On a recent break I squeezed in a couple of trips. As a Kiwi, anywhere in the UK or Europe is exciting to me. when I got back I wanted to share some cheap travel experiences I’ve had this year. Being a student and having a budget doesn’t mean you can’t travel!

Over Christmas I mostly stayed in Edinburgh as I had a little hamster to take care of at the time (Rest in Peace Yams) but I managed to talk my neighbour into feeding the little rascal while I made a couple of short trips. First, being the wee nerd that I am, I went down to Warner Brothers Studios so I could geek out about Harry Potter. My hotel ended up being utterly gorgeous, although it was little difficult to find.

Luckily I am absolutely shameless. Standing in line with 100 children to see Harry Potter exhibits didn’t bother me in the slightest. It was wicked seeing the work that went into the films. Despite being told butterbeer was extortionate and pointless I was determined to try it. Actually, it wasn’t half bad.

Shortly after this I went on a trip down to Brighton. I absolutely adored the beach. I’m still not a fan of your pebbled beaches but I’m adjusting. A highlight was sipping a glass of champagne as I went up in the i360, getting an incredible view. The Brighton Pier was also fantastically photogenic.

Fast forward to my next break. I went to meet up with friends from overseas in Amsterdam at a convention. To make the whole trip more affordable I volunteered at the event, which paid for my ticket, and used a discount on a hotel. There’s always ways to make trips more suitable for a student budget!

My hotel booking was messed up – so they upgraded me to an executive suite. There were jets in the bath, it was wild. It was a blast seeing friends I hadn’t seen in years. I met amazing new people as well! Following that I went out to explore the gorgeous city of Amsterdam, and absolutely fell in love. It can be a little bit outrageously touristy, but it is one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been.

After popping back to Edinburgh to hand in an essay I took a trip to St Andrews with my friends. Somehow it took me until my third year to get that little bit up the coast. We were lucky enough to get a pretty sunny day. The breach was lovely and there was some interesting history. Though there wasn’t a lot to do we all had a fab bonding experience enjoying sunshine and wine. It was a fantastic way to finish off the semester.

I have travel opportunities in Edinburgh I never would have had at home. Getting a mix of relaxing trips, and adventurous trips, finding beautiful places both near and far to explore is amazing. I can’t wait to see even more in the future. After my exams I’m heading the furthest north I’ve ever been. Don’t let a student budget hold you back from exciting experiences! And I hope your revision is going well

Allie 🙂