12 Ways to Find Affordable Luxury Travel for Less

Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t like a bit of luxury on their travels now and then?

I know that I do. And the good news is that if you put in the time, effort and thought, you can find luxury travel on a budget, even as a solo traveller.

Affordable luxury travel is one of the cornerstones of flashpacking.

But let me be clear: I’m not talking about million-dollar villa rentals, helicopter transfers and private jets. This is all about valuing comfort over saving money, buying into the concept that investing in good meals and comfortable accommodation enriches the travel experience.

Think boutique and affordable luxury hotels instead of dormitories. More comfortable and convenient flights, and taxi transfers instead of complicated and time-consuming bus journeys.

With planning and a few tricks up your sleeve, affordable luxury travel for less is well within your reach. To help you to find luxury travel for less, I’ll share some of my tips and tricks, as well as links to other resources to help start you on your way.

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How to Find Luxury Travel on a Budget

1. Do your research

Research, research and yet more research; this is key to finding luxury travel on the cheap.

From choosing your destination and planning an itinerary, to booking your flight and accommodation, you need to put in the legwork to get the best bang for your buck. Of course, you can use a travel agent but you can save a LOT of money by cutting out the middleman and doing this yourself.

And it’s sort of fun.

For inspiration and information, browse guidebooks and travel articles. Taking a look at the itineraries offered by tour companies will give you an idea of what might be feasible.

2. Travel where your money is worth more

I’m talking about the global economy here. If a country’s currency is plummeting, your money will be worth more.

Therefore, keep track of which currencies are performing well, and which are on the slide, before you travel.

For example; in the wake of the Brexit vote, the UK pound has taken a hammering in the last few years, hitting a low against both the US dollar and Euro. To make the travel pound go further in 2022, British travellers could look towards Turkey, Egypt and Costa Rica, which are among the countries where your pound goes furthest.

3. Travel where your money goes further

But it’s not just the currency exchange rate that will determine how cheap your holiday will be. Consider also the cost of living in your destination.

For example, the lower cost of living in Africa, Malaysia, Thailand and Poland will allow you to find affordable luxury travel, from deal-breaking five-star hotels to fine dining for a steal.

If you are thinking of travelling to Europe, your money will go further the further east you travel. Think Pristina instead of Paris, Ljubljana instead of London.

Be a smart traveller and try to choose a country where you can live a luxurious life for less.

4. Avoid more touristy destinations

To stretch your travel budget, chuck the Cayman Islands for Cuba; forsake Italy for Iran. If it’s lakes and mountains that you’re after, visit Slovenia’s Lake Bled instead of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva.

The more popular travel places to visit are also the most expensive, so look instead for emerging or off-the-beaten-track destinations. In addition to lower hotel prices, the cost of living will also be lower, and they are less likely to be rammed with other travellers.

You can sometimes have a more authentic experience in a less touristy destination and the locals will be less jaded and more welcoming.

5. Travel out of season

If you have the flexibility to do so, travel out of peak season. Not only will you save money, but you can also avoid the peak season crowds.

If you have visited the Italian Lakes in the summer you will understand what I am saying!

The flip side of out of season travel is unpredictable weather and the closure of some restaurants and attractions.

6. Find the cheapest flights

I’ll start with a caveat around business-class flights. Price is not the sole consideration when flying in a premium cabin.

Not all business-class products are created equal and you need to carefully consider if the on-board service, seat and catering, for example, are worth the premium. That said, price is an important consideration.

READ THIS NEXT: 8 Things to Consider When Choosing a Business Class Flight

Here are some useful tips on how to find cheap business class flights.

USE SKYSCANNER OR GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Skyscanner is my go-to platform to search for flights. I like having the ability to filter results by cabin class and to compare the price of flights across an entire month. Skyscanner also supports multi-city options in searching for open-jaw flights.

I also use Google Flights to explore flight routings, schedules and fares. ITA Matrix Flights is useful for more complex itineraries.

LEARN THE TRICKS FOR EARNING AND SPENDING FREQUENT FLYER POINTS …

Most airlines have loyalty programs that allow you to earn points that you can redeem for flights and upgrades. Every flier should sign up for at least one frequent flyer scheme.

Earning and using frequent flyer points is a bit of an art. To get up to speed, check out Turning left for less – one of my favourite resources which also has the greatest tagline, “Champagne travel on a Prosecco budget” – The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time or Head for Points.

… BUT DON’T BE A SLAVE TO LOYALTY PROGRAMS

It’s not that often you get something for nothing, so enrolling in a loyalty program is a no-brainer!

However, I started to fall into the trap of a loyalty scheme determining my travel plans, which should never happen. It’s very easy to choose a destination based on the accumulation of frequent flier points, and tier points, that determine your status in a loyalty program.

7. Buy a train pass 

Of course, flying is not the only way to get from A to B.

I am a massive fan of train travel. Not only is it a more eco-friendly way of transport, but it is also less stressful than boarding a plane and you are usually deposited slap-bang in the centre of town. And that’s without factoring in super scenic journeys such as the Glacier Express and Flam Railway.

