Plan ahead

If you want to vacation on a budget, it is always good to plan a couple of months in advance. Not only will you get flight and hotel booking at a cheaper rate, but you can also prepare for the travel better.

Some places provide concessions to children under a certain age in general and one should not forget to carry identity proof with them to avail these discounts.

This ID proof has to be issued by the student's institution that he/she is currently studying at and will be asked to be presented at the ticket counter or at the time of check-in (if it is hotel or air ticket booking online). Make sure to carry the physical proof with you while you travel.

Heritage Sites

Sites of historic importance, botanical or zoological parks in India have concessions on tickets issued to students who come to visit. These discounts are as high as 75 percent.

For example, the composite tourist entry ticket for Composite ticket for Amber Palace, Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Albert Hall and Isarlat in Jaipur will cost Rs 300 for an adult. These are sold at just Rs 40 to students.

Similarly, entry to the Khangchendzonga National Park will cost Rs 350 per adult but merely Rs 80 for a student.

Travel

Budget airlines in India, like GoAir and Vistara cut 5 percent and 10 percent respectively off their base rates on flight tickets bought for students.

On government-owned Air India, a student can get 50 percent off base fare but only if he/she travels between their hometown and place of study.

Airlines like IndiGo and Spicejet also offer a discount on base fares along with additional baggage allowance.

These discounts are subject to availability and will require you to make the bookings much in advance. Further, these cannot be availed by students under the age of 12 and over 26 years of age.

Similarly, student discounts can be availed on train tickets if the student is travelling to his/her hometown from the place of study.

International vacation

The International Student Identity card (ISIC) issued by the ISIC Association (a non-profit organization) is internationally recognized and offers students with a discount on travel, insurance, and various goods. These are issued in 133 countries and recognized around the world.

Using this card, students can avail discounts at amusement parks, shopping outlets, and various sightseeing places. Information on the discount is available on the ISIC website.

These cards can be applied for at www.isic.co.in or at the nearest issuing office in your city. It will cost around Rs 600 and will require a processing period of 2 to 3 weeks.

Note that the card is only valid for a year and these can come handy when a student travels to expensive cities in countries like the US, UK, and Singapore.