HOW TO TRAVEL THE WORLD AS A BROKE LAW STUDENT

Image alternative description: Exploring a Buddhist Temple: I am standing with my back to the camera with my hair up in a bun, wearing a patterned dress, standing on a white stone balcony. I am looking towards a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple (Thean Hou Temple) with red pillars, colourful designs and hanging red lanterns. There is a multi-tiered roof that is decorated with dragons and other symbols.

Who says you can’t chase your dreams while also being in law school?? Before you devote yourself to a demanding career for the rest of your life, you gotta take every opportunity you can to squeeze in some adventure. Whether it’s grabbing your law school bestie or even solo travelling, exploring the world is a MUST. You really don’t need to be staying at the Ritz-Carlton and booking $1000 flights, there are budget-friendly travel hacks that will have you on the next flight in no time. If you keep reading, I’ll put you on these hacks.

Track those flights!

Depending on where you are interested in travelling to, flights can be your biggest expense but, if you play the game correctly, you can win big time with some cheap deals.

Third party flight websites: Using third party websites to find the deals for you really helps when monitoring flight deals. For example, Sky scanner, tracks the cheapest flight deals based on layover times, different airline combinations, etc to find you the best deals. Click here to check out their website.  Just make sure to put your browser on private mode so, they aren’t tracking you and your data. Another flight website that I recently came across is, Fly Play. They blew me away when I saw their tickets to Iceland for $187. Click here to check them out.

Be flexible: To find the best flight deals, flexibility with dates is a non-negotiable. The cheapest days are flying out in the middle of the week like Tuesday and Wednesday. Also, avoid peak travel times like Christmas, March Break, etc. You would be quite surprised how much money you can save by switching your flight date by even one day. That is why travelling during a random month like October or November (during reading week), might be the best option for us students.

Don’t be basic.

Avoid travelling to over-crowded tourist destinations like Paris, Rome, London, etc. Although those cities are beautiful, they are not the best if you are trying to budget. If the goal is to keep your bank account afloat and have a more unique and authentic experience, you must travel to more underrated hidden gems.  

Visit less-popular destinations: Try out countries in Southeast Asia like, Vietnam, Indonesia or East Asia like, South Korea. Even South Africa or Eastern Europe like, Hungary, Poland and Romania. These countries all have such rich history and culture and are significantly more affordable than Western Europe. Check out the picture at the bottom of this blog post where I posted a picture of myself in front of a Chinese Buddhist Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! When I travelled Southeast Asia in August, all my meals were between $3-10 CAD, and this includes both eating at Hawker Centers and even dining-in at restaurants. In Ottawa, you won’t find anything under the price range of $10-$40 CAD. Also, when visiting more underrated countries, you won’t have to deal with fighting a bunch of tourists with selfie-sticks to see the views you travelled 11,000 km for.

Travel during off-season: Try your best to travel right before or after peak season but, when the weather is still good. This is key for being able to enjoy the country’s beauty and avoid high-costs and crowds. For example, Portugal in September or Greece in October are the best ways to be able to still experience a popular country while also having good weather and low costs.

Choose your accommodations wisely

Here are some options on how to not ball-out on bougie accommodations because let’s face it, you’re young and wild, you’re only really going to be at your hotel to crash after a long day of adventure and partying.

Hostels: Hostels are not the horror they used to be. Today, especially in Europe, they are fun, comfortable, super affordable and GREAT for socializing with other travelling nomads. So many hostels offer rooftop bars, yoga classes, organized pub crawls, free city tours, free breakfasts, pools, etc. I personally use Hostelworld to find highly rated hostels with the best reviews. You never know what kind of friends you will make along the way…

AirBnbs: If you are travelling in a bigger group, AirBnbs can be the most affordable option. In Asia, you can book out whole Villas that cost less than booking a hotel room. Plus, you have access to a kitchenette so, you and your group can buy groceries and chef it up whenever you are looking to save a few bucks. In Bali, I was travelling with a group of 9 and we stayed in a villa booked through AirBnb which also had breakfast dropped off from a restaurant every morning included in the booking price. At the bottom of this post, there is a picture of our AirBnb!

Couch surfing: Now this one is a little risky but, if you’re anything like me and are okay with risking it, couchsurfing is a great alternative. This website helps connect you with locals who are generous enough to let you crash on their couch or their spare room for FREE. Not only are you acquiring zero expenses, but you are also getting a taste of what it feels like to live like a local, getting insider tips and possibly making lifelong friends! Just make sure to share your location with family and friends in case this goes sideways LOL (I am just joking).

Image alternative description: Bali AirBnb Villa: A two-story villa with stone walls, surrounded by greenery and tropical plants. The villa has large windows and a hanging plant outside. Outside of the villa, there is a pool, lounge chairs and a swing chair to sit beside the pool. The villa looks very serene and peaceful.

Incorporate travelling into your studies (win-win)

The most practical way to figure out how to travel the world as a broke law student while also feeling like the money you are spending is an investment in your education is to embark on an exchange program. Although it may not be the cheapest way to travel, you are getting the chance to gain experience, add something to your resumé, build connections and network with professionals and peers in another country and finally, come back home enriched with knowledge and memories. I did a one-month law exchange in January to Puerto Rico for a course on feminist legal studies and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much from my professor and other students about Puerto Rico’s culture and legal system, and I learned many life lessons in general. You can check out the bottom of this post for a snapshot of my exchange friends from the trip! Not only was it an absolute blast, I also now have something that distinguishes me from other law students on my resumé as a topic of conversation with law firms during interviews. Truly a win-win situation. I am also going on a Telfer exchange with my law school bestie in February to Austria and I am confident that the money spent will be well worth it and I will come back smarter and happier.

Image alternative description: Exploring Old San Juan with my Puerto Rico exchange friends: A group of eight of us are smiling and posing for a selfie while walking down a colourful street lined with historic buildings. The road is cobblestone and there are pastel-coloured houses which brighten up the city. One friend is holding the camera, to take the photo. It is clear that everyone in the photo is having a good time.

YOLO, let’s do it!

If you are ready to make your traveling dreams a reality, why wait? Whether it is a weekend getaway or a backpacking trip, sign-up now for flight alerts, bookmark your favorite travel hacks and get the ball rolling! Interested in more insider tips, hearing about my personal stories, and more advice on balancing law school with wanderlust? Subscribe to my website and be the first to get updates on travelling with a budget, balancing life and academics, and everything in between. As the icon himself, Drake, preaches, YOLO is the motto. The world is your oyster, and your next adventure is one click away!