50 Best Budget Travel Tools for Students Studying Abroad
Although traveling abroad for your university studies is an amazing experience, it's not without a huge price tag. Study abroad programs are often worth every penny, but that doesn't mean you have to pay more than you absolutely have to. Check out these tools that can help you study abroad without going overboard.
Budgeting & Money
Make plans and budget your travel money using these tools.
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Quid Universal Currency Converter
Convert daily exchange rates for more than 180 world currencies on Quid.
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Mint.com
Mint offers a vacation budgeting tool that estimates how much your trip will cost, and create a savings plan to have enough.
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Budget Your Trip
Estimate and plan your travel expenses based on your traveling area with Budget Your Trip.
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Prepaid travel cards
Safeguard your personal accounts and stick to your budget by using prepaid travel cards abroad.
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Travel Calculator
Plan your travel spending with this travel calculator.
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GoPlanit
GoPlanit makes it easy to plan your trip, alone with with friends.
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delicious
Build your own guidebook with this bookmarking site.
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Trip Little
Trip Little offers complete travel planning and organization on one site.
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Google Earth
See any place in the world, including buildings and imagery, to plan your trip.
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Tripwolf
Tripwolf offers a travel guide, tips, deals, and planner for worldwide travel.
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Dopplr
Share your travel plans and tips socially on Dopplr.
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TripWiser
Discover things to do in this travel community.
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TripIt
Organize your travel itinerary using this trip planner.
Flights
Check flight status, find deals, and more using these tools.
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FlightChecker
Use the FlightChecker to find out when to get super cheap prices on budget airlines.
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GateGuru
Turn foreign airports into a fun place using this app that can help you discover food, gift shops, and more.
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Airfare Watchdog
Airfare Watchdog will alert you to the top fares available.
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Fare Alert
Expedia's Fare Alert will alert you when the best fares come available, right on your desktop.
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SeatGuru
SeatGuru offers diagrams and notes on the best airplane seats by airline.
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FareWatch
FareWatch shares a fair, unbiased view of average airfare rates direct from the Department of Transportation.
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Yapta
Yapta tracks flight prices before and after you buy.
Hotels & Accommodations
Stay at a hostel, house-sit, or even couch surf through these travel tools.
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The Caretaker Gazette
Find caretaking and house sitting jobs easily on this site.
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Hostelling International USA
Stay the night for super cheap and find great locations for a good price using this nonprofit site.
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AirBnB
Find accommodations including sublets and private rooms on AirBnB.
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WWOOF
Volunteer in exchange for food and accommodation around the world through WWOOF hosts.
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Roomorama
Roomorama offers a peer to peer short term rental marketplace for world travelers and more.
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HouseCarers
Become a housesitter anywhere in the world through HouseCarers.
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CouchSurfing
Open up your spare room or couch to a couch surfer, and enjoy sharing someone's couch in a foreign country later.
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ConcertHotels
ConcertHotels offers a great way to find a hotel near the concert or event you're attending.
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Growfood
Get connected with farmers who can provide you with room and board in exchange for work on Growfood.
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Home Exchange
Exchange your home with someone else to enjoy living in a comfortable house on your international stay.
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GlobalFreeloaders
GlobalFreeloaders will connect you with people all over the world that can offer you free accommodation.
Food & Drink
Save cash while you dine in a foreign country using these tools.
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Cor.kz
Find out about the best wines available to you from Cor.kz.
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OpenTable
Make reservations at restaurants around the world through OpenTable's site.
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Urbanspoon
Find good eats for cheap by checking out Urbanspoon's site.
Getting Connected
Talk and stay connected on the cheap using these tools.
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Google Translate
Google Translate offers automatic translation in over 50 language.
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Skype
Even if you're halfway around the world, you can make free or cheap calls to family and friends with the help of Skype.
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HazelMail
Hazel sends your photos as a printed and stamped postcard so you don't have to.
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Loopt
Use Loopt to find out if your traveling buddies are close by.
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Yahoo! Babel Fish
Translate blocks of text and web pages using Yahoo! Babel Fish.
Experiences & Reviews
Use these tools to find the best experiences without spending a ton of cash.
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IgoUgo
Explore hotels and things to do with other world travelers using IgoUgo.
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Viator
Plan your days on Viator, booking tours, planning trips, and more.
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Howcast
Using Howcast, you can learn about local customs, trip planning, and more.
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WikiTravel
WikiTravel is a traveler-written guide to destination cities, helping you get the inside scoop on the area you'll be studying in.
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Yelp
Find things to do and read reviews on Yelp, which offers information for a few European cities in addition to its stateside offerings.
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The Backpacker
The Backpacker shares the best places to visit, nightlife, and more.
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1000 Ultimate Experiences App
Use Lonely Planet's app (or book) to learn about the best things you can do in any given location.
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Virtual Tourist
Get the inside scoop on nearly 60,000 places around the world from the Virtual Tourist community.
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TripAdvisor
Get trip ideas, reviews, and plan your trip using TripAdvisor's tools.
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Time Out
: Time Out will help you find out about what's happening in the world's most exciting cities.
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SitOrSquat
SitOrSquat will help you find a bathroom anywhere in the world.
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