Affordable luxury travel without breaking the bank or staying at a hostel, so can you.
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I think we can all agree that after the chaos of 2020, everyone deserves a vacation, and hopefully, by 2021, both domestic and international travel will be permitted again. I’ll personally be headed right for a luxury cabana in the middle of nowhere for at least 2 weeks to mentally detox from the year’s insanity. I know you might be thinking that affording luxury travel seems impossible. Well, what if I told you that it’s possible to have luxurious travel experiences on a budget?
Take it from personal experience, a millennial with student loans living in New York City, the most expensive city in the country, who’s never stayed in a hostel. By following these 7 TIPS FOR LUXURY TRAVEL ON A BUDGET, I’ve been able to island-hop in Greece, soak in a wine bath at a five-star spa in the French vineyards of Bordeaux, and much more without any credit card debt! The AW Guide is a no-BS zone; we keep it real and inspire you to live your best Pinterest Travel Bucket List life.
It’s time to #TREATYOSELF and #LIVEYOURBESTLIFE because you deserve it, no matter how young or old you are. Here are my 7 Tips for Luxury Travel on a Budget.
Girl, How Can I Afford Luxury Travel?
First things first, a low budget does not have to mean low quality. You don’t need a six-figure salary to afford traveling in luxury on your dream vacation. With these 7 TIPS FOR AFFORDING LUXURY TRAVEL ON A BUDGET, you’ll learn strategies to determine when to splurge vs. when to save, as well as tips for saving money in your everyday life to put towards luxury travel.
1. Pre-Book Activities
This strategy works great if you book your vacation months in advance. By pre-booking the majority of your vacation well before you travel, you minimize the amount you’ll spend at your destination and won’t be hit with credit card sticker shock when looking at monthly payments.
Create an itinerary that outlines the costs of your lodging, transportation, and all the activities you want to do. This will give you an estimate of how much money the trip will cost.
As an example, here is the itinerary for a 10-day trip to Greece that I planned with my friend a while back. We booked the trip 3-4 months out and tried to pre-purchase as much as possible so we had time to pay it off before we traveled. This way, we had already paid off 90% of our trip by the time we got to our destination!
If you’re interested in any of my purchases, I’ve linked them below! Please note that some of the links are affiliate links, but I would never recommend anything that I don’t personally love.
Total cost of $1,800 per person
- Round Trip Flight NYC – Athens
- Oia Airbnb
- Santorini Luxury Sailing Catamaran
- Santorini Beach Club
- Milos Airbnb
- Milos Boat Charter
- Athens Airbnb
- Kostantakis Cave Winery
- Santorini (THIRA PORT) to Milos Ferry
- Milos to Athens (PIRAEUS PORT) Ferry
- Flight To Santorini from Athens (Aegean)
- Athens Car to Airport
- Milos Car Rental
- Santorini Car Rental
- Bus from Santorini airport to house
- Acropolis tickets
The only expenses we had when we actually got to Greece were food, Ubers, shopping, etc. If you are splurging on a luxury hotel, restaurant, or spa, this strategy is great for getting ahead of your spending by paying it down.
This method also frees up cash and credit so you can start booking more trips. If you return home from your trip with a $5,000 credit card statement, chances are you won’t be booking another vacation anytime soon. On the other hand, if you return home having only spent $1,000 during your trip, you’ll be more inclined to dive right into your next adventure.
I love using Viator for booking activities anywhere in the world. Just make sure to read the reviews and details about the trip. I’ve had nothing but amazing experiences with this service. It offers fun, guided and all-inclusive small group tours of pretty much anything you can imagine anywhere in the world.
2. Applying For The Right Travel Credit Cards
Having the right travel credit card can be a game changer for saving money. Make the money you’re spending work for you and help pay for your next vacation.
Depending on your credit score, you can earn 25K-75K points just for signing up for the right travel credit card! That’s free money, which you can turn into a round trip to your bucket list destination!
As an added bonus, you earn points on all your purchases depending on your specific card. Use your points to book flights, hotels, activities, transportation, etc. Most travel cards offer cash back or let you use your points to credit your account. For example, If you rack up 2,000 points in Greece, you can use those points to pay off a portion of your credit card statement when you get home. It literally pays to use a travel credit card.
Travel Credit Card Recommendations:
- Capital One Venture
- Annual Fee: $0
- Rewards Rate: 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase
- Introductory offer: Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account.
- Recommended Credit Score: 690-850
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Annual Fee: $95
- Rewards Rate:
- Travel: 2X points on travel—from airfare and hotels to taxis and trains
- Restaurant: 2X points on dining worldwide
- Other: 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Introductory offer: $750 in travel credits after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening your account.
- Recommended Credit Score: 690-850
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express (Businesses with Big Expenses)
- Annual Fee: $595
- Rewards Rate:
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com
- 1.5 points per dollar on every eligible purchase of $5,000 or more with The Business Platinum Card®
- 1X Points on other purchases
- Introductory offer: Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of membership
- Recommended Credit Score: 700-850
*Fees and introductory offers are subject to change. Please inquire with the company for the most up-to-date offers.
3. Choose a Hotel Alternative
Depending on your splurge vs. save strategy for your luxury vacation, I recommend hotel alternatives, which can provide an equal luxe experience as luxe hotels at a lower price. It’s all about give and take. If you want to stay one night at a five-star hotel, great. How do you offset that with your travel financial priorities?
Utilize Airbnb or VRBO when traveling to popular destinations. Not only do you get the advantage of staying in a premier location, but you get a discounted price and much more space. With Airbnb luxe, you can book luxury homes and villas for the price of a luxury hotel room.
For example, hotels in Santorini’s famous destination spot, Oia, can run $800-$1200 per night. If you stay 10 minutes down the road, however, you can get a charming Airbnb for $120 a night. It’s all about give and take when traveling in luxury on a budget.
Looking for more tips and additional help?
Download my 7 TIPS FOR AFFORDING LUXURY TRAVEL ON A BUDGET to learn the remaining four tips, and you’ll be on your way to that private island cabana in no time.
Read More:
The Ultimate Carry-On Packing List – 73 Items
The Best Travel Toiletries for Carry-On Travel
The Best Travel Makeup for Carry-On Travel
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How do you travel in luxury? Share your tips below! I’d love to hear from you.
