by Veronica Spettmann

Parents can’t always take their kids on vacations around the world. Often, Aunties can’t either.  But if kids wait until they are adults to travel, they likely won’t have the time or resources anymore. If they do, they may  not have the experience behind them to make the trip enjoyable.

With that in mind, Aunties may realize that they best time for their nieces and nephews to travel is in their later teens and early 20s. By then, they’ll likely have a job, and won’t have very many expenses that Mom and Dad won’t be helping them with. Their jobs won’t pay much, though, so if your nieces and nephews are expressing an interest in getting away (winter or spring breaks, perhaps?), here are some tips you can share with them to help them get where they want to go on a meager budget:

Book Flights with Lesser Known Airlines:
Believe it or not, all pilots have to go through the same training and certification to fly jets.  Always check an airline on the Better Business Bureau or in Consumer Reports to be sure people have been satisfied in the past.  But if some airline from another smaller country is flying from your airport to your vacation destination for hundreds less than the bigger airlines, just go for it!

Consider Staying in Youth Hostels:
Any Auntie who has seen the Hostel movies is not going to want her nieces and nephews staying there, but they really aren’t bad.  Rooms are generally clean and shared between groups of people of about the same age.  There are generally communal bathrooms, but as long as your nieces and nephews aren’t licking the toilets, there won’t be a problem. The prices for rooms in youth hostels are absolutely unbeatable. If you’re concerned for their belongings, buy them luggage locks and have them keep the key on a decorative chain around their necks or wrists for stylish safe-keeping.

Only Pack What is Absolutely Necessary:
Fees for overweight or additional luggage are always on the rise and can wring a young adult’s wallet for hundreds of dollars.  Make sure your nieces and nephews understand that it is okay to do laundry in the sink while they are away.  This way they will only have to pack three or four outfits that they can wear on a rotation.  Have them pack detergent in their checked luggage so they won’t have to pay extra for it if the prices are higher at their destination. Also pack some non-perishable food items (like Ramen noodles), so they won’t be tempted to spend a ton of money on eating out while they are away.

Travel with the Right Amounts of Money:
Travel, especially to foreign countries, requires very careful money withdrawals. When using debit cards abroad, it is very important to remember that the bank fees for ATM withdrawals will be exorbitant, so take out a lot at a time as infrequently as possible to avoid these excess account charges. It is also a good idea to go with a reasonable amount of cash in one’s wallet to begin with.  Travel with too much cash, and your nieces and nephews will lose too much if they are robbed.  Travel with too little and you may be stuck in a bind if a location doesn’t take debit or credit. Just remember those bank fees!

Skype or Oovoo:
This may sound silly, but trust me.  Internationalizing a cell phone is very expensive, especially over long periods of time.  Purchasing a calling card for pay-phones when everyone already has cell phones is silly. Buying an international SIM card for your phone when you are abroad is a hassle to start up (especially for teens, who will need ALL of their parents’ account information to boot it up). Skype, however, is completely free, allows you to not only talk to the person, but see the person, no matter where you are, and can be done from the comfort of a hotel room or lobby (almost all of which are equipped with WIFI by now).  If the hotel or hostel doesn’t have WIFI, there are internet cafes and coffee shops everywhere.


These are just some tips (learned from experience) to help your nieces and nephews have the experiences of a lifetime on the limited budgets of young adults. (Though, cash contributions from Aunties are always welcome. Keep that in mind around the holidays and their birthdays!)


Image Courtesy: uncleboatshoes
Published: December 14, 2011