Savvy students seeking ways to save big on summer travel need look no further than their wallets. The student ID card is more than just a form of identification; it’s a ticket to hundreds of discounts at a variety of destinations.
From museums and shops to fast-food chains and theaters, student discounts range from a few dollars off to nearly half-off admission, activities and goods. Not sure if an attraction or business offers a student discount? Be sure to ask. You might be rewarded with an unexpected travel discount this summer.
Shop ’til you drop at a discount
A summer trip dictates a new wardrobe, right? Stock up on bathing suits, sundresses, sunglasses, shorts, flip flops, T-shirts and more at clothing shops that offer student discounts. Techies can also use student discounts to save on electronics, including cameras, laptops and iPads – perfect for taking photos, posting social media updates and emailing loved ones while on the road.
- Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor LOFT offer 15 percent off students’ first full-price purchase.
- Topshop offers 10 percent off to students with valid ID.
- Students can save up to $200 on a new Mac and up to $20 on a new iPad at Apple.
- Students get varying percentages off cameras and other gear online at B&H Photo.
Attractively priced attractions
From sea to shining sea, North America is brimming with tourist destinations. Many offer deep discounts to students with a valid student ID card.
- Go behind the scenes at CNN during the Inside CNN Studio Tour at the news network’s world headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. Students can get a ticket for the 50-minute guided tour for $15 ($1 off the adult ticket price).
- Students can stroll the elaborate Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Gardens in Vancouver, Canada for $9 ($3 off adult ticket pricing).
- Students can join a 45-minute guided tour of the United Nations in New York City for $11 (a $7 discount off adult admission).
- The view from the Vancouver Lookout is not for the faint of heart. Brave students can save $5 with their student IDs (which get them admission for $11.25) and admire the city from 553 feet up on the panoramic observation deck.
- Vizcaya, James Deering’s subtropical 1910s winter home in Miami, is now a historical museum that offers students a $10 ticket ($8 off the adult ticket price) to explore the palatial palace-like home.
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Must-see museums
While many museums, including the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., offer free admission, those that charge for entry often offer deep student discounts. Bring your ID card for a discounted look at some of the world’s most famous artwork and artifacts.
- The Art Gallery of Ontario houses tens of thousands of masterpieces by artists like Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh, which students can enjoy for $11 (an $8.50 discount off the adult ticket price).
- The moving Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Canada affords students the chance to view its exhibits for $12 (a $3 discount).
- Philadelphia Museum’s $14 ticket (a $6 discount) for students with valid ID includes access for two consecutive days to the museum’s main exhibits, Perelman Building, Rodin Museum and historic homes, Mount Pleasant and Cedar Grove.
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City has a pay-as-you-wish policy on Saturdays from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. However, students who visit at other times pay $18 (a $7 discount off the adult price).
Excellently priced entertainment
No trip is complete without entertainment. From blockbuster movies to Broadway shows, students with valid IDs are treated to student discounts for some of the most coveted tickets in town.
- AMC offers discounted movie tickets on Thursdays (price varies by location).
- The neon lights are bright on Broadway and they beckon student ID holders with student rush tickets, which are a fraction of the cost of full-price tickets.
- How do you get to Carnegie Hall? You practice, practice, practice bringing your student ID to the theater. You and a friend can score $10 student tickets at the box office. Students who register for the $15 Student Insider Pass can buy $10 tickets online or over the phone.
- Lincoln Center in New York City, the largest performing arts center in the world, offers a range of student discounts for music, theater, ballet, opera and film events.
- For select performances, Houston Ballet offers college students the chance to purchase rush tickets for $10 and are available 90 minutes prior to some performances.
- Memphis Symphony Orchestra offers students the chance to buy one $5 ticket per concert.
- Enjoy a night at the opera with the Philadelphia Opera, which offers two student rush options two hours before performances: 50 percent off any available seats or $10 tickets in the Amphitheater.
- Students can sign up for membership to the Seattle Opera’s student rush ticket program, which allows members to buy one $20 ticket for performances when there are 50 seats open for sale on the day of the show.
(Main Image: Bucharest National Opera/Philadelphia Opera)
