Who doesn’t like a little luxury when they travel? With comfortable flights, extraordinary sights, and grand accommodation, a VIP-like vacation is an experience unlike any other. Unfortunately, with all of these splendors and more, the costs can definitely add up, leading many to believe that such a trip is reserved only for celebrities and the elite. However, that won’t stop you from wanting to see how the other half live. Thankfully, you can. If you do it right, you can plan a luxury trip without the VIP price tag. With that in mind, here are ten ways to travel in luxury for less.
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Mix Business And Pleasure
Heading off on a work trip can be a lot of fun. After all, even if you spend most of your time away stuck in an office, you’ll still have a few hours to see the sights at your boss’s expense. Rather than head home after you’ve finished your work, you should ask if you can stay behind for a few more days. This allows you to further explore the destination for only a little extra cash. If your partner is away on business, fly out to join them. This would cut the cost of accommodation.
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Vacation Out Of Season
In most popular vacation spots, the cost of flights, accommodation, and other expenses soar during high seasons, like school and public holidays. This means that you would have to pay much more traveling throughout these periods. To avoid this added expense, you should book your trip for out of season instead. Just make sure that you research the destination first to see what the weather is going to be like. There’s nothing luxurious about a monsoon, after all.
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Avoid Major Tourist Spots
While your plan may be to travel in style, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to head where everybody else does. Popular tourist spots, like Paris and Las Vegas, can be luxurious, but they’re also much more costly than you may be able to afford. For this reason, you should consider traveling to a lesser-known destination. If the sights of the big cities are too grand to resist, then choose a spot that’s well-connected to them by public transportation.
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Look For Late Deals
Like most other large purchases, you can save on your luxury trip by shopping for it sooner rather than later. In fact, you can easily cut costs by up to and over 15% in early-bird deals. If you can’t plan your trip in advance, however, it is still possible to save. All you need to do is wait to book until a few days before you want to leave. At this time, airlines, agents, and last-minute travel sites release their best deals. This is a potentially risky plan, but one that can pay off.
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Choose An Empty Leg
Although first-class and business flights are definitely luxurious choices, there’s no grander way to fly than by private jet. When considering this option, the first question that tends to come to mind is “How much does it cost to charter a private jet?.” People assume that private jet flights are only for those who can fly in the luxury class. However, companies like Jettly will certainly be able to help with this, as they are constantly putting offers out there on private jet flights. Alternatively, you can cut costs significantly by booking a one-way empty leg flight.
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Make Cash Worth More
There are many places in the world where your cash might be worth more than it is back home. To make the most of your travel budget, you should choose to visit one of these destinations on your vacation. This allows you to splurge on more luxurious options, like better accommodation or five-star food, without ruining your finances. Once you’ve found a good spot, you should shop around for the best place to exchange your cash. Whatever you do, never do this at an airport.
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Travel As A Group
Group travel isn’t for everyone, but, if you don’t mind jetting off with your friends and family, then you start to see savings right away. By splitting the cost of your accommodation, activities, airport transfers, and more, you’ll each have to pay less. This means that you’ll be able to afford to pay for the VIP extras. For example, if you head off in a group of five or more, you may be able to book a luxury vacation apartment or house, rather than a few mediocre hotel rooms.
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Go For All-Inclusive
When you’re trying to save money, splashing out on an all-inclusive trip can seem incredibly counterproductive. However, if you were already planning to splurge on airport transfers, food, drinks, and activities anyway, then choosing a package that includes these expenses can cut costs in the long run. Whether you book with a travel agent or online, ensure that you customize your vacation package so that you only pay for the extras that you’re going to need and use.
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Stick To One Hotel
Favoring one hotel over all others can offer long-term savings. This is because hotel brands often reward frequent guests for their loyalty by offering free upgrades, like extra nights, breakfast, wifi, and even valet parking. If you like to visit the same destination regularly, then your loyalty can pay off with independently owned accommodation too. By using the same luxury boutique hotel every time you travel, staff will begin to recognize you and offer better service.
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Always Ask For Upgrades
Even if you’re not offered a perk or free upgrade, there’s no harm in asking for one. Whether you’re after a larger room or upgraded flight, you’re always in with a shot as long as you’re polite to those you speak to. That being said, you do have a greater chance at snagging these extras if you’re traveling for a special occasion, like your birthday or an anniversary. For this reason, you should make it known when you’re on vacation for such a purpose.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting the VIP treatment now and then, and hopefully, with these tips, you can travel in luxury without the added costs.
