10 Cheap Places to Travel to as a College Student

So many college students only dream of traveling the world, and many believe that it is financially impossible in the situations that they are in.

Social media has made it seem that in order to travel the world you must spend thousands of dollars to stay in a beautiful location temporarily.

But, what many don't know is that there are many gorgeous and amazing places all throughout the world that are very affordable and perfect for any college student who wants to be adventurous and still save some money.

There are 10 cheap places to travel to when you are in college.

1| Mexico

Mexico is a great country to visit if you are on a budget, especially for college students.

Mexico has so much to offer, ranging from beautiful historic sites to all-inclusive party resorts, which is perfect for many different types of college students.

If you’re a person who loves a good party and is interested in getting food and drinks included with your stay, places like Cancun or Cabo is a great place for you.

The trade off with these cities is that, depending on the hotel and the time of year, it can become quite expensive.

Obviously, if you travel during high season, such as spring break, the prices are going to be significantly more expensive than if you go during off season.

You can get an all-inclusive resort in Cancun for as little as $700 for a week.

That is pretty impressive considering many of these resorts offer entertainment and amazing beaches.

However, these places do have some great advantages because you don’t ever have to worry about paying for food or drinks during your vacation in Mexico.

It offers a great social scene with unlimited alcoholic drinks and gorgeous views of the ocean.

If you are someone that likes a more relaxing trip and is interested in Mexican history and culture, then Tulum or Guadalajara, is where you would enjoy your vacation the most.

These places can be cheaper to travel to because you are not paying all-inclusive prices, and can be just as beautiful as a hotel room on the beach.

2 | Thailand

Thailand is a beautiful place to travel to and is very cheap.

Food is cheap, accommodation is cheap, excursions are cheap.

Just to put things into perspective, I just went on airbnb and searched entire homes that are available for rent for a week.

One of the first homes that popped up was a two bedroom penthouse that was modern, had beautiful views of the mountains, could house 7 people, and was only $63 a night!

This penthouse was equivalent to a million dollar penthouse in LA, but was available for rent for $63 per night.

How crazy is that?!

If you are interested in looking at this place, just click on this link: Phuket Penthouse

I promise you, this is not the only cheap luxury home.

There are tons more that are even cheaper than that!

Not only does Thailand have cheap accommodations, they have beautiful beaches, islands, and incredibly interesting things to do.

A few things that I recommend you doing if you ever travel to Thailand is to visit the floating markets, Koh Phi Phi, and Phang Nga Bay.

These are only a few of many exciting places to see in Thailand.

As a college student, this country is a great place to travel, either as a group or solo, where your money will go far.

3 | Bali

Just like Thailand, Bali is another tropical place that is cheap if you want to be.

Bali has become a very popular spot for many instagrammers and digital nomads.

The reason why it has become so popular is because of how cheap the standard of living is for the beauty that you are getting while you are there.

Bali offers beautiful villas, incredible hiking spots and waterfalls, instagrammable coffee shops and unbelievably greenery.

As an Oregonian, I was so used to living with greenery.

But Bali is like that times 100.

As well as being warm and tropical.

Bali is the perfect place for college students to travel to because it’s cheap, most of the things on your itinerary will be free, and it is the perfect place to get in touch spiritually and mentally, which is something that a majority of college students struggle with.

Not only is it great place to relax and reflect, but it also has two other things:

-it has great nightlife

-the locals and tourists are very social and kind

I have never heard one story of someone not being able to find new friends, either with locals or other tourists, while they are staying in Bali.

It is incredible how much zen and spirituality can affect your mood and demeanor.

I would highly recommend this to any college student looking for relaxation, even if it is a trip with your friends.

4 | Dominican Republic

While it is still considered a third world country, Dominican Republic has such a rich culture, beautiful beaches, is fairly safe (if you are being smart), and once again is fairly cheap.

Specifically within the Dominican Republic, I would recommend two cities that are perfect for any college student looking to take a vacation: Punta Cana & Puerto Plata.

These two cities are the hub for beautiful resorts, incredible day trips and white sand beaches.

Just like Mexico, Dominican Republic resorts often offer all-inclusive packages that are often much cheaper than resorts in places like Cancun or Cabo.

These resorts offer a variety of excursions along with entertainment like no other.

While it is much like Mexico, it can be much cheaper, making it more attractive to college students who are trying to save money where they can.

5 | Orlando, Florida

If you are a college student who is looking into going somewhere domestically, Orlando is a fun and exciting place to go.

There are so many things to do in Orlando.

There’s Disney World, Universal, and beaches nearby.

But not only that, Orlando is in a very central location where you can travel to beaches on either side of Florida within an hour to two hour drives.

In addition to that, Miami is also a day trip away.

While location being the main reason for recommending this place, Orlando is also great for getting hotel rooms for much cheaper than in any other place in Florida, especially beach towns.

Miami is a fun place to visit, but often hotel rooms are a minimum of $150 a night for a decent hotel.

Same goes for Daytona Beach, another popular spot on the Florida Coast.

Orlando allows you to travel to the places you want to go without paying the high end prices of hotels within those areas.

In addition, Orlando has some great nightlife, amazing restaurants, and fun things to see for cheap prices.

Rather than taking your vacation to spend thousands of dollars at Disney World, buy a hotel in the Orlando area and explore what Florida has to offer besides Disney.

You will be amazed when you find hidden gems, such as swimming holes and snorkeling sites, that you wouldn’t have found if you had done the more traditional things in Orlando.

