Top Summer Holiday Destinations for Students | The 2024 Student Guide
Finding a great summer holiday is an important part of your student life leading up to the end of the academic year.
You’ve worked hard this year and deserve to have a nice break over the summer months to recharge your batteries and to come back to university refreshed and ready to go.
This 2024 guide to summer holidays for students is aimed at helping you make the most of your time off, giving you some tips on how to afford a nice holiday and some options for summer breaks both in the UK and abroad.
Get ready for the holiday of dreams…
How Students Can Save Money Booking Summer Holidays
The first thing to think about is how to get the best prices if you’re planning a holiday abroad.
You want to treat yourself, sure, but there must be a balance and there are plenty of places where you can find good holidays on a decent student budget.
Here are some tips on what to look out for.
Last-minute Bookings
One of the best ways to save money is to be as spontaneous as you can and book a last-minute holiday.
If you’re not that bothered about where you end up and find that style of travelling exciting, this is the way for you.
Sites like lastminute.com have been serving up great holiday packages at the last second for years.
Take a look and see what gems you can find last minute.
Book Cheap Travel
You can get ticket alerts from the Trainline for the cheapest train tickets as they are put on sale.
Interrailing is a fantastic way to travel around Europe via rail without it costing you loads of money and a site like Skyscanner is a great tool to search for flights wherever you want to go.
The cheapest travel is either booked well in advance or last minute, so it’s up to you which approach you to want to take.
Search For Cheap Accommodation
If you’re not fussy about where you put your head down at night you can find some pretty cheap accommodation for your travels this summer.
Airbnb opens up people’s homes for you to stay in, whilst hostels always offer a cheap, safe, and clean option for budget accommodation in most locations.
For those who really don’t mind where they sleep,couch surfing is a great way to meet locals and to get your head down for free!
Make Use Of Your Student Status
One thing a lot of students don’t realise is you can actually save money when booking holidays with your student status, through the likes of StudentBeans and UNiDAYS, how brilliant is that?!
Through UNiDAYS you can save 10% when booking with Hotels.com, 10% off Expedia, and at least 15% off booking.com.
With StudentBeans, you can get 10% discount off flights with Ryanair, 15% discount with National Express, up to 30% discount off Trip.com and more.
So, before you hit that book now button, always check whether you can save some pennies with your student discount!
Top Abroad Summer Holidays For Students
Now we’ve gone over some tips for how you can save money booking holidays, we’ll now be looking at some of the most interesting holidays you can take abroad during the summer!
We’ve included some cheap options for you students on a budget, so make sure to check it out…
1. Lisbon, Portugal
A glorious beach and city break combined in one.
Lisbon is one of the iconic European cities to stroll around.
The tiled buildings, grand avenues, and the aesthetically pleasing rooftops from one of the many vantage points make this a romantic break away, and it usually doesn’t cost too much to get there when compared with other sun-soaked parts of Europe.
Take some time to travel around the city on a tram, walk along the coast to see Belém Tower, enjoy live Fado music and dance, and whatever you do, make sure you try some pastel de nata. (Flights from the UK for under £100 in July).
Take a look at SkyScanner to find cheap flights to Portugal’s capital city!
2. Dubrovnik, Croatia
No longer a hidden gem but still one of the more cost-effective European summer holidays for students, Dubrovnik is the jewel in the crown of the Adriatic summer experience.
Wherever you turn it’s like looking at a picture postcard rather than real life, the medieval city walls and Baroque stone buildings are just something else.
In Dubrovnik, you’ve got great food, Game of Thrones tours (if that’s your thing), perfect blue sea for lounging or water sports.
(Flights from the UK for under £200 in July)
3. Berlin, Germany
We are not sure if there are any cities in the world cooler than Berlin. It is just a magical city.
It’s vast in architecture and infrastructure with wide boulevards that give it a grand feel, yet it also feels friendly and has a community feel that you don’t expect in capital cities.
The nightlife is extreme and starts very late at night/early in the morning, there’s a cool arts scene, great food and the tourist sites like Museum Island are superb too.
(Flights from the UK for under £80 in July/Trains from London to Berlin for under £100)
4. Budapest, Hungary
A city that is always crackling with hidden gems of bars and nightlife to explore and enjoy, Budapest has a bit of everything on offer.
The ruin bars are worth visiting, setting up cool homes in abandoned buildings, whilst a cruise on the Danube River is as refreshing as it’s beautiful.
The baths are well worth giving a go-to, for an ultra-relaxing time, but above all else, it’s a cheaper city to stroll around and enjoy yourself in than many others.
