5 Proven Strategies to Travel in Luxury on a Budget

Everyone wants more for less and us humans love a good deal. Following these tips is a big part of the secret to living a traveler's lifestyle without sacrificing comfort or luxury. So why not get the best bang for your buck when you travel and potentially get MORE destinations checked off your bucket list for the same amount of money? Count me in.

Below I have listed 5 options to lower your travel costs and get the most out of your vacation. I have also included common concerns about the options, my solutions, and examples of how they worked out for me. Combine all five to get the maximum amount of travel and the maximum amount of luxury for the lowest price.

By using all five of these methods, I was able to travel to Egypt for 10 days almost for free.

Unlike what seems to be the mainstream belief, you do not have to sleep in crowded hostels lined to the ceiling with bunkbeds of 20 other backpackers. In my younger years, this was fun and exciting but my present self is not having it. If you love hostels, as many do, then more power to you. Staying in hostels can be a great way to make your money go further, however, many of us are simply not comfortable with the Idea of sleeping In a room of strangers and that Is okay. I am here to supply you with some other options that can help you vacation more for less without having to share a bathroom with people you don't know.

Without further adieu, here are 5 proven strategies to travel in luxury on a budget.

Option 1: Choose cheaper flight destinations.

Close-by destinations are often cheaper to fly to and can save you a considerable amount of money on getting there. Paying less for the ticket allows you to spend that same money on your experience instead. Even if the destination itself is pricey or more expensive than famous backpacker destinations, you may end up getting the same price tag for your vacation. You could spend $800 on a "cheap" roundtrip ticket to Europe from the US, or you could spend $100 and go on vacation in Cancun for the price of your flight ticket.

Concern: Not all nearby destinations re cheap to fly to and sometimes flying farther is cheaper.

My solution: Use an app like Skyscanner to see all of the cheapest destinations from your location. You can select a specific time frame or choose "anytime" to see the absolute cheapest tickets available, which may be significantly less than your initial dates of choice. I absolutely love this app because it gives you new destination ideas and offers the best ticket prices I have come across. Save money on the ticket, use it to enjoy yourself more!

Example:

In 2019, I spent around $750 on a round-trip ticket to Thailand, and my total spending was about $1,000 for a week at $50 per day. My trip was comfortable, but I wouldn't have called It luxurious. More recently, based in Turkiye, I got a flight to Germany for $200 per person, spending around $100 per day, including hotels. A week in Europe cost about the same as my trip to Thailand, but with more luxury.

Unfortunately, a big part of the expense of visiting cheap travel destinations goes towards getting there. So, do not dismiss the idea of visiting a place nearby based solely on reports from others of it being pricey.

Option #2: Go during the slow season

Sometimes we have a particular destination in mind, a destination with an expensive flight ticket that is calling our hearts. In this case, you can use Skyscanner to find the cheapest time of year to fly, which usually coincides with the slow season.

Concern: The slow season may have less favorable weather. (which is often the case.)

My solution: travel on the cusp - at the beginning or the very end of the slow season, you can get comparable weather at a much better price with shorter lines. Unless of course, you don't mind unfavorable weather, head on holiday smack dead in the middle of the slow season and you'll get everything for even cheaper. Do a bit of research on the high and low seasons of your preferred destination to get an idea of the cusp.

Example:

We decided to go to Bali at the end of December, just before the low season in rainy January. If you've ever searched for a ticket to Bali, you know that the ticket prices are outrageous, especially from the West. I've seen ticket prices soaring past $2,ooo dollars per person. Thanks to the season nearing its end, we were able to find roundtrip tickets for $600 per person from Turkiye. In a word: unheard of. It was significantly less crowded than during mid-peak season and we had a few rainy days followed by a few days of lovely weather. Of course, less rain would have been nice, but I am one of those people who loves rainy weather. It was also quite interesting to see how the locals have adapted to the roads turning into absolute rivers during monsoon-like storms. By the way, saving $1,400 on a flight ticket could pay for at least two weeks in Bali.

