words by Poppy Adams
What does it mean to island hop? YouÔÇÖre on a beach, living your best life, the 2000-word essay you were stressing over is a thing of the past, and you get a change of scenery every couple of days. But, I hear you ask, how do I do this on a student budget?
After a year of travelling and coming back to the semi-normality of university life, all I can dream about is my next opportunity to get another passport stamp. So, here are some of the best places to island hop and my 10 top tips on keeping the costs low and staying safe.
Where To Go
Some of the most obvious islands people choose are the Greek Islands, the Caribbean, the Azores, or Thailand. But if youÔÇÖre interested in something more off the beaten path the Outer Hebrides are a great choice, or something a little further afield, Indonesia would also make an amazing holiday.
Top Tips
1. Before you buy your flights clear your cookies on your computer.
This is true for any trip that you take because these sites track your data to hike the prices on you. Always use a site like Skyscanner too to give you the best deal but check prices with the provider before you settle.
2. Get an ISIC card.
This is a great card for students to have. It is ┬ú12 for the year and you can get great deals from a lot of providers – in Greece you can get 50% off some ferries which is well worth ┬ú1 per month.
3. Plan your route before you get there.
This is a very motherly thing to say I know, but forward planning will not only give you piece of mind but also save you money in the long run – Airbnb can give you deals for booking in advance which tend to be around 10-20% off.
4. Travel out of season.
This is not the easiest thing to do as a uni student but try to go towards the end of the holidays – September will be cheaper than July because prices are raised for school holidays. Alternatively, if youÔÇÖre lucky enough to get a reading week use that instead as they tend to fall during term time for a lot of schools.
5. Cut down on the number of islands you want to visit.
People often try to visit a handful of islands in their island-hopping holiday (duh?) but either plan your time around the number of islands you want to see or, the number of islands you want to see around the time you have. Typically, if youÔÇÖre visiting Greece youÔÇÖll want to spend 3-4 days per island so a 2-week holiday could fit around 5 islands. If you have 1 week you could comfortably visit 2.
6. Choose islands close together.
This might sound a little simplistic but islands can be very far away from each other and take a day out of your holiday, as well as making it a more expensive trip. If youÔÇÖre going to Greece, pick islands in the same family so you donÔÇÖt need to spend your whole time travelling.
7. DonÔÇÖt be afraid of hostels.
In my gap year hostels were my best friend. As a solo traveller they were a great place to meet people to go out with, whilst being significantly cost efficient. Using websites like Hostelworld.com made things really easy. You can view honest reviews here too. On top of this, most hostels have a kitchen area for travellers to use so you can cut costs from eating out.
8. Take slower transport methods.
Most of you probably know from taking trains home throughout the year that trains with multiple changes are cheaper than those without. The same goes for flights and ferries. If you can spare the time take slow ferries or night ferries – if youÔÇÖre island hopping Greece and Athens is on your route you can take the night ferry from Piraeus to the islands and youÔÇÖll arrive in the early morning ready to explore.
9. Use local transport or walk.
Living in Cardiff no one reading this will be shy of walking, especially if youÔÇÖve ever lived in any of the Talys. In an ideal world renting a car provides you with freedom, however, most rentals will not lend cars to people under the age of 21 and this limit can go to 25. Car renting also gets pricey quickly. So, make the most of foot power ÔÇô islands are small and things tend to be gathered in the same location anyhow!
10. Go local.
This might sound odd to some but choosing to eat at local tavernas or restaurants when you eat out is a great way to save because they donÔÇÖt have marked up prices like a lot of restaurants. Eating local will give you a great feel for the island and you can generally meet some very quirky characters in these sorts of places, which will make your trip 10 times as memorable.
I hope these tips were useful and that you enjoy all your travels!