There’s always a good mix of people from all over the world to chat to and make new friends.
(Flights from the UK for under £100 in July)
5. Krakow, Poland
When it comes to summer holiday for students, Krakow is a city you’ll fall in love with for sure.
Krakow is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it a great city for a city break with your friends.
Stepping through this city is like being in a medieval fairy tale, with it’s grand historical architecture.
It’s not just famed for its historical buildings, there’s vibrant attractions and brilliant shopping destinations like the main market square to check out!
According to research, Krakow is now the top low-cost destination for those flying from the UK, so go and get your holiday booked ASAP!
6. Ibiza, Spain
The original party island of the Mediterranean, Ibiza is a stunning Spanish island where you can sun yourself during the days and party away throughout the night.
There are old-time cobbled streets in the towns, world-famous views of nature and the sea, great beaches to get tanned, and some of the finest dance DJs on the planet are regularly spotted at the island’s clubs.
It’s been a hedonistic destination for decades for good reason!
We won’t lie, prices for Ibiza vary massively depending on when you go, as in the height of summer the prices sky rocket.
So, if you do want to go, it’s worth looking at flights in June, or before the summer season properly gets underway.
(Flights from the UK for under £100 in June).
7. Madrid, Spain
European cities are perfect for a short city break, and another one of our top picks for summer destinations for students is Madrid.
Spain’s Capital city, Madrid, perfectly combines history, art, food, fashion and nightlife into one.
With amazing art museums, stunning food, enormous green spaces as well as Europe’s largest palace, there’s something to do on every corner of this vibrant Spanish city.
Being a major cultural capital in Europe, you’d think it would be super expensive, but its actually one of the cheapest cities for travellers!
So, if you’re travelling on a budget Madrid is somewhere you’ll want to check out in 2023.
Return flights from some UK cities like Bristol, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester cost less than £70 in June.
If you don’t believe us take a look at Skyscanner for yourself!
8. Venice, Italy
Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world as it is built on over 100 islands.
Known as the City of Canals, you can float around on the iconic gondola rides that sail through canals across the city.
With unique experiences, breathtaking architecture and delicious cuisine, this Italian city is one of the best city breaks for art and history lovers, as well as foodies!
Picture this, you’re sat drinking an Aperol Spritz, eating some authentic Italian cuisine, whilst admiring the beautiful sights of this vibrant city, sounds like a dream to us!
Whilst Venice isn’t the cheapest of places to travel to, a visit to Italy’s famous floating city with your besties is a MUST!
Explore the UK this summer
If travelling abroad this summer isn’t feasible, you can still have a great summer holiday within the UK, as there’s plenty of fantastic options available.
We’re blessed with some of the best countryside and coastlines in this country, as well as interesting city breaks in all corners of the UK.
Depending on where your university is, you might be looking for a city break and something a bit busier than what you’re used to, or a refreshing escape out to the countryside.
Below, you can find some of the best places to explore in the UK this summer – you’re welcome!
The Lake District
The Lake District is perfect for camping, with comfortable stays at quaint B&Bs, strolls around the many magnificent lakes, and incredible scenery.
If you’re wanting to travel in the UK this summer, a trip up to the Lakes will be an unforgettable experience!
Plus, with your student status you can save on a 16-25 Railcard so train travel will be cheap.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland’s Capital City, is a great place to visit as a student, with attractions like The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, and a magical city of old and new to explore on foot.
If you’re planning a get-away with your pals, this historic city should be the top of your list!
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is home to scenic beaches and coastal paths that will blow your mind.
You can breathe in that fresh coastal Welsh air and explore an underappreciated part of the UK with your besties whilst on your summer break!
Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are remote and peaceful so if you’re looking for a relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle, this is it.
Whether you’re travelling by train or car, you can see viaducts, drink whiskey, and search for the Loch Ness monster whilst surrounded by mountains that could place you in another world from what you’re used to.
Cotswolds
Picture-perfect image of the quintessential English village, the Cotswolds is beautiful, offering amazing countryside walks, cosy pubs and villages.
Boasting some of the country’s most impressive country houses, castle and landscapes, the Cotswolds is somewhere you’ll want to return to again and again!
You’ve packed up your student accommodation at the end of the academic year and now it’s time to go off on the perfect summer holiday for students.
You’ve got some choices to make, leave it to book last minute or well in advance; fly abroad or take the train to a UK holiday destination.
There are loads of great holiday options for you to take up. Make the most of the summer, you deserve it after a year of working hard!