Upscale travel on a budget

This blog is all about upscale travel on a budget. Yet, despite the tips I will provide here and in my other articles, what you choose for luxury and where you decide to save is a very personal thing. These tips are suggestions from my travels to some 55 countries. They are how I manage to enjoy upscale journeys while still keeping an eye on expenditures. If that idea sounds like you, read on for my top 10 tips.

1. “Upscale” and “budget” are personal

I have talked to travelers who always fly international economy class, saving money to later spend on hotels, meals, entertainment, etc. That makes sense for them. Not my style. With a bad back in my past, long legs, and little personal “padding,” enduring 14 hours in a coach seat is not tolerable. I opt for upscale lie-flat business class seats. I arrive at my foreign destination refreshed and ready to enjoy the first day. It’s a personal thing.

But that means I might already be thousands of dollars behind others when it comes to budget, and the trip has barely started. So, I have to find other ways to save without compromising the experience.

It’s important that you determine what upscale travel on a budget means to you. Decide while you are researching and planning a trip, not later. What are your memory-makers? You may forever remember the fantastic dinner that cost you hundreds of dollars or you may remember the interesting street food you chose over an expensive restaurant. These are your travel memories. Think about what matters to you!

2. Some outstanding locations are also affordable

Everybody traveling to Europe wants to experience London and Paris – and with good reason. But they can also be quite expensive. Meanwhile, Central European cities, such as Prague, can be wonderful at a much lower price. Research alternative destinations. Consider Budapest instead of Vienna or Madrid instead of Barcelona.

Bangkok is still Asia’s affordable crown jewel. I have stayed many times at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel in the heart of Bangkok, for less than $200 per night (and that even includes one of the finest international buffet breakfasts on the planet). Transportation in Bangkok is cheap, food is cheap, even excellent medical care is cheap (ask me how I know). And yet, you are in an amazing city, with an enchanting culture – the perfect friendly base for visiting the rest of Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Think outside the box – and by box, I mean the usual tourist destinations. In North America, all the tour groups flock to high-priced New York City, Washington D.C., and Hollywood. But you can find history in Charleston, great food in Austin, and a more upscale SoCal experience in Orange County. And discover San Miguel de Allende instead of Mexico City for history, food, and upscale living!

3. Stay outside the expensive city

Travelers wanting to experience Switzerland often wind up staying in its most expensive city, Zurich. But the rail system is so excellent in that country that choosing a base such as Luzern or Bern makes a lot more sense. You can take day trips to enjoy Swiss experiences, like Gruyères, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfrau and countless more; then return to a wonderful city that costs less than Zurich (and is easier to navigate).

Florence is delightful and should be visited, but is not your best choice for an extended stay to explore Tuscany (which you should). After a short stay in Florence, we find the medieval city of Montepulciano to be the perfect base for daily road trips throughout the region in our Mercedes-Benz rental. Do your research. We book a beautiful 2-bedroom home for less than the price of a Florence hotel room.

Speaking of Italy, consider staying in charming Verona and visiting Venice as a day trip. The two cities are only just over an hour apart via a comfortable high-speed train.

The Paris countryside can also be amazing. The Loire Valley is home to more than 300 châteaux. We have a 14th century mansion practically to ourselves, and we are only 70km from Paris by train.

4. Stay longer in one place and book a vacation rental

In the above examples we were able to explore a region by staying in one place. With that strategy you can begin to look at vacation rentals as an alternative to hotels. Check out sites such as Airbnb and VRBO, but also search for region-specific platforms. For example, if you Google “luxury vacation rentals in Madrid,” you will find sites such as Home Club, Inspirato, Genteel Home, Casa Malasana, Likibu, The Luxury Travel Book, Plum Guide, and more.

Vacation rentals can be very expensive on a short stay due to cleaning and other fixed fees, but spread those costs out across a week and upscale living can be budget living. And now you can prepare some of your meals in your own kitchen, for further savings.

These days, even timeshare properties can be booked like hotel rooms. We stay on Maui at the Westin Ocean Resort Villas instead of a hotel. We use VRBO to discover a wonderful golf course condo in the heart of Princeville, Kauai. You can too!

5. Take advantage of shoulder season

Families are often restricted to travel when school is out, adding to the burden and price of holiday journeys. If you have the flexibility to travel at other times, by all means, do it. Research when shoulder season occurs at your intended destination – it will be different throughout the world. In some cases, it may mean colder weather or more chance of rain, so check the monthly weather trends as well.

