Taking a trip across the country, or even across Ohio, can empty out a college student’s pocket fairly quickly. Let’s face it: Traveling requires money, and we don’t have a lot of it.

Making the most of what you have is essential while getting a degree. It is possible to take adventures without tapping too deep into your savings.

Instead of taking a step onto a plane knowing your bank account just dropped by a couple hundred dollars, there are other ways of transportation that allow you to get from point A to point B.

Road trip it

Road tripping sounds like a glorious idea to many because it only requires a set of wheels, a radio and a good group of friends, but with gas prices on the rise, this form of travel will seemingly decrease.

Instead of letting this fun way to travel fall off of the map, look into a website called gasbuddy.com. Even though gas prices are increasing, this website can help sniff out the cheapest gas prices along your route.

While traveling on the road, sleeping is inevitable. Friends can take turns driving while others nap, but a nice couch would be nice to crash on.

Couch surfing is a form of travel that allows people to reach a destination and gain some shut-eye. Instead of looking into sketchy motels because it’s all you can afford, visit couchsurfing.org. It is a non-profit worldwide network that allows travelers to find a place to sleep, according to couchsurfing.org.

Whether you are backpacking through Europe, hitchhiking or road tripping across the country, you can always find a couch to sleep on during your travels.

Bus it

Another popular form of travel seen along the dotted yellow lines is the bus. Not a big yellow school bus, but a comfy, Greyhound-style bus.

You would think that traveling by bus would cost a lot of money, but when you use megabus.com as a traveling tool, you can find rates as low as $5 to get you from city to city. This bus company only travels to and from certain cities, so check out the website and see if this will work for you.

Train it

Making your way to your destination by a set of wheels along a rail can be a different experience. Traveling by train is more expensive than taking a bus, but if you want to have a scenic view while relaxing with your family or friends, the train would be a good option to look into.

Amtrak.com allows you to look up stations across the country, and it also allows you to see what the different prices are for each destination.

Sail it

Sailing across the world sounds like a dream and almost impossible, but in reality it is quite possible. If you want to see the world, take a chance and apply to be a cruise ship worker.

The benefits include free rooming on the ship, free meals and laundry, free medical insurance, which is required by maritime law, and discounts at cruise ship stores and sometimes land-based stores, bars and restaurants, according to cruisejobfinder.com.

You’re basically being paid to see the world for three to six months at a time.

“It’s too expensive to travel” or “I’m a poor college student” can no longer be excuses for not traveling across state or country borders. Take a short vacation from your hectic life and enjoy the world around you without putting yourself into more debt.

You can contact Caitlin Restelli at [email protected].