Summer
travel can work on a student’s budget
By
Mindy Chuha
On-line Forty-Niner
There
can be more to plan for summer other than
getting a summer job, internship or completing
a summer school class With three months
of freedom students are now able to look
at economical places to travel.
C.O.P Travel of Long Beach offers great
deals on trips to Cancun, Hawaii and Puerto
Viarta.
According
to C.O.P. Travel, “Our Cancun trips
can range from $650 to $2000 for a five-night
stay including air fair and hotel accommodations,”
a C.O.P. employee said.
If
you want to stay local Catalina is a great
place for a quick weekend getaway. Catalina
Travel Connection can get you there for
around $50. Activities in Catalina include
glass bottom boat tours, scenic tours, shopping
and cheap hotel rates.
Jack
Van Horn of College Center Travel recommends
a three-day cruises for a cheap vacation.
College Center Travel offers a three-day
cruise out of Long Beach to Ensenada, Mexico
for about $160 (plus port charges which
can run around $90).
“You
get a lot for your money,” Van Horn
said.
There
are also several travel agencies in Southern
California that specialize only in student
travel. CSULB’s study abroad center
recommends checking out Student Travel Agency.
This agency offers savings for international
travel as well as local vacations. Some
recent specials are 20 percent off Latin
American trips and 25 percent off European
trips. The student travel Web site offers
everything a student may need to know about
traveling, travel insurance and basic information
on plane, bus, train and hotel deals.
CSULB
senior Laura St. John said she found affordable
trips for her last vacation at studentuniverse.com.
“I
saved over $50 dollars off regular air fair
with student universe … all you have
to do is prove you are a current student
at an accredited university.”
If
you feel like going somewhere less tropical
and more urban, Student Universe can get
you a round trip ticket to New York City
for less than $300.
Chris
Kosmo, a business major at CSULB, recommends
taking a trip to Las Vegas if you are feeling
a bit on the lucky side.
“You
can always find deals for hotel room during
the week rather than the weekend.”
Kosmo also recommended Carnival four-day
cruises for a cheap vacation.
Amtrak
is also an easy and affordable way to get
wherever you need to go for not much cash.
According to the Amtrak Web site, “passengers
enjoy service in more than 500 communities
in 46 states throughout a 22,000-mile route
system.”
After
completing a quick search on the Web site,
a round-trip ticket from Long Beach to San
Diego can cost around $50. Amtrack stations
in Long Beach are located in Downtown Long
Beach.
Other
Web sites popular amongst student travelers
are travelocity.com, expedia.com and cheaptickets.com.
Although
planning a summer vacation seems an impossible
task on a student budget, there are plenty
of ways to make great memories during your
break. There will soon come a time where
a three-month break from work will be a
thing of the past so make the best of your
college days.
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