An Alternative Universe of Student Vacations

London; Paris; Sydney, Australia; Bangkok; Hong Kong. Each summer thousands of young travelers head to those popular cities. But where do you find similar great destinations off the beaten path? Student Universe, seller of discounted student and faculty air travel on the Internet (www.studentuniverse.com), and staff from “Let’s Go,” the popular student-researched budget travel guidebook series (www.letsgo.com), have come up with a list of 10 top alternate destinations for student travelers this summer.

* Krakow, Poland: It’s inexpensive, hip and home to scores of museums and pubs, and it has a student population of 100,000. The city has beautiful historic buildings and wide, uncrowded squares where you can relax.

Unfortunately, its youth hostel is large and noisy, so check the local tourist information office (in the railway station) for dormitory accommodations or families who have rooms for rent. Student Universe/”Let’s Go” suggests a daily budget of $37 to visit Krakow.

For a day trip out of the city, it recommends a visit to the 1,000-year-old Wieliczka salt mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site with chapels and chambers carved out of salt, just eight miles outside town. You might also consider the 90-minute trip by public bus to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. The round-trip fare is about $5. Go in the morning because the English-language information film is shown at 11 a.m.

A new way to reach Krakow cheaply and easily from any of five Eastern European countries is with the second-class Eastern Europe Rail Pass, which was introduced by Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com) this summer. It offers five days of unlimited travel within one month throughout Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for $154.

To Krakow, I would add another attractive lesser-known Eastern European city: Bratislava, Slovakia. It’s only one hour by rail from Vienna, and prices plunge as you cross the border. A half-liter of beer is 50 cents, Internet cafes charge about 2 cents per minute and a dorm bed in a student residence in the summer is about $8. About 60,000 of its 450,000 residents are students. The streets are charming, quiet and uncrowded. Mozart and Liszt lived in Bratislava, and “Amadeus” was filmed here.

The social scene is literally underground. Archways open into courtyard cafes, and steps lead to basement jazz clubs and restaurants. This is the city the Viennese slip off to for opera performances for only $20. When you want to get out of town, ride the rails to the Tatras, a compact (40-by-15-mile) mountain region between Slovakia and Poland, for hiking and biking.

Other alternate destinations recommended by Student Universe and “Let’s Go”:

* Cappadocia, Turkey: It boasts some of the world’s most bizarre scenery and sites. For about $30 a day, you can visit ancient underground cities and stay in hostel rooms carved out of the earth. For transportation, try the backpacker bus service Fez Travel, www.feztravel.com.

* Taupo, New Zealand: On the North Island, Taupo is the place for bungee jumping, mountain biking, windsurfing, kayaking, white-water rafting and skydiving. The recommended budget: $35 per day. For backpacker bus services, contact Stray Travel Network New Zealand, www.straytravel.co.nz; Kiwi Experience, www.kiwiexperience.com; or Magic Bus, www.magicbus.co.nz.

* Torquay, Australia: Surfers can follow the Great Ocean Road to this low-key Australian beach town. Budget $46 per day. To get there, try these backpacker bus services: Wayward Bus, www.waywardbus.com.au, or Oz Experience, www.ozexperience.com.

* Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Shop, go clubbing or head for the amazingly clear waters of nearby Pulau Tioman. Budget $33 per day.

* Banos, Ecuador: Hikers will find that this Andes town, named for its popular hot springs, is also a good jumping-off point for jungle excursions. Budget $25 per day.

* Stellenbosch, South Africa: A wine region just an hour from Cape Town, with a local university population to rev up the night life. Budget $40 per day.

* Brighton, England: “Fatboy Slim’s” hometown rocks with techno and house music, and a blind eye is turned as bathers peel it off--all off--at England’s premier beach. Budget $65 per day.

In the U.S.:

* Coney Island, N.Y.: This is Brooklyn the way it was during its golden era, in the 1940s and ‘50s. Rides such as the Parachute Jump, the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone are legendary in these parts. Budget $150 per day.

* Austin, Texas: Austin’s history of musical innovation (the city is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World”) and the 50,000 students at the University of Texas make it one of the country’s most vibrant cities. Budget $70 per day.