8 Ways to Travel Like a Star with a Tiny Budget
Everyone wants to travel the world but some people only want to travel in luxury. And that is ok because who would want to travel in economy when private jets exist? Unfortunately, the price tag for a flight on a private jet is out of a lot of peoples reach. With this in mind, we would like to share some ideas on how to travel like a star on a shoestring budget.
Planes are Pricey
Flying is the go to way to travel for most people. The problem with flying is it is expensive, even the cheap options. There are plenty of other ways to travel. For one, before planes were invented, everyone who was anyone would travel across Europe in a train. All over the world, there is the option to ride in First Class on a train. The great thing about this is a First Class Train ticket can cost the same as an economy plane ticket. But if you want to save money, you could go for a standard ticket but you will probably have more room than on the plane. Trains also lack the extra security that airports have so you don’t have to wait about, and you can buy your ticket when you arrive at the station, giving you complete freedom of movement.
Research Everything
If you have ever booked your own holiday, you will know how overwhelming the process can be. For that reason, we often go for the first option that appears to make sense to us. And this can cost us a lot more money than we need to spend. Spending some time doing some research into our travelling can save us a lot more money than we realise. The unfortunate thing is travel agents and middle men take a big cut of our money to ensure our convenience. Don’t be afraid to book directly with the airline and the hotels. If you don’t mind spending the time, you can easily discover the best options to suit your budget. This is a useful habit to get into if you plan on travelling a lot and want to see as much of the world as possible.
Check Out Different Hotels
If you have the time and the savvy, it is possible to find amazing deals on high end hotels. What can help when it comes to finding the best hotel for your stay is working out what you need. Luxury hotels offer a lot of options, but you need to ask yourself if you plan on using them. If the answer is ‘yes’, then you will get your money’s worth out of your stay. However, there is nothing wrong with trying to get a bit of money off with NetVoucherCodes.co.uk for your stay. If you decide that the savings won’t be enough and you won’t use the services of the hotel, you could look at smaller, boutique hotels that offer cheap yet beautiful rooms but none of the extras.
Follow Travel Guides
The travel guides we all grew up with are not the same as the ones available today. If you want to get ahead in the travel world, you should follow some travel bloggers. Not only will they have exclusive content about places that you should visit that are undiscovered and untouched, they will have the knowledge to help save you some money. Many of these bloggers started out on a shoestring budget and have spent years researching the best ways to travel the globe with nothing but the spare change in their bank accounts. They know the websites, the rewards programmes, and the best places to find deals. You may follow them on social media for the pictures, but look at the work that goes on behind the scenes and the information they have amassed over the years.
Gather Your Miles
If you read the fine print on a lot of things, especially credit cards, you might discover that a lot of places allow you to collect air miles for travel. For most of these types of cards, for every pound you spend using the card, you collect one point which can be redeemed off a flight or a hotel. A word of caution, always be careful with credit cards as misusing them can cause your financial hardship and that is what we want to avoid. If you think you can handle having a credit card, and want the bonus of collecting points for free travel, then this option could be for you. All you need to do is pay the taxes for the flight. These cards can sometimes offer other perks such as upgrades and VIP options.
Discover Somewhere New
A lot of places are too expensive to travel to because they are tourist hotspots. This also means they are always packed, and the cheap option is still expensive. If you want real luxury and the calm atmosphere that goes with it, you may need to head off the grid and find somewhere new. Finding towns and villages just outside the tourist hotspots can save you a lot of money. You could still travel to the town or city in question for a day trip, but have a place to stay outside of the tourist zone. You might even enjoy the quiet of the untouched area. It is also worth noting that many of these “undiscovered” destinations are a lot cheaper to travel within. You can find 5 star hotels for a steal in Poland, fine dining for less in Croatia. Many travel bloggers swear by heading east for better deals. If you head to Eastern Europe instead of Central Europe, your money will go further. Not only are exchange rates better, the destinations are cheaper.
Travel in the Off Season
The summer months and around Christmas are travel nightmares as this is when everyone wants to travel. If you can, arrange your travel plans during the off season when everything is cheaper. A word of warning with this, certain places shut down completely during the off season as they are too dependent on tourism. It is not worth their while staying open during this time of the year. So just be mindful of this fact. However, if you are going somewhere that isn’t a tourist hotspot, their businesses will likely be open all year around. This might not be ideal if you have kids and need to schedule holidays around the school, however if you are childless you are free to travel anytime of the year.
Stay At Home
If you need a break but your bank balance is telling you that the furthest you can travel is the fridge, you might need to stay at home. But staying at home for a holiday doesn’t mean that you need to stay at home. Camping, glamping, and local holiday homes are all options for a cheap holiday at home. You can even find cheap hotel rooms for luxury stays within driving distance of your house. If you keep an eye on local hotels’ social media pages, you might spot them advertising last minute deals for cancellations or empty rooms. Many of them offer complimentary breakfasts or a free spa treatment if you book through their social media team. Sometimes luxury travel is only a bus ride away.
As you can see, there are plenty of options to help you discover luxury travel and hotel stays that won’t blow the budget. With a little patience and out of the box thinking, you can enjoy the benefits of luxury travel.