And, do a lot of research or buy a guide book for wherever you plan on going-planning in advance is even more important if you're in an unfamiliar place with a foreign language. Or you could go the relaxing way and just rent a small place for a bit-all inclusive things are nice if only because your budget is fixed beforehand.

As an example, I was able to go on a week-long road/backpacking trip from Indiana to New Mexico. We camped and ate grocery store food, and made it all over the state in 5 days. Overall, it only cost me $300, and it was probably the best trip of my life, even though I wasn't spending thousands in some exotic location.

 

[laawalla]

I forgot to add: Make a point to visit less touristy places- you won't regret not seeing the Mona Lisa from 40 yards away with 41239485748 other people when you're spending the day in a small country town, checking out an ancient local church/cemetary/ruin and eating the best food of your life prepared in a family restaurant by a old grandfather who will treat you like an old friend and maybe even offer to show you around the next day. Plus you're only spending half as much AND you'll have way better stories when you get back.

 

[spygal]

National parks are great vacation spots! The grand canyon sounds fun, if you avoid the peak times. I spent a week in Yosemite last summer, had a blast, and it was ridiculously cheap.

 

[Piper2011]

If you're interested in doing the west coast I would definitely recommend Big Sur, California which is on Highway 1. Highway 1 is a very windy, very beautiful road with great state parks and the most spectacular scenery possibly in the United States. Think beautiful forests, redwoods and cliffs falling into the oceans. There are plenty of places to camp, to hike, and things to see. It's definitely a slower way of going between LA and SF, but it's certainly gorgeous. I'd recommend taking several days to a week to casually drive up the coast while stopping at places to relax and soak up the scenery. I spent last summer out there, so I could potentially tell you a lot more if you're interested!

 

[+ve]

Personally I love international travel more than staying in the States. This summer my boyfriend and I will be spending three weeks together in Central/Eastern Europe and then I'll be spending an additional two weeks on my own in France and Spain. From what I've seen online, hostels are in the $15-$30 a night range depending on where you're considering. However, with the Euro being so strong relative to the dollar, it's going to be harder to stretch ours. If you want a really cheap vacation, I'd say nix the high season idea in Europe and go for Latin America in the low season (since it's so hot)!

Post MCAT my boyfriend and I spent three and a half weeks traveling from Honduras to Mexico. If you want to maximize your money, I say pick Nicaragua, Honduras, or Guatemala and then add a little bit of time in say Belize or Costa Rica (both more expensive and touristy but really exceptionally beautiful!). You can find hostels in the first three countries for $5-$10 per night, but expect to pay at least $15 if not more for hostels in Belize and Costa Rica (with hostels in the more touristy areas being even more expensive with the $15 figure coming from a hostel we stayed at in Belize City). You could also do Mexico recognizing that it's a lot more touristy and also more expensive. We were able to find a $99 one way flight from the Cancun back up to the Northeast and hostels in the $20-$35 range on the Yucatan Peninsula - the further south you go towards Belize the cheaper it is. For Honduras, the Moon guide is good. For Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula (including info on Guatemala), try the Lonely Plant guide. PM me if you want more info about our trip! Also, consider signing up for the Top 20 Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.com) email. This week they had a package in the Caribbean for like $500 and also a last minute roundtrip ticket to Tokyo (from Chicago) for $380.

Wow, you sure do a lot of traveling. Believe me, I love international travel too more than anything else. I've never actually taken a vacation within the U.S-- no road trips, nada. It's just that my boyfriend and I have realized that we may not be able to afford an expensive trip right now. He was actually in cancun, mexico & belize last christmas and really loved it. I'm going to check out the websites you guys have suggested and hopefully put together a trip abroad for a moderate price tag ~ $750/person. Thanks epigastric for the cricket world cup warning-- I would never have thought of that. I'll PM for more info when I decide where to go.

 

[45408]

You don't have to travel abroad to have fun, and it will often be cheaper here. Plus you don't have to worry about drinking the water or getting vaccinated, etc.

 

[Topspin82]

I just came back from Vegas, stayed at the Luxor and had a fabulous time!

I was thinking of doing Europe this summer but I'm addicted to the Vegas glitz and glamour.

I vote for Vegas

 

[Mastac741]

I'm going to Grand Cayman and spending a week on the beach. It's not that expensive

 

[stiffany]

Wow, you sure do a lot of traveling. Believe me, I love international travel too more than anything else. I've never actually taken a vacation within the U.S-- no road trips, nada. It's just that my boyfriend and I have realized that we may not be able to afford an expensive trip right now. He was actually in cancun, mexico & belize last christmas and really loved it. I'm going to check out the websites you guys have suggested and hopefully put together a trip abroad for a moderate price tag ~ $750/person. Thanks epigastric for the cricket world cup warning-- I would never have thought of that. I'll PM for more info when I decide where to go.

I also really like www.sidestep.com for plane tickets and www.itasoftware.com (sign in as a guest for the latter site) since you can look for all kinds of random airlines and then also search for the cheapest flights within a month, the cheapest airport to fly into within a 300 mile radius, et cetera. I have yet to find a good hostel/hotel website that's better than just getting a Lonely Planet or Let's Go book on the area. If you wanted, you could just head down to the local bookstore and sit there with the books (definitely cheaper than buying a bunch!)

 

[beauregard]

if you really are wanting to go to Europe, you really can do it in a very budget friendly way.

I went 2 summers ago, stayed for 2 months and spent ~3,000 dollars-- but for 8 weeks!

