Traveling Made Easy

By: Jennifer Weeks

Weekend getaways always seem impossible when you’re in school, especially in the middle of the semester.

Between school work, studying and money, it seems impossible. Well, it’s surely not, you don’t have to be rich to go away for a weekend or far to get a little time for fun.

So, here are four budget friendly destinations to take during the semester.

Destination number one for recommendation is: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This is one of the most inexpensive trips you can take without going too far in the region. Whether you’re carpooling, driving, or even grabbing a greyhound from Grand Central Station, the trip is approximately an hour and a half.

There are many unique and exciting activities to do in the city of Philly.

For instance, if you’re into history, as well as supernatural explorations, then the Eastern State Penitentiary is the place to go. They do offer student rates, so bring your student I.D. to get in for $10 per person.

When staying in Philly, I recommend booking a room through Expedia.com or even through Airbnb. Both sites are affordable and will work on any student’s budget.

Destination two is one of my personal favorites: Boston, Massachusetts.

By car, it is approximately five to six hours. If you take a flight, it’s half an hour.  You could also be fancy and catch a greyhound bus from Grand Central Station for a roundtrip ride, which costs $50 per person.

Hotels in Boston are pricey, unless you do Airbnb. If you’re not familiar, it’s a site where homeowners, or people who own apartments, flats etc. can rent their houses per night at an affordable rate, which can be cheaper than a hotel.

If you are not comfortable with those ideas, I recommend staying outside of Boston, it’s a lot cheaper.

When in Boston, they have a great transportation system where you can pay one price and have an access pass to travel on their railroads for the day or weekend.

This makes for easy commuting if you don’t want to drive into Boston.

There are tons of things to do in Boston, like their museum’s which all have student discount rates, and even Groupon rates.

There is also a four-hour Freedom Walk Tour– it is a guided tour around Boston where they highlight some historical monuments. For example, they take you to where Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech, as well as the burial grounds of some of the founding fathers and presidents of America.

At the end of the tour, they bring you to Harvard Square market. It’s a farmer’s market and indoor food market with all different cuisines from around the world.

Destination number three would have to be Washington, D.C. That’s a great place to go if you’re into American history.

This is another easy commute as well. It’s about a five to six-hour car ride, and again, another location that’s pricey to stay in. So, I recommend staying in Maryland and driving over to D.C.

In D.C., all tours run from their mall, where you can easily park your car and catch a tour. Some tours even use the double decker buses. The prices can range from $17-35 a ticket and they do offer student discounts.

In most cities, they offer a city access pass which, for one price, it allows access to top attractions and museums without additional costs.

Another alternative is doing tours by yourself, which can be  easy and efficient if planned right. You should map out where you would like to go beforehand. Luckily, each tour is no more than 10 minutes away from each other, which makes taking an Uber cheaper.

Destination four is Niagara Falls, Canada. By car, it is around five to six hours until you reach the border. Be aware you must have a valid passport to enter.

Many people don’t know this, but since it is international, American currency is worth more there, making costs there cheaper for us when making purchases.

This is also a great spot  if you are in the age range of 16-21, since the drinking and gambling age is 19. There is a casino within walking distance from the falls if you’re interested in trying your luck.

Obviously, Niagara Falls, don’t cost money to view but if you want the closest experience possible, then take the Maid of The Mist tour. It is a boat tour that brings you up close and personal with the falls, you even get to wear a free poncho.

With a city access pass in Niagara, you can get the four top attractions for $55 a person, well worth it. It also includes a shuttle bus to bring you to each destination, as well as into the town, where you can explore local eateries and gift shops.

The hotels there are quite inexpensive and catalogues that offer coupons inside are readily available.

So, don’t stay home this weekend, you have choices to make a mini-adventure.