If you are set on good weather, refer to the rest of the options on this list.

Option #3 Travel to budget-friendly destinations

I feel that this is probably the most obvious option and the one that seems to entice people the most. As soon as you mention a destination's affordability and the gorgeous hotels with rooftop pools for $12 per night, you have everyone's attention. Obviously, traveling to cheaper destinations will get you the biggest bang for your buck and allow you to travel much more luxuriously than you would have been able to in more expensive countries. The kicker here is that, as previously mentioned, flight tickets to these destinations often eat up a large portion of the money you had put aside for the trip. Also, make sure to check for safety levels as cheaper countries can have high crime rates.

My solution: Use Skyscanner to find cheap flight options, then research which destination is the most affordable. Combine all three options so far: nearby with a cheap ticket, affordable destination, and travel on the cusp of the slow season. Budgeting magic.

Example:

Flights to Egypt from Turkiye are about $250 round trip and Egypt itself is extremely affordable. Two birds with one stone. We also happened to go just before the beginning of peak season, so we had the place to ourselves and the weather was just a little bit warmer than during the high season. The result? We were able to get an all-inclusive resort (alcohol included) on the Red Sea for the price of $40 per night for two people. I'm sorry, what? You heard that right. Needless to say, we had a very nice trip.

Option #4 Get a Travel Card

This is an incredibly easy option (especially for those who are set on a specific destination during peak season) and I have an entire blog post on how I got that trip to Egypt nearly for free (3 nights in Cairo and 3 nights in the all-inclusive resort plus return tickets all for 2) as well as free tickets to Bali (the ones I mentioned earlier, for 2) using a travel card, which you can find here. There are many travel cards available, however, the Chase Reserve Card is the absolute top-of-the-line.

Travel cards allot you points when you make purchases which you can redeem for travel as they are worth a certain dollar amount. As far as I see it, I might as well earn points for money that I am already spending and essentially pay myself back with travel. Why not get yourself free nights in a hotel or cover the flight costs so you can spend your hard-earned money on MORE travel? Plus, the lounge access means you don't have to waste money on airport food and enjoy a free buffet & drinks instead.

Concern: Travel cards like Chase Reserve require good credit.

My Solution: There are lots of travel cards available like the Discover Miles card which provides excellent redemption rates, has no yearly fee, and doesn't require a high credit score.

So, by combining all of these options thus far, (cheap ticket, cheap destination, travel on the cusp, use a travel card) my 2-week trip to Egypt with my husband cost me next to nothing and, all I have to say is, vacations that are cheaper taste sweeter.

Option #5 Travel with others

This option could make a big difference in expenses related to accommodation and taxis. The prices will be split between you rather than having to cover the whole cost and a $40 taxi ride gets cut In half (or In fourths). I also find splitting a hotel room relatively similar in price to staying in a hostel, if that is something you want to avoid.

Example: Hostel prices in places like Colombia (when I went) were around $10 per night (with AC) while cute hotels were around $30 per night, which isn't a big difference if you have a friend with you. Plus, depending on who you ask, an extra $5 is worth the added privacy and comfort. My sister and I actually paid $14 per night on a really nice hostel with a garden and a pool. But, again, we could have had our own room/bathroom for $2 more. So, if you don't want to stay in a hostel, try traveling with others. Another thing is that, in many places, you will get better deals on tours or activities if you are a larger group.

You guessed it, keep combining the options for maximum affordability.

Key Takeaways

There are multiple options to get the holiday you dream of for less and you can use any combination of these options to get the most out of your trip and potentially get more than one trip for the price of one.

1. Fly cheap

2. Travel to affordable destinations

3. Go on the cusp of off-seasons

4. GET A TRAVEL CARD

5. and take your friends.

Using these tricks has helped me live a lifestyle I had never thought possible since I did not grow up with money. Now that you have the tools to be a professional travel bargain hunter, you can travel more and enjoy your trip to the fullest with maximum comfort and luxury.