Contributing Writer

Summertime marks the time for traveling. Whether it be to a lake house, a summer festival or a trip across the country, summer means travel.

Like everything in the past few months, traveling has started to consume a large chunk of students’ dollars. What’s the solution? Travel smart. Listed below are some steps that can be used to travel wisely.

The first mode of transportation for students is their own vehicles. But the gas prices have been rapidly increasing in the past few months. One option that a student has is www.gasbuddy.com. This site is helpful for any student that wants to know the cheapest gas prices in town.

Some students prefer to travel by plane. These students can get flight tickets through discount websites like www.studentsuniverse.com, www.kayak.com, www.priceline.com, www.orbitz.com. These are good sites that have airline tickets with discounts; some are even specifically for students. These sites not only have airline tickets but prices of hotels, car rentals and activities.

The following are tips for students who plan to travel near or far this summer.

Purchase early— Airlines tend to offer the lowest prices on 21-day advance tickets. However, advance purchase fares can often be secured in as little as 14 or seven days ahead of your departure date. If you wait until fewer than seven days, you’re unlikely to find a good deal.