
Travelling can sometimes be a hit and miss experience when you have a lot of expectations up your sleeve. Maybe you’re used to frizzy or unwashed hair while having to hike around a city, or maybe you can’t pack all the things you want to bring with you and it gives the holiday a bit of downer from the get-go. Perhaps all through your childhood, you were forced to go camping with your family and it’s put you off of the experience for life! No matter the reason you want to sprinkle a bit of style into your traveling lifestyle, there’s plenty of ways to do it.
Flying coach and economy classes can get a little crowded, smelly, and the number of times a neighbor might need to use the toilet when they’re sandwiched against the window means you can never relax. Similarly, your shoes have holes worn through them from all the walking you’ve had to go through an entire city with thousands of square miles. Sound like something you’ve had to go through? Well no more!
We’ve all heard of glamping, and whilst it completely defeats the purpose of camping, it does mean those of us too addicted to our creature comforts have a better time out in the field. So, applying that same principle to all other kinds of traveling, whether you’re going backpacking across Europe or you’re taking a beach day in sunny California, doesn’t have to be hard either! Plus, it can be cheap when you know what you’re doing! Here are some secrets for you to look into.
Take an Unseasonal Holiday
Going away during the summer, or having a Christmas holiday can lead to many problems. If you’re looking for a little more luxury in your travel efforts, book your vacations outside of the traditional seasonal times. This way there’ll be a lot more on offer for you to choose from, and you won’t have to contend with families busting you out of the way at the airport and hogging the elevator in the hotel!
This is also a great time to travel when you’re on a budget and still want that taste of champagne in your mouth just from looking at a resort. There are a lot of countries out there that allow you to shine in the sun and the heat as much as you want even in the colder seasons back home, so feel free to take that early January vacation.
Places like Australia are excellent for these kinds of vacations, and if you’re planning an expedition for the late spring, check out somewhere like the Caribbean. Their monsoon season doesn’t start up until June, and lasts until November, so July/August times aren’t the best idea for an expedition, meaning you can immediately save money on a summer holiday!
Discover Some Hidden Gems
Let’s face it, tourist resorts aren’t the best places for us lone travelers to exercise our legs (and money) on. The most popular tourist resorts out there are the ones we hear about all the time, and they’re also the most likely to be crowded, dirty, understaffed, and give you an all-around unpleasant experience. That’s not to say they’re not popular for a reason of course! Simply that you can find better experiences elsewhere for your accommodation and in-country travel needs, whilst also finding some lands little visited by tourists that everyone actually needs to see in their lifetime.
Once again it could also be a lot cheaper for your budget needs if you stay somewhere less frequented by the main bulk of holidaymakers. These places always love a well behaved and polite individual to walk through their doors, and the staff can be plenty friendly. Ask them about the life around where they work and what they recommend to do and you’ve got afternoons full of adventures.
Europe itself is full of hidden gems. Take a budget airline that not many people like to frequent and you’re going to have a more peaceful experience, especially considering the airline staff still walk around with the trolleys! These land in all kinds of airports, and can easily lead to small towns within walking or a short train distance.
There’s also a lot to discover in America, considering the number of square miles there are to cover across states like Texas alone. It’s a good place for a road trip, which you can easily live comfortably off of when you have a good place to bed down and a car battery to power the essentials you absolutely cannot live without.
Go on a Cruise
The cruise is the prime example of luxury travel, with all your needs catered to onboard a thousand room vessel taking a leisurely stroll along the waters of the countries you’ve always wanted to visit. It takes you there and back again, gives you a place to soak up the sun, has pools for you to pretend you’re splashing about in the ocean with, and the nightlife is simply fantastic!
Cruises are quite low maintenance, so any planning time is going to be minimal. Immediately that removes any stress before you go away, which gives you a lot more confidence about loading up on board! Not only this, cruises have an incredible value to them, as everything you have to pay up top means you won’t have to pay for anything else once you’re on board (except the 10 drinks you buy from the bar in one night!).