We love to travel in October to Europe and North America. Summer crowds are gone, prices are often much lower, and the weather can still be pleasant. We spend a week in Jackson Hole in October and are delighted to encounter both autumn color and some snow. Rooms at the Four Seasons, for example, can be twice as expensive in the summer and three times as much during ski season.

Zermatt, Switzerland is a haven (and heaven) for tourists to experience breathtaking hiking in the summer and world-class skiing in the winter. We visit in October. The weather is magnificent, the hiking is just as incredible, but the cost of accommodations is much lower.

Areas that are popular with weekend travelers can also switch from upscale to budget pricing for weekday stays. Our Airbnb house in Lake Arrowhead, California is quite reasonably priced for a Monday to Thursday visit in November.

6. Check multiple sites for airfare

I usually start with Expedia when checking airfares. You may have your own favorite platform, such as Skyscanner, Kayak, etc. Remember, some airlines are not featured on these providers. If your dates are flexible, make sure to explore that option. Airfares might vary widely, depending on the day of the week.

Once I find a possible flight, I also check the airline’s website. Sometimes my loyalty status will improve anything from ticket price to baggage fees to seat assignment. Then, I usually book directly with the airline. In my experience, if there is a problem later, I would prefer to deal with the airline’s customer service rather than a third party. The last time I actually booked with Expedia was 2013! When my flight out of Chiang Mai, Thailand was canceled, Expedia’s answer was to book me on a flight two days later! Their customer service was of no help. Needless to say, I canceled the ticket and booked my own direct flight out of Chiang Mai later the same day.

7. Also check multiple sites for accommodations

Unlike airline third-party sites, the hotel platforms are pretty good. I often use booking.com and have never had a problem. Their “genius” discounts really can save you money. Consider starting your research at Google Travel, which aggregates pricing from multiple sites.

As with airlines, I often wind up booking a room directly with the hotel, especially if my loyalty status kicks in. It can yield me a free breakfast or even a suite. Truth be told, though, loyalty programs are not as valuable as they used to be. It all went downhill when Marriott bought Starwood.

8. Use local guides to save time and money

It was my first time visiting Vietnam, so I reached out to a local guide group to arrange a car from the Hanoi airport to my hotel. I thought the price, at less than $40, was reasonable. An English-speaking guide accompanied the driver. When we got to my hotel the guide asked me how much time I needed to freshen up before the night’s excursion. What? Yes, that price included the airport transfer, plus a private tour of Hanoi, unlimited street food and beer, and safe return to my hotel. I would go on to use the family-owned Custom Asia Travel each day for Ninh Binh, Tho Ha, and Bai Tu Long Bay. A custom, private experience is truly upscale, but can be achieved on a budget.

I used the same strategy to navigate Myanmar, receiving a great education from a different guide in each region. In Laos, my driver doubled as a guide. We visited lovely Kuang Si Falls, having them to ourselves. On his advice, we skipped the butterfly park, instead stopping to photograph the same butterflies in the wild. It was only when we stopped by his home later in the day that I found out my driver/guide was also the mayor of a district of Luang Prabang!

Moral of the story: immerse yourself in the local culture and experience upscale travel on a budget.

9. Carry your own supplies

My carry-on bag is usually filled half with clothes and half with supplies. I drink coffee first thing in the morning, so I take my own coffee around the world. It beats trying to find a café open at 6:00am or paying 4 Euros for each gulp of expresso.

I also carry a U.S. drugstore in a quart-size Ziploc bag. Try buying eye drops in Cambodia, when all the ingredients are in Khmer and the pharmacist doesn’t speak your language either. In fact, I carry one bag for internal brands (think Alka-Selzer) and one for external (think Neosporin). Convenient, money-saving, and reassuring.

10. Zig when others zag

The whole idea of upscale travel on a budget is to figure out what’s important to you – when to splurge and when to conserve. Often it means going against the flow. Like most expats, I used to take a taxi from the Beijing airport to my apartment; then I figured out how to get there via subway at a fraction of the price and time. I do the same in Bangkok. Now, I will always explore that option.

Some people suggest booking a full meal plan at your hotel for convenience. I would rather find a restaurant enjoyed by the locals, almost always with better food at a lower price. The idea is not to follow the crowd. Follow your head and your heart and make your own travel memories.

Do you have any questions? Do you have your own suggestions to help others? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post.