6 | San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a great place to travel affordably.

Flights are usually not that expensive and you don’t even need a passport to travel there.

This beautiful city is full of nightlife, great food, cheap accommodations, and friendly locals.

Accommodation is in fact cheap when traveling in Puerto Rico, you can find private rooms for just around $15 to $20 per night while you are down there.

One of the most memorable things about Puerto Rico are the people, whether that be locals or tourists.

The locals are incredibly nice to tourists and are easy to engage with.

In addition, this city is used to having many college students visiting and has become fairly safe for visitors, which is very important in any place that you visit.

Overall, Puerto Rico is a great country to visit without the anxiety of carrying around a passport.

7 | Albania

I’m not going to lie, I don’t know much about Albania just because I don’t travel to Europe often.

Europe has been a hard place for me to travel just because of how expensive it is.

However, I have heard from a few of my friends that Albania does not fit that expectation.

When I looked into it, they were right: Albania is an affordable destination for anyone that is looking to visit Europe for much cheaper than the average price.

While plane flights might be a little more expensive, accommodation is incredibly cheap, even cheaper than some Asian cities.

While looking on booking.com I found many listings that were under $100 for a 7 night stay, especially Hostels.

This awesome hostel that I found with views of the city literally cost under $9 per night staying there.

That is one of the cheapest hostels that I have found anywhere, even in Asia (here is the link to the hostel if you are interested).

As far as hotels, you can get a nice luxury hotel for around $250 for the week.

Additionally, food in Albania is just as cheap as housing, in fact you can get a three course meal for two people for around 500.00 Lek, which is about $22USD.

So, you might be thinking, what is there to see in Albania?

Albania has some beautiful beaches on the Mediteranean sea that are definitely worth seeing if you get the chance.

Dhermi, Albania is known for its bright blue waters and white sand beaches that are popular for many tourists.

However, if you are looking for something a little quieter, Drymades is a small bay near Dhermi that is known for this huge rock that splits the rocky and sandy part of the beach which is beautiful for photos and you still get the bright blue water.

While traveling to Europe may seem out of budget to some people, Albania is definitely the best way for a broke college student to travel to that part of the world without breaking the bank in any way.

8 | Bolivia

Bolivia is definitely a country that is often looked over when people are interested in traveling to South America.

While flights might be a little bit more expensive than to places like Mexico and Dominican Republic, the cost of living is incredibly cheap for such a beautiful country.

Bolivia is filled with very diverse climates where you can see mountains, deserts, forests, and incredible lakes.

Along with that, Bolivia’s culture is rich and filled with delicious food, friendly locals, and wonderful historical sites.

While I do not know very much about this country because I have not yet traveled there, I have heard great things about it from people who have traveled to it or are from it and it is kind of disappointing how it has not gotten as much attention as other countries in South America.

Bolivia has some amazing things to offer at such an affordable price.

I would highly recommend traveling to Bolivia at any point of your life, whether you’re a college student or not.

It is definitely on my bucket list.

While it is not as popular of a country, it is just as beautiful and vibrant as some of the more visited countries in South America.

9 | Placencia, Belize

Located in Central America, Belize is known for it’s beautiful caribbean beaches at such cheap prices, its almost funny.

If you are a college student looking into having a vacation on the Caribbean, Belize is the perfect destination for a week of relaxing on the beach.

Just to give you some insight on how much accommodations can cost, while I was looking on Booking, I found a highly rated beachfront bungalow posted at $872 for an entire week stay.

Of course, if you are looking for something cheaper, there are always hotels that are available for a cheaper price.

But if you are willing to splurge a bit to be directly on the beach, just know that beachfront properties are not as expensive as you think.

In addition to its gorgeous beaches, Placencia has some beautiful waterfalls to swim in and a variety of different trails to hike through.

Whether you are looking for somewhere to relax on a beach or a place to get outdoors and hike, Placencia, Belize is perfect to itch both of those cravings for a low price.

10 | Philippines

The Philippines, like other Asian countries, is a very affordable country to travel to.

The most expensive part of your trip is definitely going to be the flight, because flights can range from around $600 to $1,000, but it really depends on where you are flying from.

There are thousands of islands in the Philippines, leaving for a variety of different trip options.

Some of the most popular places in the Philippines are Palawan, Boracay, Siargao, and Mindanao.

Each destination has its advantages and quirks, so it's really important to do your research when planning your trips to the Philippines, especially if you have never traveled there before.

If you are looking for more of a party scene, Boracay is probably going to be more fitting for you than places like Mindanao.

If you are interested in kayaking through the island and taking boat tours, Palawan or Siargao is going to be perfect for your trip.

Accommodation in the Philippines can be as cheap as you want it to be.

One thing to note is that there have been a lot of changes within the last few years in the Philippines and while many destinations may have been cheap prior to these changes, there are some locations that are quite expensive now.

One example is Boracay.

Boracay has made a lot of changes regarding the cleanliness of their beaches, which is where a majority of tourists stay at.

Because of the clean up, Boracay’s beaches are pristine and are cleaner than any other beach that I have seen, making that destination much more expensive than any other location in the Philippines.

However, you can find some amazing places to stay for as little as $100 per week if you are flexible with accommodation, and along with that food is extremely cheap as well.

All throughout the Philippines, there are many local restaurants that serve large meals, along with Sari-sari stores that offer snacks and drinks for as cheap as you can think.

Overall, the Philippines is one of the most beautiful islands in Asia, and because of the low cost of living, it makes it a great place for college students to travel to on a budget.