Traveling in luxury doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. Luxury travel on a budget is more than possible with careful planning and smart choices. There are many ways to have a luxurious stay without breaking the bank, like booking a flight and choosing the correct accommodation. I’ve personally been there, and in this guide, I’ll share with you my most potent high-flying strategies as well as tips to travel in style for a fraction of the cost.

Choosing Luxury Travel on a Budget

I questioned it when I first started thinking about luxury travel on a budget. And, after all, isn’t luxury all about expensive destinations? But over the years, I found that the destination matters. Some places offer a stunning luxury experience at a fraction of the cost of well-known hotspots.

Take Bali, Indonesia, which I was lucky enough to visit a few years ago. But I stayed in a private villa with a pool for near nothing in glamorous locations such as this. Bali, with its stunning views, exotic beaches, and high-end resorts at such affordability, is an affordable luxury destination. Places like Paris and New York, which are known for their luxury, come with their weight in prices. For this reason, it really can pay off to select the right destination.

Here are a few destinations I recommend for those seeking affordable luxury: 

• Bali, Indonesia: These days, I can call myself semi rich and spent a week at a private villa in Seminyak with a chef and daily massages. It was cheaper than I’d’ve spent at a normal hotel like New York. Outdoor adventures offer amazing value for money and so many hidden gems in Bali.
• Portugal: A few years back, I visited Lisbon and was pleasantly surprised by how cheap luxury could be. While I stayed in one of the five-star hotels just outside the historic district and dined at Michelin star restaurants, it was not as expensive as you would expect.
• Mexico: Cancun’s all-inclusive resorts include luxurious accommodations, fine dining, and more. Last summer, I stayed at a high-end resort that had all meals and drinks dinners paid for at a very reasonable price, and I was living in luxury.

The lesson here is that luxury doesn’t have to be about expensive cities. High-end travel doesn’t have to break the bank as long as you are selective about your destiny.

Pro Tip: Websites like Travel + Leisure recommend destinations known for being cheap yet luxurious. 

cancun’s Beach Mexico

Traveling in Luxury at an Affordable Price

The cost of flights has been one of the biggest hurdles to luxury travel on a budget. When I used to fly first or business class I thought it was entirely out of reach for me. It’s something that I’ve learned how to do through research and thoughtful planning, but it doesn’t mean spending a fortune on cheap flights that might bunch you up in the middle of economy class or, worse, putting you on a plane when you’d instead be taking a train.

It is because of this that I will share my personal story. In Bali, I was lucky enough to book a premium economy ticket for the price of an economy seat. How did I do that? Timing and flexibility were factors. I had booked my flight about four months in advance and checked flight prices online with a flight comparison tool; one such tool would be Google Flights. I could use Google Flights to track price changes, and once I saw a dip, I locked my ticket.

In addition, I used my credit card points, which I had accumulated through frequent flyer miles from everyday spending. For me, it’s a travel rewards credit card that provides points for almost everything, from groceries to eating out. Once they added up, I used my points to upgrade my seat without spending a dime extra.

Here are some tips I learned along the way for booking flights on a budget:

• Be flexible with dates: They say flights are cheaper if you fly midweek, not on the weekend. It turns out that flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday on my Bali trip saved me hundreds of dollars.
• Use flight comparison tools: It’s also a good idea to check tools like Skyscanner and Google Flights and Momondo, which will keep an eye on prices for you and find you the best deals.
•  Consider using miles or points: If you have a credit card that gives you travel rewards, you can upgrade to business or even first class with your deposit points. In my case, buying an upgrade from economy to premium economy was one of the best purchases I’ve made.

Pro Tip: Remember to read The Points Guy for all the tips on earning and using frequent flyer miles.

Affordable Luxury Accommodations:

The sensible choice.

Accommodations are a significant part of luxury travel in a budget equation. But staying in top-tier hotels or resorts doesn’t have to mean paying top-tier prices. Throughout my years, I’ve learned how to find luxurious stays on a budget. A significant change of approach is to search for boutique hotels or high-quality vacation rentals that offer very high levels of service without inflated prices that you would find in large hotel chains.

