Student Travel Services: 800-648-4849
StudentCity.com: 888-777-4642
StudentUniverse: 800-272-9676
STA Travel: 800-781-4040
Procrastinator? Go online for last-minute deals and steals. When companies that offer packaged trips have vacancies, they often use consolidator sites to sell leftover spots for cheap. 2-3 weeks before you plan to go away, start looking at sites like 11thhourvacations.com, lastminutetravel.com, and bestfares.com. for good package deals. Don't wait too long to confirm, though, because things can disapear quickly.
Up for anything? If you're willing to go anywhere, try an auction site. They are simillar to last-minute sites, but they have the added fun of bidding. First, scan through sites like priceline.com or hotwire.com to see what's being offered, and decide what kind of trip you're looking for. Then research the going rate for the same kind of trip on a regular, nonauction travel site, like orbitz.com. This will give you an idea of how much to bid. Go back to the auction site and place a bid that is 20%-40% less than the regular price. Be aware: You won't be able to see some details, like what airline you're flying on, until after you've won.
A Last-Minute Idea: A roadtrip is always fun. Just pick a direction and drive. Find ideas on roadtripusa.com and roadtripamerica.com
Volunteer Vacations: For ideas, check out crossculturalsolutions.com, globeaware.org, globalvolunteers.org, and unitedplanet.org.
P.S. Wherever you end up, check out the visitors bureau for discount coupons for local attractions.
