How To Travel During Every School Break As A Teacher: 6 Steps

Are you learning how to travel during your school breaks?  You have come to the right place!

I have been traveling the world for 8 years as a teacher on almost all of my school breaks.  No, I’m not a millionaire!  But I am flexible.  

I’m flexible about where I travel to, how long I stay, and what type of accommodation I stay in.  I’m flexible about traveling as part of a funded teacher opportunity, traveling with a group of friends, or traveling solo.

Flexibility is the biggest key, and this guide outlines all of the details!  6 of my favorite steps to travel every school break are flight tracking in advance, using credit card points, applying to teacher fellowship opportunities, having a frugal lifestyle, location flexibility, and accommodation flexibility.  

6 Steps to Travel Every School Break

1. Flight Track in Advance

Your first step to traveling over every school break is to flight track in advance.  I’m talking as far in advance as possible!

Once you know your school break schedule for the following year, you can begin tracking flights to various locations across various dates.

Flight tracker tools usually allow you to flight track for dates just under a year in advance.  

2. Use Credit Card Points

Credit card points are a top-notch tool for budget savvy travelers.  When you purchase your daily expenses throughout the year with a credit card, you are earning points for travel.  

One of the best ways to earn a high amount of points quickly is by applying for a credit card with a high sign-on bonus. 

I have earned points equivalent to $700 in travel rewards by paying the minimum spending requirement during the first few months of having the credit card open.

It’s important to note that some cards with high sign-on bonuses may require an annual fee.  

A couple of disclaimers I always need to give when talking about credit card points:

1. I am not a financial agent!  I cannot provide financial advice
2. Do not apply for and cancel too many credit cards within a year.  This can impact your credit score
3. Do not make purchases on credit cards that you cannot afford to pay back.

3. Apply to Fellowship Opportunities

Did you know there are tons of free travel opportunities for teachers every summer?

I completed a fellowship in Amsterdam last summer and had an amazing experience.  It took me about 40 hours to write my entire Fellowship proposal.  There is a lot of work that goes into it, but it’s totally worth it!

Every fellowship is different, but this one covered my airfare, accommodation costs, food, and transportation around the country within a $5,000 grant.  

This was an amazing opportunity to connect with teachers abroad and bring a global perspective back to the classroom.

4. Overall Frugal Lifestyle

Now, this one might be self-explanatory, but I’m not living large over here.  Sure, I occasionally go out with my friends on the weekends.  But if I can ever get together with my friends for free, that’s the move.

Living a frugal lifestyle will look different for everyone and depends on a wide variety of factors! 

I’m not here to tell you how to live your life, but part of my travel affordability strategy is being able to say “no” to some of the luxuries that would be nice today to experience the luxury of travel later. 

For example, I rarely get manicures, I keep a low maintenance hair routine, and I usually don’t go out to eat more than once per week. 

These used to be some of the costs that added up quickly for me, but being a bit more aware of these has helped keep me on a budget that nourishes my need to travel often!

5. Location Flexibility

OK, let’s say you have been flight-tracking for a while now.  You might really want to travel to Greece, but tickets cost $800 round trip.  However, flights to Guatemala are $300 roundtrip.  

That $500 saved by choosing Guatemala for this trip might be able to cover accommodation and meals for your entire trip.

Maybe you’ll have a bit more money saved for that Greece trip next year. Maybe you’ll land a better flight tracking deal, or maybe you’ll apply for a fellowship there!

Deciding on an official destination to travel is not saying no to a dream trip… it’s saying, “not yet”.  I won’t travel to Greece this year, but I’m excited about planning my trip there in the next few years!

6. Accommodation Flexibility

Now that you have decided on your destination, it’s important to be flexible about your accommodation.  You might have your eye set on a hotel with a pool, but that might not be an option. 

I have found that reserving private rooms in hostels has been a big money-saver for me while still maintaining the privacy of not bunking with a bunch of strangers.  (I used to stay in hostel dorm rooms when I first started traveling, but my travel style has evolved.)  

Some people would rather take fewer trips per year and ensure the vacations they do go on check all the boxes, aka, staying in nice hotels.  If this is your travel style, and you know it, good for you!  It’s all about authenticity.  

But for the purpose of teaching you how to teach you how to travel on every school break as a teacher, accommodation flexibility is a huge consideration.  

⭐Tip: I usually book accommodation on the following sites:

• Booking.com
• Hostelworld

Conclusion

You can absolutely travel as a teacher during every school break of the year! 

With careful in-advance planning and flexibility of location, travel dates, and where you stay, the world is truly your oyster.

I can’t wait to hear about your teacher travels!