What I would do is find the cheapest airfare you can to London or Dublin, or somewhere like that. Then check out Ryan Airlines. You can find flights on there crazy cheap to all over Europe. Central/Eastern Europe is super budget friendly. I spent most of my time in the Czech Republic, which is a gorgeous inexpensive country. (Beer is crazy cheap if you're into that!) I also went to Budapest, Poland (to see Krakow and concentration camps), and then backpacked through France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands for 2 weeks and that was half the cost of the whole trip!

Hostels are great, and you can also usually find really good student discounts.

Check out studentuniverse.com. There you can find good deals on places all over the world.

 

[+ve]

Thanks guys-- I'm looking into many of these options.

 

[Wanna_B_Scutty]

How daring are you? If you've got the cojones, you can just get a plane ticket to anyplace you like, and use http://www.couchsurfing.com/ to crash with random people who live in the area.

 

[Porcelain16]

anyone been on a contiki tour/cruise?
im thinkin about it...........

 

[bigchoader]

if you are planning on europe, find your flights between specific countries on whichbudget.com. Also, ryan air is VERY inexpensive. go to ryanair.com and click destinations to view a rout map. Ryanair flights are no frills. they fly to and take off from more remote airports, they do not usually pull into a gate rather they stop near the terminal and you walk/bus to the terminal, you buy your beverages and food on the plane. Taking a bag over fifty lbs or something like that is an extra 7 pounds/14dollars. But you can literally fly almost anywhere in europe for 70 bucks if you find the right flight. They are based out of london and from there you can go just about anywhere but they fly to and from many other places. another cheap airlines is easyjet. Make use of whichbudget, it is an invaluable tool for budget travel.

 

[Aynsl156]

How daring are you? If you've got the cojones, you can just get a plane ticket to anyplace you like, and use http://www.couchsurfing.com/ to crash with random people who live in the area.

OMG I'm a member of that site! Hey, we've got a couch in Boston if anyone wants to come stay (I know, not as glamorous as Vegas).

Be careful though, and only go visit verified people, because it can get sketchy. And follow surfing common sense: eg. cook dinner, or bring wine, and leave as soon as possible, and follow your host's sleep schedule.

 

[samgeez]

studentuniverse.com has discount flights too. you have to have an email address associated with a university to use it though.

 

[BMEpremed25]

anyone been on a contiki tour/cruise?
im thinkin about it...........

I want to go on the European Escapade in July! I'm trying to finalize everything and getting very excited (even though I'll be working on secondaries while there )

 

[custard]

www.ryanair.com for dirt cheap flights within Europe.

 

[bravesfan113]

go to thailand. the flights are expensive (i think i got mine for around $800), but once you get there its cheaper to be there on vacation than to be at home. the beaches are amazing, scuba diving is dirt cheap (and run by australian professionals.. i got certified,went on 10 dives, and got a free place to stay for $250).. it's a party if you want it to be (infamous half moon parties on the beach, tons of europeans/australians/asians trave there).. and the culture is completely different than anything i've ever seen. there are elaborate buddhist wats (temples) everywhere bangkok is worth a look for a day or two but it's pretty dirty and has bad air.. but once you get down south to the beaches and islands (koh phi phi, koh phangyan, kho tao, railey) you will have the time of your life. me and a friend never paid more than 10 bucks a night combined for a cabana on or near the beach w/ two cots (no A/C, but you get used to it after a few days and have a fan). it costs about a dollar - 2 dollars for a normal thai meal at a restaurant, and for about 3-4 dollars you can eat pretty well (certain places in bangkok are more expensive). also, it costs about 5 dollars for enough samsung (thai liquor), shark (thai energy drink), and coke for 2 or 3 people to get drunk on the beach

 

[Maxx4]

www.ryanair.com for dirt cheap flights within Europe.

Please don't.

 

[xanthomondo]

You don't have to travel abroad to have fun, and it will often be cheaper here. Plus you don't have to worry about drinking the water or getting vaccinated, etc.

I just came back from Vegas, stayed at the Luxor and had a fabulous time!

I was thinking of doing Europe this summer but I'm addicted to the Vegas glitz and glamour.

I vote for Vegas

How strict are they with enforcing the no gambling if under 21 rule? Is it as easy as shown in Vegas Vacation?

 

[custard]

Please don't.

Did you have a bad experience with them? I've flown on ryanair several times and it was fine. Sorta like Skybus. No assigned seats, they try to sell you stuff, but in the end you travel cheaply.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

Well about all those Europe posters- I went there last summer- I highly recommend not going unless you have money to spend. I spent a ton in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Berlin...

However Prague in the Czech Republic was a LOT less expensive. So if you want to go abroad really far Eastern Europe is a better deal- like Prague and Warsaw?
Also Prague was the most beautiful city I have ever been to- and I have been a lot of places in the US and abroad.

South America is a lot cheaper as a tourist option- Buenos Aires is a great city and the culture is so unique.

Other US options- try the parks systems- I know you mentioned Arizona maybe consider starting in Texas/New Mexico... I grew up in Texas and took a spring break road trip arouind New Mexico in high school that was surprisingly entertaining- did Roswell (Aliens), White Sands, Alamagorda (space stuff), Carlsbad Caverns, and a few other things.

And of course Texas is so big you go spend a month just touring it and still not see everything!!!

Good luck! If you have questions for me on: South America, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe (been a lot of places there), or Texas/New Mexico let me know