credit: iStock
Every year a huge number of students fly into the UK for their undergraduate and post graduate studies in one of the many globally acclaimed institutions of higher learning that the UK has to offer. However, besides the pursuit of knowledge and academia, you want to experience the culture and beauty in the UK when you come here for your studies. It is therefore not uncommon to have students who spend a quarter of their stay in the UK touring around and getting to enjoy the hospitality of the English people.
Travelling is always fun but planning for it is more important in order to make it memorable and worth every penny you spend while out there having fun with your friends. For some students, your studies in the UK might be sponsored through a scholarship and you might be having tight budgets cover your study period. This does not however mean that you are condemned into your campus room, library and lecture halls; you can still have fun with the rest of the student fraternity at low costs with adequate prior preparations. There are a few check boxes you need to tick and you will be good to go out and explore the Great Britain.
Trip Budget
credit: iStock
To have a well-executed adventure as you travel across the UK during your studies here, you will need to have a budget that will take care of your meals, accommodation and other auxiliary services attached to your travel plan. You need to get this right way before the trip happens to avoid frustrations when you run out of cash in the middle of your travel. One way of ensuring you are financially safe is by having a separate savings account for travel and fun where you regularly deposit cash and save up for your planned trip across the UK. Saving will help you accumulate enough cash over time; but you can as well choose to increase your savings faster by trading on different online platforms such as the one provided by Stern Options. This helps you expand your budget and the number of things you can do since your returns on trading are all saved back into your travel account.
Identify affordable accommodation and meal locations
Your key goal when travelling across the UK is to experience the culture and enjoy the hospitality and beauty of the Great Britain. You should therefore apportion a big percentage of your budget on things that create the experiences and memories you want to take back home. Focus less on getting accommodation in one of the best hotel you find on Tripadvisor; rather get a decent place to sleep as a backpacker and spend the savings you make out of that on visiting yet another city or paying the entrance fee to a play in one of the UK many theatres.
Same case applies to meals; you do not want to eat too much until you cannot walk. You need a lot of energy through especially if your trip includes a team that is physically fit, young and outgoing. Outdoor games, hiking, swimming and other energy consuming activities will require you to eat well and have a pack of snacks at all times. However, you do not have to eat at the most expensive restaurant in town; find for an affordable restaurant downtown that will give you a taste of both local and international cuisines at affordable rates.
Should you have a list of trip activities beforehand?
credit: iStock
Different people have different preferences when it comes planning on what to do during their travel and excursions. There is the extreme type who just has a maximum budget per day and set out to the unknown to see what unfolds when they get there as long as they do not exceed their daily limit per day. There are benefits that come with this type of travellers including the high adrenaline mode due to uncertainty about what to expect, hence turning every new discovery into a pleasant surprise. The feeling is not usually the same when you read a lot and watch virtual tour for the places you are visiting and set expectations before you arrive. However, on the flip side you could end up spending way beyond your budget due to the lure to engage in exciting things that you had accounted for.
Planning your all the trip activities prior to your travel is an ideal thing to do but again it makes too formal and structured hence it loses the adventure bit. It is therefore recommended to plan ahead but leave enough room for random activities and adventures in order to make your trip be fun and full of life. Having personal effects is definitely a must when travelling and also remember to carry your travel documents for ease of access to all exciting places you may want to visit.
