Links and more

For all student Travelers out there I have a couple tipps how to save money and what to do, when you are around. First of all some useful links and sources I used to plan and book my trips and flights.

http://www.isic.org/home.aspx
For students in general you can buy an international student card, which is accepted in every country and offers you many cheap flights and other discounts. It is always for one year starting in October. It is also accepted as an ID in the most Countries. I can highly recommend this card, its useful and not too expensive !

How to get there?

http://www.studentuniverse.com
For american students an awesome page for booking your flights, cars and whatever you need.

https://webstore2.travelcuts.com/ibe-us/default.aspx
If you own a ISIC Card this could be a good choice to book some cheap flights and get some interesting trip offers.

Where to stay?

http://www.couchsurfing.org/home.html
If you need a place to stay anywhere in the world, this might be the biggest couchsurfing community world wide. As far as I heard it from friends its very reliable and a good way to find interesting people and a cheap place to sleep.

http://www.hostelworld.com/
you can book in a lot of hostel pages and there are a bunch of hostel networks out there, but this is just one I would recommend, I booked a couple stays in there and as far as I know its reliable.

Language Issues?
If you want to expand your vocabulary, this could be a useful Link: http://www.verbalearn.com/

What to do?
Thats a big question, what to do once you are there? I am horrible at planing, so thats what I do: I go there, get a Map and start to walk around, check out the most popular places and try to talk to several people, who are just kinda interesting to me. If you are to shy, you should check out couchsurfing and maybe you can meet with some people (you dont have to stay with them!). Some can show you around or are just interesting to meet. Especially when you are traveling alone, it is always helpful to meet people, because you want to see and learn from the area. Every city I visited so far had some interesting personalities and talks to discover, so dont be to afraid, but still be carefull. That means no wandering around like a lost kid, stay aware of your surroundings and enjoy your stay.
I would also recommend to buy a tourist guide, if you want to do a sightseeing tour and get some more tips.

What to pack?
I have to admit, my packing is very femine. I alway carry too much, so something I keep telling myself, I have to kickout the extra pair of high heels and whatever I think I could need. You need some basic clothes at least for a week (if they get dirty, there should be some washing stores around or you wash it by hand) depending where you go, soap, an extra pair of shoes, maybe a good book and a notebook, sleeping bag, swiss knife, your camera, maybe a cellphone (just for emergencies), some cash and some checks, and a credit card. I usually pack an extra blanket, and bottled water.