Best Travel Destinations for College Students Studying Abroad
Finding the best travel destinations for college students studying abroad is not about chasing the glamorous cities you see on Instagram. It is about hunting down the spots you can reach on a thirty-dollar airline ticket. You want places where a bed for the night costs less than a decent pizza. You also want a city packed with other exchange students looking to make friends and split a pitcher of beer. I spent a semester studying in Spain and managed to visit fourteen different countries in just four months. Some trips changed my life. Others were a total waste of money. Here are the places that actually deserve your limited time and your even tighter budget.
Why Weekend Trips Matter More Than You Think
Everyone thinks studying abroad means taking a four-month vacation. The reality is that your program actually expects you to show up for class Monday through Thursday. You cannot just wander around the continent whenever you feel like it.
Your actual travel windows are pretty small. You have your regular weekends. You might get a fall or spring break depending on your calendar. You probably get a week or two to explore after finals before your visa expires. That is your entire window of opportunity.
Those quick weekend trips became my lifeline. I would throw a backpack over my shoulder on Thursday night and drag myself back to the dorm on Sunday evening. Three days gives you plenty of time to see the main sights and eat some amazing food without destroying your bank account or missing an exam.
The smartest destinations for a student are the ones sitting right in your backyard. A student based in London is going to have a totally different hit list than someone studying in Tokyo.
These spots work perfectly for the major study abroad hubs and they will not leave you broke.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona was easily my favorite weekend getaway. I loved it so much I actually went twice.
You can fly there from almost anywhere in Europe for next to nothing. The budget carriers like Ryanair and easyJet practically run a shuttle service to the city. I grabbed a ticket from Madrid for fifteen euros. Flying from Paris cost me twenty-five. The flights run constantly so you can land early on Friday without burning a whole day in transit.
The city is practically built for broke college kids. Walking down La Rambla or staring at the outside of the Sagrada Família costs absolutely nothing. The beaches are completely free. Hitting up a local food market like La Boqueria is super cheap if you stick to grabbing fresh fruit and cured meats instead of sitting down for a hot meal.
I booked a bed at the Sant Jordi Hostel for eighteen euros a night. The staff organized massive pub crawls and beach volleyball games. I ended up hanging out with kids from Texas and Boston along with students from half a dozen European schools.
The clubs do not even start getting crowded until two in the morning. The metro system runs late into the night. You can squeeze a ridiculous amount of fun into forty-eight hours without breaking a sweat.
Budget for a weekend: Plan on spending 100 to 150 euros. That covers your cheap flight and your hostel bed along with plenty of food and maybe one paid museum ticket.
Prague, Czech Republic
Walking through Prague feels like stepping into a medieval movie. The best part is that everything costs half as much as it does in Western Europe.
Buying a pint of beer is actually cheaper than buying a bottle of water. A local pub will charge you about two bucks for a drink. Getting a bed in a decent dorm room runs ten to fifteen dollars. You can sit down for a heavy local meal for under ten bucks. Grabbing a chimney cake from a street vendor costs three dollars. It is completely a tourist trap but you still have to eat one.
Strolling across the Charles Bridge and wandering the Old Town Square will not cost you a dime. I paid eight dollars to climb the Astronomical Clock tower just to get some photos. That was my single biggest expense of the entire weekend.
The city is incredibly compact. You can just walk everywhere or hop on a tram for a dollar. I never even looked at a taxi or a rideshare app.
The party scene here is massive. The Karlovy Lázně club takes up five floors. It is incredibly cheesy and stuffed with foreigners but you basically have to go at least once. Head over to the Cross Club if you want a weirder and more authentic local vibe.
Budget for a weekend: Expect to spend 120 to 180 dollars total.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam definitely hurts the wallet more than Prague. You can still pull it off on a student budget if you play your cards right.
Do not even look at regular hotels or downtown Airbnbs. Book a bed at a place like The Flying Pig or ClinkNOORD. You will pay around thirty euros a night. ClinkNOORD sits right across the river but offers a free ferry that runs all night long. The vibe over there is way more relaxed than the chaotic city center.
Hand over ten euros to rent a bicycle for the day. That is the only real way to see the city. Pedaling along the canals and riding through Vondelpark makes you feel like a local.
The famous museums charge steep entry fees. Tickets for the Rijksmuseum run about twenty euros. Only pay that if you genuinely love art history. Just wandering through the floating flower market is completely free and just as memorable.
Restaurant prices will destroy your budget fast. Grab a pack of stroopwafels from the grocery store for two euros. Hit up a fry stand for a massive paper cone of fries covered in sauce for four bucks. Save the sit-down meals for when your parents come to visit.
Budget for a weekend: Set aside 180 to 250 euros.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon completely blindsided me. I went in with zero expectations and it quickly became my favorite city in Europe.
