2008 Woodie Awards
Summer Vacation Requires Some Pre-planning
Jonathan Ciccone
Issue date: 5/3/06 Section: Entertainment
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It's one thing to daydream about your summer vacation while waiting for class to end. But to get the ball rolling, you've first got to consider your options.
"It depends on what you expect to get out of the trip," says Fran Auferio of Custom Travel in Wayne.
With more than 20 years of experience in the travel business, Auferio says the first thing she always asks a student who is undecided about his or her vacation is whether he or she wants to sit back and relax on the beach, or get out and explore some of the world's great cities. Whatever the answer, Auferio has ideas for both and can also make the decision easier by naming student hot spots.
"Europe is easily number one among students," she said, "definitely Amsterdam, of course London, and for those who like art, there are any number of great Italian cities to hit."
Prices for hotels, including taxes, in London start at $175 per person for a three-day stay based on double occupancy. Hotels in Amsterdam and Rome start at about $215 per person for three days each.
If you don't want to spend the money for a hotel, you might consider a youth hostel. Here, you'll get a bed, a shared bathroom, and a shared eating area. According to Hostelling International, an organization that runs over 4,500 youth hostels worldwide, hostels today are not what they once were.
Browsing their website reveals that many hostels today offer one, two, and four-bed rooms, so you're less likely to have to sleep in a big dormitory. A check of prices places hostels at one-third to one-half the cost of a regular hotel room, so they are certainly an option worth investigating.
Thomas John Uzzalino, a William Paterson University student who has trekked through most of Italy, says the best bet is to get a hotel room, and make sure it has a balcony.
"Especially in Rome, the view you'll get is unforgettable!" he said.
Uzzalino also offers the tip that you dress lightly if you're going to Italy, and bring plenty of bug spray.
"It depends on what you expect to get out of the trip," says Fran Auferio of Custom Travel in Wayne.
With more than 20 years of experience in the travel business, Auferio says the first thing she always asks a student who is undecided about his or her vacation is whether he or she wants to sit back and relax on the beach, or get out and explore some of the world's great cities. Whatever the answer, Auferio has ideas for both and can also make the decision easier by naming student hot spots.
"Europe is easily number one among students," she said, "definitely Amsterdam, of course London, and for those who like art, there are any number of great Italian cities to hit."
Prices for hotels, including taxes, in London start at $175 per person for a three-day stay based on double occupancy. Hotels in Amsterdam and Rome start at about $215 per person for three days each.
If you don't want to spend the money for a hotel, you might consider a youth hostel. Here, you'll get a bed, a shared bathroom, and a shared eating area. According to Hostelling International, an organization that runs over 4,500 youth hostels worldwide, hostels today are not what they once were.
Browsing their website reveals that many hostels today offer one, two, and four-bed rooms, so you're less likely to have to sleep in a big dormitory. A check of prices places hostels at one-third to one-half the cost of a regular hotel room, so they are certainly an option worth investigating.
Thomas John Uzzalino, a William Paterson University student who has trekked through most of Italy, says the best bet is to get a hotel room, and make sure it has a balcony.
"Especially in Rome, the view you'll get is unforgettable!" he said.
Uzzalino also offers the tip that you dress lightly if you're going to Italy, and bring plenty of bug spray.
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