Budgeting is a way of life for students, so why not take it on the road? There are tons of tourist destinations just off the beaten path that offer everything students look for in a vacation, fun, partying, exotic locales, cultural experiences…for a fraction of the cost at the more touristy commercial hotspots.

Tulum, Mexico, about two hours south of Cancun, offers the perfect cheap tropical getaway without all the craziness. It’s on the southern tip of the Mexican Riviera and features miles of undeveloped white sugar sand beaches, delectable local cuisine, and Mayan ruins to explore. Catch a bus to Cancun for the wild nightlife (and maybe run into the film crew for Girls Gone Wild?) or soak up the tropical sun with your friends for pennies in comparison to the usual tourist hotspots. You’ll be flying into Cancun and taking a bus down anyways, since the tiny airport in Tulum isn’t big enough to accommodate international flights. You can find roundtrip airfare from Miami for about $200 or from London for about $800, and there are always travel sales. Watch for those sales so you can save more of your money for alcohol and souvenir shot glasses!

Starting at $45 a night, The LunaMaya Tulum is a great choice for accommodations. It’s on the beach and close to the ruins. Events include live music, magic shows, Spanish guitar jazz jam sessions, reggae on the beach, belly dancing, Spanish and Flamenco fusion dance and music, and open stage. Belly dancing could be a great party trick to bring back with you.

Luna Maya Tulum

+52 984 130 9710

Vieques, Puerto Rico is a perfect jewel of an island seven miles from Puerto Rico, and it’s still largely undiscovered by tourist crowds. The beaches are spectacular, but the real star attraction is Bioluminescent Bay, where everything in the water—including you—glows in the dark (for a while). Catch an after-dark boat tour run by Island Adventures for an unforgettable, and very affordable, late night adventure. Fly into neighboring San Juan from Miami for under $200 round trip, then take hope a taxi to Fajardo for a $4 ferry ride to Vieques. The taxi will run about $80 for up to 5 people. Roundtrip airfare will cost you about $800 from London.

Your best bet for lodging is a suite at the Hacienda Tamarindo that sleeps 6 for $175 to $240, depending on the time of year. A full breakfast is included, and the kitchen staff will pack you a box lunch for a day on the beach. How sweet is that? The deserted beaches are perfect for a group of friends and an impromptu party!

Hacienda Tamarindo

Box 1569

Vieques, PR 00765

Phone: 787-741-8525

Cruising has become fairly popular in the college crowd, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl is the way to go. While it’s not dirt cheap, the all-inclusive nature of cruising makes it more affordable than many alternative vacations. Onboard you’ll find almost a dozen restaurants, a bowling alley, a rock climbing wall and exercise gym, a sports bar, lounge and night clubs, plus an arcade. Group travel can be even more affordable – extra people in a room are often a fraction of the price. You don’t mind sharing a bed, right? Look into booking a luxury suite with the maximum number of people for affordable opulence, or get an inexpensive inside cabin. With everything there is to do onboard, you probably won’t be spending much time in it anyway. (Except maybe for the occasional cruise ship hookup.)

Shore excursions are varied and exciting – depending on your destination and time of year, everything from submarine excursions, tubing, and reef dives to ATV tours and visits to Mayan ruins. (Bet that beats the last “What I did on vacation” essay you wrote!) At prices as low as $749 for a 14-day cruise, you just can’t beat the value. Catch a ship sailing from New York or Florida. If you’re flying in from Europe, a roundtrip flight for a cruise leaving out of New York will run you about $600.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

1-866-234-7350

Montara, California is a great West Coast vacation destination because it boasts one of the greatest cheap places to stay in the U.S., the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. Imagine waking up to a view of the magnificent Pacific Ocean, in a property dominated by a picturesque lighthouse just south of San Francisco…for $23 a night for a dorm room and $63 – $105 for a private room. That’s probably less than you spent on alcohol last spring break. You can road trip it to Montara from just about anywhere in the continental U.S. or fly roundtrip from London to San Francisco for about $800.

Swim, surf, kayak, windsurf, ride horseback at a nearby beach, or explore the quaint little coastal town of Half Moon Bay. Save more on this extra cheap vacation by cooking in the communal kitchen or using the outdoor grill. San Francisco is only 25 miles away if you feel the need for more action.

The Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel

16th Street and Highway 1

Montara, CA 94037

Phone: (650) 728-7177

If snow skiing is your thing, try Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada. You’ll find some great hotel deals starting at under $100 a night, and tons of things to see and do. In the summer and fall, there’s amazing scenery and the main draw is biking, but the main event for students is in April, when the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival is in full swing with winter sports, music, arts, and culture. The motto is “Party in April, sleep in May.” Sounds pretty good, right? A roundtrip flight into Vancouver will set you back anywhere from $500-$1,000 from London, $500 from New York, or $300 from San Francisco.

For Earth-friendly students who want to give something back, a volunteer vacation might be just the ticket. Volunteering isn’t free; you usually have to pay your own way. But it’s cheap, deeply satisfying and a character building experience that looks great on a resume. (And in today’s job market, a little something extra on the resume can’t hurt!)  Bring your camping gear and join a group of hikers to help clear and maintain the hiking trails in the destination of your choice through the American Hiking Society. An annual membership costs $275, and your transportation costs depend on where you choose to go, whether it’s San Francisco or the Virgin Islands.

Or choose a more exotic locale and volunteer with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) to learn about a more sustainable way of life in exchange for room and board. You can choose a location fairly close to home to make your travel costs negligible, or you can opt to work on a farm in someplace like Australia, although the roundtrip airfare to Sydney is about $1,700 from London and $1,500 from New York or from Los Angeles.

There are dozens of volunteer vacation opportunities that offer rich and rewarding experiences at home or abroad. Rebuild in the aftermath of a hurricane, work with animals, participate in an archaeological expedition or restore the beauty of nature. It’s up to you!