You won’t have to lug your suitcases around with you either, as the ship goes where you go! Even when you stop off in ports, all your clothes and amenities can stay in your room, and all you have to do is dock back on when you’ve explored to your heart’s content.
Invest in a Holiday Home
Holiday homes are often the epitome of luxury on your side while you travel, and they’re also a good sign you’ve made it in the financial department! So, whilst it’s not quite budget traveling, it is a fantastic way to make sure you have all the luxury you need.
It could be a family project, it could be a passion plan between you and your friends, either way, buying up a holiday home is going to take a bit of money. Depending on where you want to buy your holiday home, the prices can vary. For example, if you’re looking for a place in Southeast Asia, as this is a popular place to experience life whilst traveling, check out a guide to buying an executive condo in somewhere like Singapore.
On the other hand, you can rent out your holiday home when you’re not using it, and that means you can make all of your money back just by staying at home! People looking for cheaper or more private places to stay will look to you once you start advertising your space. Earn thousands of dollars in a month, and you can always take down your adverts whenever you need to use your home.
Living the luxury life when you’re traveling is great for your health and happiness. On the other hand, if you’re already traveling in this kind of style, you can easily take on some more hardy adventures by going off the beaten path. Live your best life in the air and on the seas when you’ve got some luxury tips themselves up your sleeve, and bring a couple of friends on with you!
Which mode of travel excites you? Long-term rentals, luxury hotels, glamping, cruises or unseasonal holidays? Where did you experience these one-of-a-kind vacations? Tell me all about it in the comments. I want to be transported from the gray views outside my windows.
Until our next rendezvous…
XOXO
Trudy
This post was a collaboration.
I am currently reading Australian Vogue, which is very unusual for me but I loved the pink tuille dress on the front and was having a tough day and it was pure esacape. Anyway, it had an article about fashion on holidays and packing outfits etc and it was a world away from the basics on my European backpacking trip through Europe in 1992. I lived in a navy singlet and shorts for quite a few months and a pair of jeans. It was very basic, but you don’t fit your wardrobe in a backpack and it was a great learning experience. I felt last without an iron at first but these days use one a couple of times a year. I was trying to get my dollar to stretch as far as I could and stayed away for 9 months and returned with about $2k. I would like to go back and live it up more but don’t have the funds. Glad I did this when I was young while I could.
BTW I love Byron Bay, Australia and am lucky that my inlaws live nearby and we have free accommodation and great company. Always prefer to stay with locals as much as I like the comfort and luxury of hotels. Means you get to know a place better. Depending on the hotel, you may not experience that local feel.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Thanks, Rowena! So Australia is perfect for you and a quick flight to Southeast Asia and New Zealand! You have so many options for travel using there as a launchpad. I’m all about packing clothes that serve multiple purposes especially if you only have one bag. Thank you for visiting me and telling me your story!
There’a a destination I particularly loved when I visited it: Wales. There you have nature at its best. It’s not very widely known so definitely it can be considered a hidden gem.
I love that there’s so much open land, rolling hills, and green in the UK. That must have been glorious and quiet, perfect peace retreat.
You have some great suggestions here. I’m a big fan of traveling off-peak if you can – it’s always nicer when there are fewer crowds and you get a better idea of the essence of a place without so many people around. Great post!
I’m all for less crowds, cheaper airfare and hotel rates!
Great ideas here! I’ve always loved the idea of taking a vacation during non-peak months, but that means winter travel (from my neck of the woods) and that’s always unpredictable and kind of scary!
It shouldn’t be, it marks the end of hurricane season in the Caribbean, milder weather, and Summer in the southern hemisphere. Perfect timing if you enjoy hot weather.
I just mean, traveling out of the country when much of it is snowy, rainy, etc. I’m always highly stressed to fly when there is any type of weather happening 😜
ME TOO!!
I can personally attest to the amazing power of traveling slightly off-season. One year we went to Cape Cod as a family in September. It was after the summer rush, but the weather was still warm. Best. Vacation. EVER. (and not too crowded!)
Yes! After all the kids have gone back to school and before the leaf watching season us at its peak. Perfect timing!
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