Students should look into the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which offers discounts on entrance fees and some hostels. There may or may not be a discount on railroad tickets, but rarely plane tickets. Remember, you have to have the card with you to get the discount if it is available. If you purchase your airline tickets through STA, you do receive basic health and life insurance and a 24-hour help line. The card is available for $22 from STA Travel (tel. 800/781-4040 in North America; www.sta.com or www.statravel.com), the biggest student travel agency in the world. If you're no longer a student but are still under 26, you can get an International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) for the same price from the same people, which entitles you to fewer discounts. Travel CUTS (tel. 866/246-9762; www.travelcuts.com) offers similar services for both Canadians and U.S. residents. Irish students may prefer to turn to USIT (tel. 01/602-1904; www.usitnow.ie), an Ireland-based specialist in student, youth, and independent travel. Note that in Hungary, student discounts are only given at some hostels, not all of them. Museums and other attractions may reserve the student discounts for Hungarian students only, but others will offer a discount with a valid card. Some discounts are listed in this guide.
