Articles Index

Passport Rules and Current Passport News

Current passports rules for US citizens are a bit confusing right now -- get the passport rules and passport news, understand what's happening with passports, who needs passports, whether you need passports to cross US borders and more. Read up for the definitive answers on passport rules and passport news for Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and the US, passports and air travel, passport legislation and more.

Travel Myth - Hostels Will Have Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are simply not a travel scourge for student travelers and backpackers. Bed bugs don't carry disease and hostels don't harbor bed bugs. Let's lay some bed bug myths to rest and learn about bed bug symptoms, what bed bug bites look like, how to kill bed bugs, and how to kill bed bugs.

Rail Passes - Discount European Youth Rail Passes from Rail Europe and Railpass

Rail passes - under 26? You're eligible for European rail passes at a student discount - Eurail Global Youthpass, Eurail Select, Eurail Global Pass Youth Flexi and many single country European train tickets. Check out the best of what's on offer in rail passes from Rail Europe and Railpass

Freighter Travel and Freighter Cruises Get You There Slooowly

Boat travel is a charming alternative to long haul flying. A little known and cheap boat travel option, freighter travel, is popular with student travelers and adventurers of all ilk. And with Easy Cruise ships bobbing up in world ports, "regular" cruises are now navigating the cheap boat travel fun lanes. So what's up with freighter travel, cruises and boat travel in general?

Polite Passenger Behavior on Airplanes Makes the World Go 'Round Much Better

Airplane Etiquette - Airplane Behavior - Being Polite Passenger on Planes is Airplane Etiquette 101

Study Abroad Blogs

Study abroad blogs are a great way to see what other students who are getting ready to study abroad are doing and thinking -- reading study abroad blogs from students who are on the ground overseas is an excellent opportunity to understand what study abroad is really like. And reading study abroad blogs from those who've been there, done it and come home is entirely, truly inspirational. We've rounded up some good resources for study abroad blogs -- check it out:

Busabout Europe - Hop On Hop Off European Bus

Busabout is way to do European bus travel tours -- economical and easy. Students can get deals - check out Busabout details and Europe bus passes.

Favorite US Cities for Student Travel

Student traveler looking for the best US cities? A recent poll shows students favor (in order) New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Miami, Boston and Austin.

Travel Journals as Gifts

With the proliferation and ease of use of online travel journals, keeping a paper journal sounds old fashioned, but "talking" to a journal connects a traveler with home while on a train or in a hostel bunk -- give one as a gift. The tools are a journal and a pen -- and within those parameters lies a lot of leeway. Read up to find the journals, pen ideas and some add-ons for personalizing and special-ifying a travel journal gift.

Budget UK Travel - Frugal Ideas for the United Kingdom

Budget UK Travel - Free Things and Pubs and Hostels in UK - Budget UK Travel Planning

Is Spring Break in Mexico Safe?

As spring break 2009 drew nigh, many U.S. students received campus-wide email warnings regarding the safety of travel to Mexico for spring break, and advising students against driving to Mexico for spring break because of heightened safety concerns due to battling between Mexican drug cartels and the US along the US/Mexico border. (We've reprinted a typical email, sent to students at one Colorado university.) Let's dissect those concerns on spring break safety in Mexico for 2009...

Spring Break in Florida

Everything student travelers could want to know about spring break in Florida - spring break in Daytona Beach, Panama City and the Florida Keys are thoroughly covered, with links to primers on spring break 101.

Mexican Car Insurance, Renting a Car in Mexico and Crossing the Mexico Border

Driving in Mexico - border crossings, Mexican car insurance, driving rules of the road in Mexico, bringing items into and out of Mexico, Mexico and US Customs and renting a car in Mexico and more on driving in Mexico. Driving in Mexico is a snap --don't be afraid of driving in Mexico!

In Which We Try Finding Cheap Mexico Airfare

With budget European airline champ Ryanair's announcement of (at last) firm plans to start offering its budget seats in Mexico in fall 2006, we wondered if inter-Mexico airfares would be taking a turn for the cheap: the Ireland airline was operating in Mexico as vivaAerobus and joining several operators offering Mexico budget airfares since Mexico privatized Mexicana. We set out to see if the budget Mexico airline hype was true and whether we could save money. What we found:

Calling Around Down Under - More on GSM Phones and SIM Cards

A friend of ours is out of here, here being the U.S., to New Zealand and Australia for six months and we just dropped off a gift for her upcoming travel: an unlocked GSM phone we bought in Australia with a practically full SIM card in it. We bought it after, while in Oz, misplacing our own precious, unlocked, U.S. GSM cell phone (which magically turned up the minute we purchased the new one, natch), and though we could charge the Aussie GSM cell phone, we couldn't get SIM cards (read more...)

Costa Rica Spanish

Putting fear of foolishness aside and attempting the basic words goes a long way in getting one around in Costa Rica, and knowing the local Costa Rican phrases is a major help. I just learned spme more Costa Rica Spanish from Costa Rica expert Kirsten Hubbard's "Talk Like a Tico," and you may find they'll come handy when you next head to that lovely land; check it out...

Spanish Schools in San Miguel de Allende

Get the rundown (literally) on San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Spanish language schools in San Miguel de Allende. Hint: they may not be for you.

Most Expensive Universities Abroad

Most Expensive Universities Abroad - Most Expensive Universities in the World - Expensive Universities Worldwide

Hostelworld Top 10 Hostels 2008-2009

Hostelworld Top 10 Hostels 2008-2009 - Best Hostels and Top 10 Hostels 2008 - 2009 from Hostelworld -- the Hoscars!

South Beach Spring Break and Miami Spring Break

South Beach for spring break this year is turning into a happening thing -- Miami is more of a hot spot for spring break 2009 than it's been for many many moons, too. Some of South Beach's spring break popularity this year is thanks to everyone's cents-savings efforts (staying in the US means you can drive, which can possibly be a bit cheaper than flying), but it's partly because this little part of southern Florida is just exceedingly cool.[p] South Beach's heating up

Spring Break Deals

Learn how to compare spring break deals and a comparison of 2008 spring break deals from student travel agencies like STS Student Travel Services, and buying your own hotel and airfare using student travel discounts. Decide how to handle finding spring break deals with this student travel comparison.

List of Volunteer Organizations for College Students

Looking for some volunteer opportunities? We are, too -- always -- and we're putting together a master list of volunteer opportunities especially suited to students. The list is evolving -- check it out now for partner volunteer organizations and specific charitable volunteer organizations offering actionable volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer for a Working College Break

Got your break planned yet? If you're thinking you'd like to make a difference with your time, think about taking a break with an i-to-i volunteer vacation. US college students are increasingly seeking out short-term meaningful experiences by lending a helping hand, according to i-to-i volunteer vaction reports.

Gay Spring Break - Where to Go for Gay Spring Break Travel

Gay spring break happens in the same spots that could be described as the hottest gay travel spots around -- Puerto Vallarta, Key West, South Beach -- places where GLBT travelers will find gay spring break travel that works on every level. Learn where to go for gay spring break 2009 and what to expect in the gay spring break 2009 hot spots.

Backpacker Destinations 2009 - Best New Backpacker Destinations 2009

Lots o' fun best backpacker destinations lists get tailor-made early each year for various traveler types, and we've come across a few for 2009 that are great for every breed of student traveler from cautious to crazy. So who says what's hot where? Read on for a few of the best backpacker destinations of 2009, according to some who've given it some thought: