Luxury Travel on a Budget

South Africa

Traveling on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settling for basic. There are may be many ways to get a taste of luxury travel without spending big. Here are just a few ways to spend less on luxury travel.

Be an early bird
Booking hotels and flights early (more than nine months in advance) can often allow you access to exclusive discounts. However, this isn’t the only perk of booking early – early bird customers are also some of the most likely to get free upgrades to first class on flights providing there are seats, as well as free upgrades to premium suites in hotels providing there’s an empty room. There’s certainly no guarantee you’ll be upgraded, but early booking can increase your chances.

Split the cost among a group
Going away with lots of friends and family could also allow you to experience certain aspects of luxury travel for less. The biggest example of this is accommodation – if you’ve always wanted to stay in a large luxury villa or a chateaux, being able to split the cost between lots of people could make it more affordable. You can find such accommodation at sites like luxuryretreats.com. This tactic of splitting the costs may also work when hiring vehicles abroad or even chartering a luxury yacht.

Go luxury in a cheap destination
Certain destinations such as Paris, Venice, and New York can be very expensive. But if you’re willing to try a more unconventional city break to somewhere like Lisbon, Krakow, or Tallinn, you could find that the costs are a lot cheaper. This could allow you more value for money when it comes to aspects like accommodation and eating out. In fact, what might get you a two star hotel and a cheap fast food meal in some cities could get you a five star hotel and fine dining in other cities. Expand your net and go a little off of your pre-selected beaten path.

Treat yo'self on the small things
You may be able to add small touches of luxury to your travels without spending too much. For instance, rather than hiring a regular transfer vehicle to take you from the airport to your hotel, you could consider traveling in style with a luxury limo from goluxe.limo. Maybe make your big meal of the day breakfast or lunch vs. dinner. If you have the ability to eat most of your meals where you're staying, do that and spend a little more on an experience or must-do/see.

Go all out for one day
There’s also the option of having a basic vacation with one day of luxury. On this one day, you could splash out on a premium hotel suite or expensive restaurant meal, giving you a taste of luxury without having to go luxury for the entire trip. This might be a good idea for a day near the end to finish your vacation on a bang out note.

Where are my more budget travelers? How do you inject a little luxury without breaking the bank?