Students looking to travel do not need not to look very far for a game plan.

East Lansing is home to more than 10 travel agencies, a study abroad office and other various plane, train and automobile stations students may look to make travel plans.

STA Travel, located on the first floor of the Union, has been a part of many road trip itineraries.

"We mainly sell only to students," said Wendy Stahl, branch manager of STA Travel.

Stahl said STA Travel tries to help students who want to travel with little money or want the option of backpacking through Europe opposed to staying in hotels.

One of the many tours STA Travel offers is the Vodka Train, which is a tour that goes through Russia.

"It's a hard visa process to get into Russia," Stahl said. "We make it easier."

But if Russia isn't the place students feel like riding a train through, Amtrak can offer rides to anywhere in the United States, according to its Web site.

"We're a part of the Student Advantage Program," said Karina VanVeen, manager of media relations for Amtrak. "It can save students up to 15 percent on Amtrak fares."

The Student Advantage Program is a card students can purchase for $20 and receive discounts at businesses such as Amtrak, Greyhound and U.S. Airways, according to its Web site, www.studentadvantage.com.

Other than the Student Advantage Card, Amtrak doesn't offer any other deals because there are not any other railways around the Lansing area to compete with, VanVeen said.

"Our competitors are mainly the buses and the airlines and their pricing is different, so we can't meet any competitor's prices," VanVeen said.

If traveling with fellow students and learning while on the road sounds appealing, the Study Abroad office at the International Center also can help out.

Studying overseas for a full semester can cost about as much as it does at MSU, said Cindy Chalou, assistant director of Study Abroad.

"It all depends on where students choose to study," Chalou said. "If students choose Africa, a semester of studying in South Africa is less expensive than studying in East Lansing, but a semester in Australia is more expensive."

The benefit to studying abroad is the ability to still be able to use financial aid, Chalou said.

"Students can earn credits while they're seeing the world and while also using federal funds," she said.

Travel agents also can offer vacation advantages, said Skip Turek, manager of College Travel, 1331 E. Grand River Ave.

"We are convenient to the university and we're right across from campus," Turek said. "We're here to help."

Besides assisting with travel plans, travel agents consider factors such as age, prices and dependability of the companies they go through, according to Stahl.

"The advantage of us is that we're still here after your experience," Stahl said.

If the trip planned goes haywire, students can go back and speak with representatives about their vacation, Stahl said.

"We're all poor and we all want to travel," Stahl said. "We're going to make it easier for you."