On my last trip (to Lisbon), I stayed in a wonderful boutique hotel. It was centrally located, with beautiful views and an amazing breakfast spread. What made it extra luxurious was that it wasn’t a huge, monstrous, hyper-well-known chain hotel charging astronomical rates for a night’s stay. Had I not rented the RV, the hotel I was staying at would’ve easily been more expensive than the accommodations I was getting for the same money at home.

Here are some tips for finding affordable luxury accommodations:

• Look for boutique hotels: Independent, smaller hotels generally provide more personalized encounters, and one feels special without having to pay big chain prices.
• Consider vacation rentals: High-end homes, villas, and apartments are available through websites like Airbnb and Vrbo for low prices compared to hotels. That offers you more space and a more unique experience while saving you money.
• Book during the off-season: The off-season drives prices down. The fall meant fewer tourists and cheaper rates for luxury accommodations, so I ended up in Lisbon.

If you book strategically where and when, you can have luxury accommodations without luxury prices.

Pro Tip: Websites such as Mr & Mrs Smith focus on boutique, luxury hotels that offer high-end stays at low price points.

Dining in Style on a Budget

Dining is an integral part of many people’s luxurious experience. But it’s not the same when you’re eating at Michelin-star restaurants or high-end places — it doesn’t have to break the bank. I’ve learned one of the best tricks:

enjoying fine dining without breaking the bank by planning my visits for the correct times or grabbing a quick meal that’s much less expensive than any dinner.

One of the many world-class restaurants I was lucky enough to visit last summer was in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. But since a $100 plus dinner per person menu was out of the question, I opted for the lunch special, a five-course meal for half the price. The food was just as exquisite, and the service was fantastic.

Here are some tips to enjoy luxury dining on a budget:

• Go for lunch or brunch: Many nice fine dining restaurants have lunch specials or prix fixe menus that are a fraction of the cost of dinner.
• Look for deals and promotions: Special occasions and sometimes, using OpenTable., some restaurants offer discounts.
• Try street food in luxury destinations, Where food doesn’t only provide sustenance but is also an art form in its own right, such as Thailand and some of Vietnam. There’s no need to break the bank to eat fresh, delicious meals.

If you pay close attention to your dining choices, you don’t have to spend much to enjoy gourmet meals.

Luxury Travel on a Budget: Final Thoughts

Finally, luxury travel on a budget comes down to good choices. By choosing places that aren’t overly expensive, buying flight and hotel tickets at a good value, and eating feats, you can do all the luxuries of traveling and save money. These are strategies I’ve used on my trips (I can assure you they work—you need the proper planning) and allow luxury travel for anyone who wants it.

Pro Tip: You can also sign up for newsletters from luxury travel websites such as Conde Nast Traveler to get deals and exclusive discounts to specific trip destinations.

These tips make your next luxurious adventure a few smart choices away!

Summary of all tips:

Flying First Class for Economy Prices

• Credit Card Point Strategies
• Sign up for cards with large welcome bonuses
• Maximize category spending
• Use shopping portals for extra points
• Time applications with large purchases

•  Flight Booking Tactics
• Book during airline sales
• Use flexible date search
• Monitor error fares
• Consider mixed-cabin itineraries

• Airport Luxury Access
• Priority Pass membership
• Credit card lounge access
• Day passes for premium lounges
• Arrival lounge options

Destination Selection:

• Alternative Luxury Locations
• Lesser-known Greek islands vs. Santorini
• Vietnam’s coastal resorts vs. Maldives
• Portuguese wine country vs. Tuscany
• Montenegro’s riviera vs. French Riviera

Luxury Experiences Without the Premium Price Tag

• Fine Dining Strategies
• Lunch at Michelin-starred restaurants
• Restaurant week participation
• Hotel dining packages
• Local gourmet experiences

Spa and Wellness Access

• Day pass opportunities
• Package deal combinations
• Off-peak booking discounts
• Membership benefits            

Enjoy your luxury travel on a budget with our useful tips and tricks. CHEERS!