As college kids, we all know the struggle of trying to travel with no money and little time.
Breaks in the semester are a perfect opportunity for college students to unwind and take a quick getaway. Even though college students are on a tight budget, there are many affordable ways to travel and explore new places with friends.
A change of scenery can be accessible for those of us living in St. George because of the distance that stands between Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, California and St. George. Traveling to and from these places can be easily driven rather than buying a plane ticket and rental car.
Salt Lake City offers the downtown city life with the outdoor mall, City Creek that has brand name stores such as Tiffany & Co, Free People, Lululemon and Nordstrom. Across the street, Temple Square offers beautiful city views and Christmas lights during the holiday season.
Ruby Thorsen, a sophomore marketing major from Draper, said: “I am planning to visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City when I go up north for the holidays for a much needed break after this semester. It is fun to see all the lights and celebrate the Christmas season while visiting my family.”
Salt Lake City offers many affordable activities especially during the holiday season.
If you don’t want to make a four-hour trip, Las Vegas is just as affordable in half the time. There are many areas to sight see in Las Vegas including the Seven Magic Mountains, walking the strip, seeing nature at the Flamingo hotel and visiting the Coca Cola store. The Flamingo hotel offers an outside garden that features many different animals including Flamingos.
The Bellagio is another hotel that offers sight seeing during each season at the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Each season the Bellagio displays flowers decorated as displays for that season including spring, winter and the Lunar New Year.
“I like taking quick trips to Las Vegas when either in Havasu or St. George because of the close distance,” said Summer Evans, a sophomore marketing major from Havasu, Arizona.
Many may travel to Las Vegas for the casinos, shopping, dance performance shows or concerts. Las Vegas is known for its nightlife and that is when the most activities will occur.
“I like to go with friends and sightsee all the hotels and free things they have to offer like the flowers in the Bellagio,” Evans said.
California is right around the corner for Utah Tech students to easily travel to. There are many beaches and sightseeing that can make for a great trip including Huntington, Newport and Santa Monica beach.
Mary Anderson, a sophomore exercise science major from Millcreek, likes traveling to California during her college breaks.
“Me and my friends usually go to California for fall break to visit the beaches, especially our favorite, Newport beach,” Anderson said.
Newport beach offers sandy beaches, swimming, restaurants and shopping.
“My favorite restaurant that my friends and I go and eat at is Tequila Jacks. It has some of the best Mexican food while it looks out at the harbor,” Anderson said.
College students may not see traveling fitting within their budget but that doesn’t have to be true.
Sophie Anderson, a business management major from Pleasant Grove, likes to spend her money in an organized and efficient way when planning a trip.
“A getaway does not have to break your bank account,” Anderson said.
Creating a game plan of what you want to do and looking at the prices can be a great step in planning an affordable trip.
“Setting a budget that includes the specifics like transportation, food, activities and a place to stay can be a great step in creating an affordable trip,” Anderson said.
Seeing how everything prices out may lead to either taking out the things that make the trip pricey or finding things that are cheaper.
Anderson sets an amount of money aside as vacation money so when the time comes she is prepared for all the costs that come when going on a trip.
“Flying on certain days of the week can lead to cheaper flights if you look into airlines and what they have to offer,” Anderson said.
Depending on where you travel, airline tickets can range from all different prices. Looking ahead and booking a trip before the holiday break comes up may lead to cheaper tickets and more availability.
Even while being a budgeting college student, there are many ways that trips can be accessible to have fun and create memories over the breaks.
