Contacts for Budget Travelers

Here are helpful contacts for student and other budget travelers:

ARRANGEMENTS

ISTC; Internet https://www.istc.org. The International Student Travel Confederation administers international student and youth card programs for travelers under 26.

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

STA Travel; tel. (800) 781-4040. Internet https://www.statravel.com. Student and youth identity cards, air and bus tickets; more than 120 offices worldwide (five in California).

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 TravelStore; tel. (213) 740-7580.

ACCOMMODATIONS

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

HI-American Youth Hostels; Internet https://www.hiayh.org. HI-AYH, Los Angeles Council, 1434 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 393-3413. Book a bed ahead, tel. (800) 909-4776.

The Internet Guide to Hostelling; Internet https://www.hostels.com. Hostels around the world.

TRANSPORTATION & TOURS

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

The Missing Link; tel. (800) 209-8586. E-mail themlink@gte.net. Bus service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas; tours in California, Nevada, Arizona and Baja California.

Adventure Network for Travelers (ANT); 870 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102; tel. (800) 336-6049, (415) 399-0880. Internet https://TheANT.com. E-mail antrip@aol.com. Hostel-to-hostel transportation in California and the Southwest.

East Coast Explorer; 245 8th Ave., New York, NY 10011; tel. (800) 610-2680, Internet https://www.pipeline.com/~nyguide/ece. E-mail llustig@pipline.com. Minibus service between New York; Washington, D.C.; Boston; and Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Eurobus; tel. (800) EUROBUS, Internet https://www.eurobus.uk.com. Three routes link 11 European countries.

Rail Europe; tel. (800) 4EURAIL, (888) BRITRAIL, (800) EUROSTAR. Internet https://www.raileurope.com/us. Rail services in 35 European countries.

Kiwi Experience and Oz Experience: Internet https://www.ozex.com.au/. Backpacker bus services in Australia and New Zealand. Sold in North America by Council Travel and STA Travel.

GUIDEBOOKS

Lonely Planet: Internet https://www.lonelyplanet.com. Free electronic newsletter, and a special area to trade information.

Rough Guides: Internet https://www.hotwired.com/rough. Electronic information site and free newsletter, RoughNews; 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014.

Let’s Go: Internet https://www.letsgo.com. Budget guidebooks, free newsletter, online or by mail: Yellowjacket, 67 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138.

Moon Travel Handbooks: Internet https://www.moon.com. Guidebooks, free newsletter. (800) 345-5473.

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

Lucy Izon writes the Backpack & Budget column for Travel. For more information and links to these and other resources, her Internet site is https://www.izon.com.