Post by Heidi Waite, GIC Peer Mentor 2021
You’ve made it to UCI! Congrats! Now – time to explore! But where to look to find good travel deals? The purpose of this blog post is to answer that question. I’ll give you some resources to find flights, accommodation, and car rentals. Though this is not an extensive list, I hope it gets you started. I’ll also share some of my own experiences and travel tips.
Flights
First of all, you have two airports to choose from. The nearest and most convenient airport is Santa Ana (abbreviated as SNA). It is only about a 10-15 minute drive from UCI’s campus. Your other option is Los Angeles (abbreviated LAX). Driving time to LAX can really vary based on traffic, which can be really heavy sometimes. You sometimes might find cheaper flights leaving from LAX and some international flights only leave out of LAX (if you want a direct flight), but make sure to factor in the price of commuting to that airport as well. See below for options for commuting to the airport.
Finding flights
Where do you find good deals on flights? There are so many options. Here are a few: Googleflights, Skyscanner, Scotts Cheap Flights, Expedia, or Kayak. (Tip: Some travel sites will know if you’ve searched the same flight multiple times and will increase prices as a result. Try putting your browser in “incognito mode” to prevent that! See this link for more info: click here). You might also find good deals on these bargain websites: Groupon Getaways or Travel. I also use the Hopper app to track flights and determine the best times to book. This app will show you when in the week or which months are the cheapest. It also lets you track the flight you’re interested in, letting you know if the price drops or if they don’t predict it so you can buy ASAP. Other websites like Expedia and Kayak above also let you track flights. Things to consider that can impact the price of flights: day of the week, holidays, flexible dates or not, etc.
To and from the airport
You’ll have several options to get to the airport. If you’ve got a friend with a car, you could ask them! If not, not a problem! Try Uber, Lyft, or maybe a shuttle service. UCI has an affiliation with a shuttle service to LAX and a special shuttle during holidays. See this other post for more details.
Car rentals
Want to travel by car? Time for a classic American road trip! Here are a few companies from which you can rent cars from Hertz, Enterprise, or Alamo. For more information about what you need to rent a car, see this previous blog post.
Accommodation
You’ve got flights or car rental settled, now what about a place to rest your head during your holiday? If a hotel is what you’re interested in, try Expedia, Kayak, or Hotels.com. How about something a little more social where you might meet new friends from all over (and cheaper!)? You might then try a hostel. Though hostels are more common in Europe, we’ve got a couple in the US. Try searching for hostels here. I stayed in a hostel in Monterey, CA linked here. It was quite nice! You can also find really nice places to stay through Airbnb or Vrbo. It’s nice to stay where locals do in someone’s home. You get the full experience! I’ve stayed in several. Your hosts can also recommend good food spots, hiking, and more! And finally, if you’re thinking of exploring the beautiful outdoors and the national parks the USA has to offer, check out camping at this link. These two posts might also help for your camping interests: post 1 and post 2.
I wish you luck! Have fun traveling! Bon, voyage!
Other helpful posts: