Youth and Budget Travel

Following are information sources and contacts for students and other travelers on a budget:

ARRANGEMENTS

ISTC (International Student Travel Confederation): Administers international student and youth (under 26) card programs worldwide. Internet https://www.istc.org. For a card, contact STA Travel, telephone (310) 824-1574.

Council Travel: Tours, international discount cards for students, youths, teachers; work and volunteer abroad programs; air and rail tickets; hostel cards, gear and guidebooks. Telephone (800) 2- COUNCIL or (310) 208-3551, Internet https://www.counciltravel.com.

STA Travel: Student and youth identity cards, air and bus tickets; more than 200 offices worldwide (six in California). Tel. (800) 781-4040, Internet https://www.statravel.com.

USTN (University and Student Travel Network): Services similar to those listed above. The Los Angeles campus outlet of the 20-member network is the USC Travel Store; tel. (213) 740-7580. A UCLA office will open May 1: Bruin Walk Travel, tel. (310) 206-4280.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Hostelling International: Association of 5,000 hostels in 70 countries. Internet https://www.iyhf.org.

HI-American Youth Hostels: HI-AYH, Los Angeles Council, 1434 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 393-3413, Internet https://www.hiayh.org. To make reservations at a hostel, tel. (800) 909-4776, Internet https://www.hostels.com.

TRANSPORTATION, TOURS

Green Tortoise: Tour and transportation service operating buses between Los Angeles and Seattle. 494 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133; tel. (415) 956-7500, Internet https://www.greentortoise.com.

The Missing Link: Bus tours and service between Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Tel. (800) 209-8586 or (310) 543-9172, Internet https://www.themissinglinktours.com.

US Bus: Hop-on-hop-off, hostel-to-hostel, nationwide bus service. Tel. (800) 873-5872, Internet https://www.theusbus.com.

Busabout: European hop-on-hop-off, hostel-to-hostel backpacker bus service. Tel. 011-44-171-950-1661, Internet https://www.busabout.com.

Contiki Holidays: Tours in 48 countries for travelers ages 18-35. No single supplement. Tel. (800) 266-8454, Internet https://www.contiki.com.

Rail Europe: Rail services in 35 European countries. Tel. (800) 4- EURAIL, (888) BRITRAIL, (800) EU-ROSTAR, Internet https://www.raileurope.com/us.

Kiwi Experience and Oz Experience: Backpacker bus services in Australia and New Zealand. Call Council Travel or STA Travel to book trip (numbers above). Internet https://www.ozex.com.au.

Stray Travel Network: Affiliated backpacker tour and transportation service operating in Britain and Ireland. Tel. 011-44-171-373-7737, Internet https://www.straytravel.com.

GUIDEBOOKS

(Most available in bookstores)

Lonely Planet: Extensive information site with free electronic newsletter and a special area to trade information. Internet https://www.lonelyplanet.com.

Rough Guides: In addition to guides (published in England), they offer electronic information site and free newsletter, Rough News, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014; Internet https://www.hotwired.com/rough.

Let’s Go: Budget guidebooks. Internet https://www.letsgo.com. Free newsletter (Yellowjacket) can be ordered online or by mail: Let’s Go, c/o St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010-7848.

Moon Travel Handbooks: Guidebooks and free online newsletter. Internet https://www.moon.com.

Transitions Abroad: Alternative travel, work and study publications. P.O. Box 1300, Amherst, MA 01004-1300; tel. (413) 256-3414, fax (413) 256-0373, Internet https://www.transabroad.com.

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Lucy Izon writes the Travel section’s weekly Youth Beat column. She is the author of “Izon’s Backpacker Journal.” For more information and links to these and other resources, her Internet site is https://www.izon.com.