The College Accommodation I live in is also where a class of foreign Muslims chose to spend the academic year and many have done things like instruct the other person in the apartment that the utensils in the kitchen provided by the accommodation are only to be used by them so they don’t touch meat which isn’t Halal.. How is the best way to go about handling this without causing a commotion?

Politely inform them that you are paying for these premises as much as them and if they need special utensils, they can buy their own and keep them in their rooms, or they can pay you not to use them as compensation for not been able to use equipment you have funded.

Or get onto the Uni about it. They’re your landlords. They can either move you or them, or inform them that the tenancy agreement applies to everyone, including Muslims.

I’m flying in from Gold Coast airport, and visiting Movie World and Dream World are my priorities. Which suburb/town should I look for accommodation? I have been unable to find holiday accommodation in Oxenford and Coomera. Please recommend suburbs/towns that would be convenient for me to stay at. Also, if you have a particular apartment/hotel/etc to recommend, please feel free to do so. Thanks!

Most of the holiday accommodation is located in the suburbs of Southport, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burliegh and Miami. There’s not much out that way apart from at Hope Island. For a guide to suburbs with a map see http://www.goldcoastinfo.net/accommodation/

Movie World, Wet n Wild, Dreamworld are located between Oxenford and Coomera, about 30-40 mins drive from Surfers Paradise, most people usually catch public bus http://translink.com.au/travel-information/visiting-south-east-queensland or one of the many shuttle bus services. Some hotels/resorts also offer theme park transfers. If there is a group, splitting the cost in a stretch limo can be fun and affordable http://www.mygoldcoastlimo.com

I am planning a trip to the US. I am a student and have a tight budget. What are the cheapest accommodation options and also the cheapest ways to travel between cities?

Other answers are correct and hostels are not as common or usually as good in the USA as in Europe, but they do exist and this is an example:

http://www.indiahousehostel.com/

There are low cost hotels and motels in most places. Check sites like TripAdviser for guest ratings & comments.

Consider joining SERVAS, which offers vetted local contacts in many places and can be an alternative to staying in hostels/hotels:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servas_Open_Doors

Both Greyhound (bus) and AmTrak (train) offer passes.Greyhoundd goes to many more locations than AmTrak, but the bus is not a comfortable way to travel long distances so plan your trip in segments:

http://www.greyhound.com/

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage

Citizens of about 35 countries can travel to the USA for up to 90 days at a time as a tourist or for some business purposes by registering for ESTA > before < their trip begins. The cost is US$14, which is similar to the fee for Australian ETA program.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=129

Registering is accomplished online, you don’t need the details of your trip, and the confirmation is valid for multiple trips to the USA over two (2) years so don’t wait until the last minute.

Print the confirmation – or at least record the number – and keep the information with your passport. Having a return or onward ticket leaving North America is a requirement, so have a copy of your airline itinerary at passport control.

Check with your health insurance to find out if it covers you in the USA. If yes then take proof of coverage with you. If no or not sure then get trip medical insurance, which is cheap and sold by airlines & travel agents. The USA has wonderful medical care but it isn’t free or even cheap. Please do not skimp on this as an otherwise-silly accident could turn into a crisis if you don’t have medical insurance.

If you are planning a long visit then DON’T schedule your departure day for the 90th day (any part of a day in the USA counts as a whole day, so if you arrive at 23:59h on the 1st and leave at 00:01h on the 10th it is 10 days in the USA). Schedule your departure not later than the 88th day as there are no (zero) provisions in the Visa Waiver Program for someone to voluntarily extend their stay. If you miss your flight due to something Immigration might consider avoidable (ex. flat tire on the way to the airport) they may ban you from using the VWP in the future.

I’m looking for a job in France, preferably with accommodation included. I’ve found a good website for jobs in ski resorts, but I don’t really care for skiing, so I was looking for a simliar one for general jobs, that just lists jobs you can apply for with English companies in Froggy. Ta.

Try hostel jobs.You may not get payed though although free accommodation and food is often included.