The prices here feel like a mistake compared to France or England. Those famous little custard tarts cost just over a euro. You can sit down for a massive seafood dinner in the Alfama district for fifteen euros. Buying a highly drinkable bottle of wine at the grocery store sets you back three bucks.
The distinct neighborhoods are the real attraction. You have the winding alleys of Alfama and the wild nightlife of Bairro Alto. I spent an entire Saturday just riding the historic yellow tram through the steep hills and hopping off whenever a street looked interesting.
The LX Factory is this massive artsy complex built into an old industrial area. Exploring the bookstores and checking out the street art is completely free. The city is also covered in scenic viewpoints where you can just sit and watch the sunset over the red roofs.
Hostel beds run twelve to twenty euros. I grabbed a spot at the Home Lisbon Hostel right in the middle of Bairro Alto. Their rooftop bar became my default hangout spot every single night.
Budget for a weekend: You can easily do this for 130 to 200 euros.
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is the undisputed king of the cheap European weekend trip.
The famous ruin bars are incredible. Spots like Szimpla Kert feature bizarre decorations and incredibly cheap drinks. The rooms are packed with backpackers every single night. A beer sets you back two dollars. A mixed drink might cost five. You can have a wild night out and wake up with twenty bucks missing from your wallet.
Soaking in the thermal baths is mandatory. Paying twenty dollars gets you a day pass to the Széchenyi Baths. I showed up on a Sunday morning feeling slightly rough from the night before. Floating in that hot water was the perfect reset before catching my flight home.
The city is split by the river. The Pest side is flat and easy to walk. The Buda side features steep hills leading up to the castle. Walking along the Danube river while the Parliament Building lights up at night is a memory that sticks with you forever.
A hostel bed costs eight bucks. Eating a fried dough Langos from a street cart runs three dollars. Even a heavy sit-down meal of traditional goulash barely breaks ten dollars.
Budget for a weekend: Plan on 100 to 150 dollars.
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is incredibly tiny and looks exactly like a postcard.
You can literally walk the entire city center in a single afternoon. That makes it the perfect destination when you just want a relaxing trip without a massive itinerary. You can wander the canals and climb the old bell tower for twelve euros. Grabbing a hot Belgian waffle from a street cart costs five bucks.
You will spend an embarrassing amount of money on chocolate here. The shops are on every single corner. Just accept your fate and adjust your budget. I dropped twenty euros on truffles and I do not regret a thing.
The local beer culture is serious business. Taking a brewery tour costs twelve euros and includes a tasting. Buying a strong local ale at a pub runs about five euros. It will probably be the best beer you drink during your entire semester.
You can book a bed at St. Christopher’s Inn for twenty euros. A lot of students just visit Bruges as a quick day trip while staying in Brussels.
Budget for a weekend: Expect to spend 120 to 180 euros.
Krakow, Poland
Krakow gives you deep history and wild nightlife for a fraction of what you would pay in Germany.
The Old Town square is massive and stunning. Taking a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps takes up half a day. The experience is incredibly heavy but it feels essential. A guided tour including a bus ride from the city costs roughly thirty dollars.
The old Jewish Quarter is packed with cheap bars and incredible food. I lived on local pierogis and sausages. Every meal I ate cost under seven dollars.
The nightlife here easily rivals Budapest. The underground cellar bars stay open until the sun comes up. Taking a vodka shot costs two dollars. You rarely ever see a cover charge at the door.
Hostel beds run eight to fifteen dollars. Spots like the Mosquito Hostel cater directly to exchange students and run pub crawls every single night.
Budget for a weekend: You can pull this off for 110 to 170 dollars.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is an easy win if your program is based in the UK. It is definitely worth a flight if you are studying on the mainland.
The city is very compact. Hiking up Arthur’s Seat for the panoramic view costs nothing. Walking the Royal Mile and exploring the spooky old graveyards is totally free. Getting inside the famous castle costs twenty pounds but it is worth it if you love history.
The pub culture is fantastic. I ordered a traditional plate of haggis for nine pounds and actually loved it. You can find whisky tasting events on every corner for about twenty pounds.
Take one of the free daily walking tours. I gave my guide a ten pound tip at the end. They tell you all the dark history and point out the best hidden pubs.
Hostels cost roughly twenty to thirty pounds. Castle Rock Hostel sits right next to the actual castle. The views are incredible but the beds sell out months in advance.
Budget for a weekend: Plan on 150 to 220 pounds.
Interlaken, Switzerland
Let me be honest. Switzerland is painfully expensive. Interlaken is the one place where blowing your budget is actually worth it.
The town sits squeezed between two bright blue lakes right at the base of the Alps. The hiking trails are free and world-class. Taking the funicular train up the mountain costs thirty bucks but the view is insane. This is the adventure capital of Europe. Jumping out of a plane or strapping into a paraglider will cost you well over a hundred dollars. You are only young once so just do it.