The downside of train travel is that point-to-point tickets can be expensive, especially if you buy them at the last minute.

This is where rail passes can save you a ton of money – including Interrail/ Eurail and the Japan Rail Pass. You just need to do your homework.

8. Find luxury accommodation on a budget

I do like a nice bed for the night. Although not a deal-breaker, really good or really bad accommodation can impact your travel experience.

Here are some useful tips to find better accommodation for less

MIX AND MATCH YOUR ACCOMMODATION STYLES

Alternating luxury hotels with budget ones is a great way to save money (and to make those swanky hotels affordable).

Even if a budget hotel turns out to be a bit grim, I’ll put up with it if I know that I have a great hotel to look forward to at my next stop.

FIND THE CHEAPEST ROOM RATE

When I want to stay at a particular hotel, I always start by checking online for the cheapest room rate. There is more than one way of doing this, but in recent years I have tended to enter the hotel and dates in TripAdvisor, which will then generate prices from its partner sites.

Trivago and Hotelscombined, two aggregator websites, will do the same job.

CONSIDER BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL

I use Booking.com for 80% of my hotel bookings. Many of their competitive room rates allow free cancellation, which I prefer for flexibility, and their Genius scheme offers attractive discounts on selected properties.

However, I will always check if booking directly with the hotel is advantageous.

They may have a better room rate or have offers on free upgrades or competitive packages. Ensure that the rates they quote are inclusive of taxes and other charges.

If the hotel is part of a large chain (e.g. Starwood, Shangri La, Accor, Marriott) check their loyalty schemes. Members of these schemes are often entitled to discounts or other perks, and you will also earn loyalty points that can be redeemed against future visits.

CONSIDER STAYING IN A NEW HOTEL

Whilst a new hotel is a bit of an unknown and can suffer from teething problems, you may be able to snap up a great deal through their introductory ‘soft’ opening rates.

STAY AT A BOUTIQUE HOTEL

I am a big fan of boutique hotels.

Although they have fewer amenities, I like the intimacy and service that often comes with their size. They often have more character, feel less corporate than a 5-star chain hotel, and can cost considerably less.

RENT AN APARTMENT

Apartments are usually more affordable than hotels and can be a good choice if you are staying in a destination for more than a few days. For example; I’ve had great experiences staying in apartments in Tenerife and Normandy 

Airbnb is a well-known platform for booking apartments but traditional hotel booking sites, including Booking.com, also offer an increasing selection of rental properties.

STAY OUT OF THE CENTRE OF TOWN

If you are not sleeping in the centre of town, you will usually get a room for considerably less.

Whilst this clearly has disadvantages, particularly in terms of safety for solo travellers, it is worth considering if transport options are cheap and convenient. Also, staying in more residential areas may also give you a better feel for a place.

GO ALL-INCLUSIVE

I’ll level with you. I am a little uncomfortable with all-inclusive hotels.

There is a danger that you won’t absorb much of the local culture, and that the local economy doesn’t benefit from the tourist dollar. However, they can offer good value and you can travel safely with the knowledge that most of your bills have been paid up-front.

9. Fine dining on a budget

The next tip for finding affordable luxury travel is for the foodies out there.

If you have your heart set on a top-rank restaurant and your budget won’t stretch to dinner, consider dining there at lunchtime. Many restaurants offer a fixed-price lunch menu, which is many times cheaper than their dinner menu. Although the choice may be more limited, the quality should be the same.

Also, consider eating at the bar. Some restaurants have less expensive bar menus without sacrificing food quality.

Location matters too. You’ll often get a better value meal when you dine in less-central neighbourhoods in which establishments pay lower rents.

10. Book ahead

Planning ahead can bring many advantages. If you are in a position to book early, the travel industry will reward you with discounts or other incentives.

This is particularly true when booking a cruise.

The price of flights tends to increase as you approach the date of departure. What’s more, by booking early you’ll get first pickings of the exact place you want to stay, rather than settling for your second or third choice.

11. Or bag a last-minute travel deal

That said, another way to achieve luxury travel on a budget is to bag a great last-minute deal. This is a riskier strategy but is an option if you are not bothered about where you go and have some flexibility around dates.

There are many websites catering to this market, including  Hotel Tonight, Secret Escapes and Travelzoo.

12. Splurge in the right places

Finally, the key to affordable luxury travel is knowing when to splash the cash.

Whilst I will always try to fly business-class long-haul, I cannot see the value in the cost of a business class ticket for a two-hour flight. Use the price difference to upgrade your hotel room or experience when you arrive at your destination.

If a central part of your trip is relaxing on a beautiful island, a beach-facing room may be a wise investment.

But what if you are going to be dashing from one must-see sight to another on a city break and your hotel room is a place merely to lay your weary head at night? In that case, a premium hotel room is not usually such a wise investment.

In my view, splurging on once-in-a-lifetime experiences is always a good investment.

Whilst I baulked at paying over 90 USD to travel on the Gornergrat railway in Zermatt, seeing the mighty Matterhorn reflected in Riffelsee was an unforgettable experience.

More than one cause for reflection.