Travel in the U.S.

Are you a fan of traveling? It's my passion to travel. I usually travel to other cities or states during breaks. At U of M, there are several breaks that we can schedule travels. Remember to check school calendar and plan your trips in advance. You can find the calendar from the Office of the Registrar. 

Fall 2013 & Winter 2014 Calendar

Fall Break: Oct 14^th -15^th

Thanksgiving: Non. 28^th - Dec. 1^st 

Christmas: Dec. 21^st - Jan. 7^th 

Spring Break: Mar. 1^st - Mar. 9^th

I usually plan my vocation 2-3 months in advance so I can get early bird discounts. I book tickets and accommodation after I decide my departure and return dates. Some reservations are non-refundable/non-changeable, which means you can’t cancel or change your reservations. This type of reservations is usually cheaper, but less flexible. One tip to keep in mind is to double check the refund policy before you make any reservations. After making the reservation, you can either print out the confirmation/ Itinerary, or save it in your phone, which makes it easy to check during the trip. If you travel a lot, buying a student discount card may save some money. For example, International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and Student Advantage DiscountCard  give discounts on Amtrak and greyhound, respectively. I list several websites that I usually use to book transportation and hotels.

Flights: 

Tripadvisor  http://www.tripadvisor.com/

Bing Travel  http://www.bing.com/travel   (This website can predict price, and tell you either to buy now or to wait)

Expedia  http://www.expedia.com/Flights

Student Universe  http://www.studentuniverse.com/flights/cheap-student-flights

Buses/Trains:

Greyhound   http://www.greyhound.com/

Megabus   http://us.megabus.com/ (Prices start from $1)

Amtrak   http://www.amtrak.com/home

Hotels/Hostels:

Hotels  http://www.hotels.com/

Hotelscombined   http://www.hotelscombined.com/ (After you find desired hotels, use this website to compare prices and find the best deal)

Expedia    http://www.expedia.com/Hotels

Hostelbookers   http://www.hostelbookers.com/

Otel   http://www.otel.com/

Cars:

I’m not a good driver, so I rarely rent cars when I’m travelling. The only website I recommend is CarRentals.com (http://www.carrentals.com/), which compares prices and finds the best deal.

There are many popular destinations in the U.S.. If you don’t have a preference among different destinations, take a look at a rating on tripadvisor, which lists the top 25 destinations in the U.S. After you have decided the destination, it’s always a good idea to prepare a detailed travel plan. My plans are based on some travel websites (e.g. tripadvisor) and blogs. Then I make my travel plans, and label attractions on the map. You can either buy a map before departure, or get a map from airport, hotels and tourist information center after arrive.

When it’s time to do packing, check the weather forecast, so you will have a better idea of the temperature. You may make a packing list in case you forget something important. There’re several items that I always bring with me.

Passport, Visa & copies

Driver’s license

Student ID

Map

Compass (You can use the compass in your phone)

Camera & charger

Umbrella/raincoat

Toothpaste & toothbrush

Sunscreen

Band-aids

            Now, you’re ready to go! Bring your travel documents and enjoy your trip. Some attractions have student tickets, so remember to bring you student ID with you. Another way to save money is to buy a CityPass. You can find the CityPass of the most popular destinations, such as New York and South California. CityPass combines admissions to must-see attractions, saves money and time. It’s a good choice to buy a CityPass if you have never visited that place before.

            A great resource at U of M is outdoor adventure trips. If you love outdoor trips, this is the place to meet your peers who have the same interest with you. They offer different trips, canoeing, backpacking, hiking, climbing and so forth. I went to West Virginia in 2011. That’s my first outdoor trip, and I didn’t have any skills or gear before the trip. During the trip, I was introduced to skills in backcountry camping, rock climbing and rafting. If you’re interested in outdoor adventure, you can check their website and find some upcoming trips. You don’t need to have had prior experience since necessary skills will be taught before and during the trip.

Written by Yu Zhang

Graduate Student in Psychology