We know that you are currently all sitting at home waiting to be able to travel again finally. Especially if you are a student doing nothing but taking online classes, you are probably wondering how to make better use of your time. We’ve got the answer: short trips within Germany! We made a list of our favorite travel destinations for students in Germany that you can explore on a tight budget. We will also give you some valuable travel tips to help you save extra money on the road.
Best places to visit for travel destinations for students in Germany
- Mecklenburg Lake Plateau
- Elbe Sandstone Mountains
- Spreewald
- Quedlinburg
- Marburg
- Berlin
- Dresden
Mecklenburg Lake Plateau
The Mecklenburg Lake Plateau attracts thousands of visitors every year that want to dive into nature, quite literally, and enjoy the tranquillity of this beautiful region. The many lakes and rivers, over 1000 to be precise, invite you to swim and cool down. Admire the beauty of nature from your own houseboat, or rent a sailing boat or kayak to go and explore the area a little further. The decision is yours, but if you are a student traveling on a budget, we recommend you rent a houseboat. Especially if you’re traveling in a group, this is a great way to combine accommodation and transport while splitting the cost.
There are many options to buy groceries in the villages along the shore and prepare your own food, which is a great way to save some extra money. Or, you can even bring the essentials from home because this region is very accessible by car or train. You can either take a road trip or get a group ticket for the train. The high season is during the summer months when the weather is best. If you are keen on saving a bit more, it might be worth coming out here during the low season for low-budget travel destinations for students in Germany.
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
You can find the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony, more precisely in Saxon, Switzerland. This destination is a great, and most of all much cheaper, alternative to real Switzerland. Saxon, Switzerland, has a breathtaking landscape and a remarkable mountain range. This is the perfect travel destination for nature lovers. That’s not all. This is also a great location to go hiking and explore the area. Even though some cable cars exist, real adventurers use their power to reach the top of the mountains!
Numerous free or low-budget activities in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains will make your trip unforgettable while not costing you a fortune. For example, hiking doesn’t cost you anything! If you visit during the summer, you can even look for little creeks to cool down in the water. Another great and affordable location to check out is the Königstein Fortress, right next to the Elbe river. You can currently visit the fortress from 10 am to 6 pm, with the entrance fee being 7€ per person. As you can see, there’s plenty to discover in the Elbe Sandstone Mountain area on a student budget. All you need now is the right group of TripMates for your travel destinations for students in Germany, which we can help you with; head to JoinMyTrip.
Spreewald
We know what you want, to be like Indiana Jones! You don’t have to travel into the jungle’s depths for that. The Spreewald in Brandenburg is perfectly adequate. In the interwoven arms of the Spree, you can experience true adventures as the primary means of transport here is the boat! If you are children of water, this is your place. The best thing? You can moor your boat and pitch your tents. This way, you can save a lot of money and travel with your travel mates at a low cost.
Knowing how economical your journey can be is especially important as a student. The Spreewald is less than 1.5 hours away from Berlin by car, so you can easily combine the city and nature. Thus, you don’t have to pay too much for a city hotel, but you can spend the second half of your trip in a tent or on a boat.
You’ve already seen these places and want to explore some student cities with your new travel mates? We are with you! We have put together the best student cities for you, which are not only attractive for studying but also for one of the best low-budget travel destinations for students in Germany.
Quedlinburg
Have you never heard of Quedlinburg? Well, you are going to now! This city is located in Saxony-Anhalt in the Harz Mountains and is a world heritage site as it was founded around 922 AD! Therefore, you will find a lot of cultural treasures from the early Middle Ages here, which you won’t see anywhere else. You will find not only exciting museums but also unique nature just outside the city gates. You can use two national hiking trails leading you through the mountain range.
Quedlinburg is not the typical city mentioned in the guidebooks as the most beautiful travel destination for students in Germany, but that’s precisely why you should go there! Culinary delights will not be missed out in this little town either. No matter what you want to eat, may it be “typically German,” Far Eastern, or Southeast Asian food, you will find what you are looking for here! Saxony-Anhalt is generally very inexpensive and popular with groups because hiking and experiencing the culture are fun. People like that are waiting for you in the JoinMyTrip community so you can travel together as students at a reasonable price.
Marburg
Marburg is located in Hessen and is an excellent example of how students can travel on a small budget. This student city is in the shadow of its giant neighbor, Frankfurt am Main. However, it would be best if you took the time to leave Frankfurt behind and explore this medieval town. Like many southern cities, Marburg has a dazzling past, which you can experience through buildings and architecture, such as the Landgrafenschloss or the old university. The student scene is very liberal and open to beer with anyone friendly and open-minded. If you want to learn more about the German brewing culture, check out our 4 Best Brewery & Beer Tours in Germany!
If you are traveling with photography travel mates, you should check out the following photo spots, Weidenhäuser Straße, the Rosenparkbrücke, and the marketplace. At these spots, you can capture the beauty of the city. A popular meeting point for students is the Lahn stairs; a fun fact is that more than a third of the 70.000 inhabitants here are students.
Berlin
Even though this city is popular with tourists, there are still very cheap corners and perfect for a student trip. No other city in Germany is so colorful, loud, diverse, and multicultural. You can still experience the history of Germany, especially regarding the inner-German wall and the Second World War, like nowhere else in Germany. In Berlin, there are many possibilities for planning cheap sightseeing. For example, if you take the number 100 bus, you can get to the Tiergarten, the Reichstag, Bellevue Palace, and the Victory Column. If you want to see the city from above and enjoy the view without spending a fortune on the television tower. Then, go accessible to the Teufelsberg, the Elsenbrücke, or the Oberbaumbrücke!
Berlin is also known for its numerous small restaurants and snack bars, which have maintained their low prices. Such places can often be found near flea markets. We like the flea market in Mauerpark best! Berlin will always be a top tip for travel destinations for students in Germany because this city lives from being more affordable than other big cities in Germany. That’s why the city remains true to itself and is recommended by us again and again, especially for the summer of 2020.
Dresden
Dresden is always worth a trip. It couldn’t be cheaper! The city on the Elbe will enchant you with the imposing architecture of its venerable buildings. The beauty here is that you can find this culture on one side of the river, and on the other side is the Neustadt, which pulsates with innovative concepts and young people. You will feel like you are in Berlin, just a little smaller! Locals offer free city tours. Many of Dresden’s sights can also be admired for free, like the Zwinger, the Frauenkirche, and the Fürstenzug in Auguststraße. Importantly, all these buildings are within walking distance, so you don’t have to rely on transportation.
In Dresden, you can experience medieval culture and learn more about Germany’s history after the Second World War. The city was one of the places that were hit the hardest. It doesn’t always have to be the biggest because even half the way is enough to experience a nice short trip. At JoinMyTrip, you can easily upload your trip to Dresden and take cool people with you!
Tips for low budget travel destinations for students in Germany
Travel in the low season: For many places, summer is, of course, the best time of year. But many tourists have the same thought. Spring and fall can be beautiful, too, because you can experience nature in action!
Choice of transport: Bus or train? Plane or car? It would be best if you asked yourself these questions because the choice of vehicle makes a big difference. Don’t book too early or too late, and keep an eye on the prices. Also, make sure to talk to your tripmates. Maybe you come from the same direction and can travel together. Often there are group tickets that can save you a lot of money.
Choosing accommodation: Of course, hostels are often the cheapest way to stay in a city or region. But there are also often offers from hotels or vacation apartment providers who want to occupy their rooms in the low seasons.
Of course, we have provided more information about the Corona crisis. Click here for JoinMyTrip’s COVID-19 Guidelines.