'Tis the season to think about US travel and student discounts, and Amtrak offers 'em -- students can ride US rails at 15% off with an ISIC card. With airport security rules ruling US air hassle, frazzled travelers may welcome a chance to pack without worry and enjoy the view on a train trip. Learn more:

• Amtrak Student Discounts

Amtrak's routes can be lacking, but the ride rocks. I rode coast to coast on the train last year -- check out the resulting Amtrak photos for train travel information:

• Amtrak Photos (scroll under pictures to read train travel tips)

Related: Amtrak Passes Now Available to US Residents | Packing for Airport Security | Train Travel One Solution to Airport Woes | Airport Rules

Photo © Kathleen Crislip | Student Travel blog home

Want to write some words of encouragement to potential student travelers and wrangle $500 while you're at it? Win the annual Transitions Abroad writing contest, open to students at several enrollment levels, by entering an essay of 1000-3000 words about your experience with study abroad, internships, volunteering, or short-term work abroad, and the money plus some well-deserved acclaim will be yours. Second place winners net $150, third place $100, runners-up $50 and all winners will be published in the April TAzine, Transitions Abroad's study abroad and educational travel webzine, or featured on the very excellent Transitions Abroad website.

See last year's winning writings for inspiration, enter by March 1, 2011 with a work centering around "Transitions," and good luck!

• Transitions Abroad Student Writing Contest

Related reading: Other Student Travel Contests | Paying for Student Travel

Student Travel blog home

An interesting thing you may discover when traveling in English-speaking countries: you might, unconsciously or not, expect things to be sort of... American-ish. Ridding ourselves of that expectation will enhance travel experiences roughly 100%, but if you happen to be in the UK and find you're truly homesick come Thanksgiving, you'll be in luck: tuck into turkey and the trimmings (and then some, in some cases) at a goodish number of American-ish eateries (and expat meet-ups) in the British Isles. Learn more from About.com's UK travel expert, Ferne Arfin:

• Thanksgiving in the UK

Related Holiday Travel Reading: Thanksgiving Travel Planning | Christmas Travel Planning | Finding Holiday Student Travel Discounts | Christams Worldwide for Travelers | International New Year's Eve Parties

Related UK Travel Reading: UK Student Travel | UK Transportation | Student Work in the UK

Start your UK travel in London: London Student Travel Guide 101 | Top Free Things to Do in London | How to Use the London Tube | Top London Hostels

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Thanksgiving can be an expensive time to travel; if your travel plans involve flying home or elsewhere around the holiday, use some smart tools like a Thanksgiving travel calendar to find the best priced travel days and planning your travel may be a breeze. Learn how to build the Thanksgiving air travel toolkit:

• Find the Best Priced Travel Days: Thanksgiving Travel Calendar and Price Forecast Graph

Related Reading: Student Airfare Finders | Current Student Airfare Deals What's an Aggregator? | How to Find Student Travel Discounts | How to Get Ready for Air Travel

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