Europe is a great traveling and learning opportunity, especially if you are a student.

Whether you are pursuing academic work in another country, or just taking some time off of school to see sights and sounds, it can be a rich and fulfilling experience.

While you’re grinding away towards graduation, why not plan an escape to see what Europe has to offer? It can be cheaper than you think.

To best book your way across the continent, plan smart and consider your budget. These tips will help you do just that:

Book travel by train

Best sites that help?

• Eurail

• Eurostar

Trains are a fantastic way to travel between European countries. Eurail offers different types of passes to choose from. The only questions you’ll need to figure out are: “Just how many countries do I want to visit" and “When do I have to be back?"

It will take longer to reach your destination, depending on how far you want to go, but you will get to see a large part of the land that you generally would not see in a plane.

If you’re in a time crunch, book travel by plane

Best sites that help?

• Drungli.com

• Skyscanner.com

Based on the time frame of your traveling plans, Drungli and Skyscanner list the cheapest flight destinations. Booking your flight through these services will allow you to travel in a two- or three-day window.

Consider your lodging options

Best sites that help?

• HostelBookers

• Hostelworld

These reputable websites allow you to book your stay in safe locations. HostelBookers and Hostelworld will likely have the cheapest, most readily-available options in whichever city you decide to visit. Neither of these sites require you to pay booking fees.

Hostelbookers is doubly helpful because they have a section for youth and cheap hostels. This is great news to a traveling student on a budget. Also, never hesitate to look for any applicable discounts.

Look for student discounts

Many hostels will have information about local goings-on, such as a pub crawl, upcoming concerts, and dances. Many of these outings will have cheaper rates for students. They are also a fun way to meet other travelers and make new friends.

Use travel guides to help you pick the best destinations

Travel guides like Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and Lonely Planet make for great companions on vacation. Having one of these books handy while you’re in a new city makes getting the most out of your trip very easy. The destinations offered in these guides are generally well established and easily accessible.

If you want to see more off the beaten path, Atlas Obscura is a website compendium of out-of-the-way and odd destinations in almost every country of the world.

With these resources in mind, you can customize your trip to your exact specifications. Travel safe and don’t forget your map!