<p>Can any current students offer travel tips? I'm a bit apprehensive about booking airline tickets since I don't know much about the schedule apart from what's listed in the academic calendar. Which holidays are "optional" (i.e., most students stay at the campus)?</p>
<p>Is it too risky to book Friday night travel for say, fall recess? That is, are there final exams Friday night that one risks missing, thus necessitating departure on Saturday instead?</p>
<p>Generally, people go home for fall break, Christmas, and spring break, since your meal plan doesn't cover those times.</p>
<p>There shouldn't be any exams on the Friday before fall break.</p>
<p>I'd say if you're planning on skipping going home for a holiday or two, do either Intersession (the week at the end of January between finals and the new semester, because honestly, I don't know why people even go home for that week considering they just got back) or Fall Break (since it falls barely a month after classes have started). The University offers dining contracts for breaks like Intersession and Fall Break, but it's actually fine just roughing it (going out to Nassau to eat, buying groceries, etc.).</p>
<p>That said, the only times you need to really focus on coordinating your travel schedule with classes is for finals (both semesters).</p>
<p>Groceries are expensive in Princeton, but I suppose it's cheaper than the airfare.</p>