Balmers Hostel is basically an institution for study abroad students. A dorm bed costs forty to fifty bucks depending on the month. The staff runs a bunch of adventure tours and hosts massive parties in their underground club.
Buying food in Switzerland will make you cry. Sitting down at a basic restaurant easily costs thirty bucks. I survived by buying bread and cheese at the local Coop grocery store and making sandwiches in the hostel kitchen.
Budget for a weekend: Expect to burn 300 to 450 dollars. This is your splurge trip for the semester.
Best Travel Destinations for College Students Studying Abroad Outside Europe
Your weekend options change drastically if you are studying in a different hemisphere.
Chiang Mai, Thailand (if studying in Southeast Asia)
Chiang Mai is the ultimate backpacker hub. You get incredible temples and massive night markets. Taking a cooking class or visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary is super cheap. The street food is legendary.
Hostel beds cost five bucks. A massive plate of food runs two dollars. Taking an overnight bus from Bangkok costs fifteen dollars.
Total weekend budget: 80 to 120 dollars.
Buenos Aires, Argentina (if studying in South America)
Buenos Aires gives you a European vibe on a South American budget. You can eat massive steak dinners and watch tango shows in the streets. Neighborhoods like Palermo are packed with young travelers.
A hostel bed runs ten bucks. A nice dinner costs twelve dollars. Regional flights are usually pretty cheap.
Total weekend budget: 150 to 250 dollars depending on your flight.
Melbourne, Australia (if studying in Australia or New Zealand)
Melbourne is all about the coffee culture and the live music scene. It is definitely expensive compared to Asia but highly manageable for a student.
Hostels run twenty to thirty Australian dollars. Grabbing a local transit card makes getting around very cheap. Booking a day trip to see the wild penguins on Phillip Island costs about a hundred bucks.
Total weekend budget: 250 to 400 Australian dollars.
How to Actually Afford Weekend Trips on a Student Budget
Those quick trips drain your bank account fast if you get sloppy. Here is how I survived.
Fly the absolute cheapest airlines and pack nothing. Do not pay for a carry-on bag. I stuffed three days of clothes into a regular school backpack for every single trip.
Book your flights on Tuesday nights. The algorithms usually drop the prices midweek. I just set up price alerts and bought my tickets the second the numbers dipped.
Stop eating three meals a day at restaurants. Eat the free toast at your hostel. Grab a cheap sandwich from a bakery for lunch. Save your money for one decent dinner.
Do not pay for famous views if you can avoid it. Taking the elevator up the Eiffel Tower costs thirty euros. Walking up the hill to Sacré-Cœur gives you a better view of Paris for free.
Find a travel buddy to split costs. Booking a private room for two people at a hostel often costs the same as buying two individual beds in a crowded dorm.
Flash your student ID everywhere you go. Almost every museum and train line offers a massive discount for college kids. You just have to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weekend trips should I plan during a semester abroad?
Most kids manage four to eight quick weekend trips during a semester. That breaks down to roughly one trip every two weeks. Trying to travel every single weekend will burn you out completely. You will also fail your classes and run out of money. Pick the cities you actually care about instead of just blindly following your roommates.
Is it better to travel alone or with other study abroad students?
Both options are great for different reasons. Traveling with a friend splits the cost of food and lodging. Going solo means you never have to argue about what time to wake up or where to eat lunch. You also end up talking to way more people in the hostels when you are alone. Try doing both during your semester.
Should I buy a Eurail pass for study abroad travel?
Skip the pass unless you plan on taking four massive cross-country train rides. The cheap budget flights are almost always faster and less expensive than riding the rails. The pass only makes sense if you are doing a massive two-week tour after finals. Just stick to buying cheap single flight tickets for your weekend trips.
What are the best travel destinations for college students studying abroad if I’m on a really tight budget?
Head straight to Eastern Europe. Places like Prague and Budapest offer incredible experiences for pennies on the dollar. You can easily fly in and party for three days while keeping your total budget under a hundred and fifty bucks.
Can I travel during the week or will I miss too much class?
Every program handles attendance differently. Some professors will fail you if you miss two lectures. Others do not care as long as you pass the tests. Read your syllabus on the first day. I skipped a Friday class twice to catch an early flight. I just made sure to clear it with my professor first. Do not gamble with your grades just to catch a cheap Ryanair flight.
Conclusion
Your semester abroad is going to vanish before you know it. You will not see every single country on the map. That is totally fine. Just pick a few cities that sound exciting and buy the cheap tickets. Some of my favorite memories from college came from a forty-dollar flight I booked three days before departure. Stop overthinking the itinerary and just get on the plane.
