InterRailing is making a comeback, with Thailand and South America proving popular with older travellers and San Diego the top US summer destination for Irish students, writes Louise Holden.
This summer, more than 7,000 Irish students will head for the US on working visas and thousands more will travel around the world, mainly to Australia, Canada, Thailand and around Europe.
By far the most popular destination in the US for J1 visa holders is San Diego. Over the past two to three years, the west coast city has gained a reputation for the kind of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll sort of summer that many students are looking for. The lack of jobs and accommodation is no disincentive, apparently.
"We have been visiting colleges for months now trying to encourage J1 students to look to the east coast, because that's where the jobs are," said a spokesman for USIT.
"However, many students just don't listen. San Diego is a small area with a small number of jobs, so the options are limited. That's why we have been trying to shift the trend back to the east coast."
The beauty of San Diego for many is its proximity to the Mexican border and Tijuana. More than 300,000 people cross the San Diego border everyday to Tijuana to enjoy cheaper alcohol and more relaxed licensing laws, among other things.
Overall, the lure of California is irresistible to viewers of The OC, who are in search of parties and sunshine. San Francisco is the second most popular destination for Irish students on the J1.
New York on the east coast still holds plenty of appeal, but Hawaii is the target for J1s in search of novelty. The jobs, predictably, are on the beach resorts and accommodation is said to be reasonable, so numbers there are expected to grow this year.
Slightly older students are going to South America in greater numbers, to back pack and visit historic sites, rather than to work. Thailand is also extremely popular for the student traveller who is not looking to earn but to learn or party.
Closer to home, the Interrail pass, which was all the rage during the 1980s and 1990s, fell out of favour for a while. However, this year it's back on the student travel map and students are taking their rail passes to further reaches, such as eastern European states previously considered out of bounds. London too is rocketing back up the charts as students count the cost of J1 and opt for the cheaper, more accessible option.
"A flight to London is €100," says Caoimhe Mulhall of Go4Less Travel (www.go4less.ie). "There is no visa required. There are plenty of jobs and loads of great festivals in the summer. Overall, it offers much of what big cities in the US have to offer, without the high costs. We've had a number of students cancel their J1s to go to London instead this year."
Upcoming destinations that didn't make the Top 10 this year but might feature strongly in 2008 include Peru, New Zealand, Canberra in Australia, Kuala Lumpur and Delhi.
According to Louise O'Riordan, retail manager with Sayit Travel in Cork (www.sayit.ie), there has been increasing interest in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City this year.
If you haven't made up your mind what to do with your time off this year, have a look at the Top 10 student destinations and take your pick. J1 visas are still available for the US, but USIT sold out of Canadian travel programmes earlier this year.
Top 10 student destinations
1 SAN DIEGO
The southern Californian city of San Diego, the second-largest city in the state, lies north of the Mexican border town of Tijuana and south of Orange County. Beaches and universities make for a heady mix that has a massive appeal for the 4,000-plus Irish students who are due this year.
The nearby Mexican border means students can take in two countries for the price of one and the racy town of Tijuana offers interested students a way around the over-21s drinking laws in California. San Diego is not full of job opportunities, but Irish students are taking their chances.
2 SAN FRANCISCO
The fourth most populous city in California, San Francisco has a vibrant music and arts scene and is famous for cold summer wind, car chase hills, patchwork architecture and a right-on approach to everything. Irish students love it - it's the second most popular destination for J1 visa holders, although jobs are not plentiful and accommodation can be expensive.
3 NEW YORK
New York will always appeal to a considerable number of Irish students. The east coast city also offers better job prospects for short-term workers in areas such as construction, hospitality and retail. Accommodation costs can be very high and it can take a few days (or weeks) to get a suitable place, so have a plan when you arrive.
4 THAILAND
Not a destination for students hoping to make a fortune, but for anyone who can afford to spend their summer backpacking around the beach and sleeping in huts with no income, the living is easy in Thailand. It seems many Irish students can afford this option because it's number four on our list.
5 SYDNEY
A large ex-pat community makes Sydney a very welcoming city for the Irish. There is a variety of job opportunities for the seasonal worker and Sydney is a great base for a tour of New Zealand and southeast Asia at the end of a summer's work.
6 TORONTO
The largest city in Canada and the fifth largest in North America, Toronto offers the Irish students a diverse range of diversions, from Chinatown to the beach. The Canadian visa gives students a working permit for the year, so it's a popular destination for final-year students.
7 LONDON
Just an hour's cheap flight away, it's one of the most diverse and exciting cities in the world. Summer in London is all about street festivals, great gigs in city parks, swanky bars and plenty of floors to sleep on if accommodation proves expensive. It's also several degrees hotter than the average Irish town in summer.
8 INTERRAIL
It was de rigeur for the Irish student in the 1990s and then the train trip around Europe fell out of favour. Now Irish students are InterRailing again, trailing around Europe from city to city for two or three nights at a time and sleeping in carriages in between. Intrepid InterRailers are heading deep into former communist Europe in search of uncharted thrills.
9 HAWAII
Hawaii is so hot right now. Increasing numbers of Irish students are choosing the 50th state for their J1 adventure. Sitting in the middle of the north Pacific, Hawaii is economically reliant on tourism, so most students will have to stick to the coastal areas to get work. How bad.
10 RIO DE JANEIRO
The largest city in Brazil is for the adventurous student traveller with more interest in thrills than bills. The number of Irish student backpackers going to South America is on the rise, especially older students who have already done the J1 thing. Rio is famous for its beach culture and carnival and is a good base for exploring the region's breathtaking landscape.
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