Former travel editor for a reputable publication reveals key tips for saving money on luxury trips.
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Travel expert with 30 years of experience, Susan Ward Davies, shares secrets on how to enjoy luxurious hotels and save on vacation. She reveals tested life hacks that will help make every trip both elite and budget-friendly.
Davies wrote about this in her article for the Daily Mail.
Susan Ward Davies worked for over 30 years as the travel and lifestyle editor for ELLE, so she is well-versed in comfortable and stylish travel.
At first glance, the job of a travel journalist might seem like pure glamour. However, even during such trips, one has to control expenses. For example, when testing a remote five-star hotel, meals may not be included in the accommodation cost, and the guest might end up subsisting only on the contents of a welcome fruit basket.
Before becoming a travel editor, Davies traveled extensively with a backpack, so the ability to save money and find unconventional solutions became almost automatic for her. She still combines luxury and budget-friendly options during her holidays and advises spending money primarily on what can truly make a trip special, rather than on secondary things. The journalist shared tips to make a vacation more luxurious without unnecessary expenses.
How to make a vacation more luxurious without unnecessary expenses?
Davies has stayed in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels on numerous occasions. According to her, some of them definitely justify their high price, while others do not always live up to expectations.
If a traveler is willing to spend a significant portion of their salary for one or two nights in an expensive hotel, it’s important to get the most out of that stay. One way to do this is to spend the first few days in an Airbnb and then move to a more luxurious hotel for the last day or two.
To make the most of your stay, Davies advises arriving as early as possible. Even if the room isn’t ready yet, you can leave your luggage at reception and use the hotel’s facilities yourself – head to the pool, beach, or spa.
On the day of departure, it’s advisable to inquire in advance about the checkout time. After checking out, you can ask the staff to store your luggage until the evening. This way, guests effectively get to use the hotel’s benefits for two days while paying for only one night.
Food
Another way to cut costs is to avoid eating at the hotel’s expensive restaurant and instead look for a place where you can taste more authentic local cuisine.
Davies recommends the Too Good to Go app, which features discounted food offers from shops, restaurants, and supermarkets in 21 countries. The service not only allows you to save money but can also serve as a guide for finding places to buy groceries and eat.
When searching for shops on Google Maps, the journalist advises using local terms. For example, in France, it might be “épicerie,” in Spain, “alimentacion,” and in Italy, “una gastronomia.” This approach helps find small independent shops instead of large chain supermarkets.
It’s also better to search for restaurants more specifically, particularly using social media. For instance, you can search for queries like “where to eat truffles in Istria” or “where are the best pintxos in San Sebastian.” This allows you to find places that specialize in the specific dishes you’re looking for more quickly.
For trips from a resort hotel to the city, it’s advisable to first inquire if the establishment offers free transfers. If there is no such service, you can check the taxi fare using taxi-calculator.com or bettertaxi.com to avoid overpaying for the ride.
Bar Culture
In Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal, coffee, pastries, tapas, and sometimes alcohol can be cheaper if ordered directly at the bar – “al banco,” “a la barra,” “au comptoir,” and “ao balcão,” respectively – instead of sitting at a table.
Therefore, instead of an expensive multi-course dinner at a table, Davies suggests opting for a bar stool, ordering a few tapas, and complementing them with a light wine spritzer. Different price categories should be indicated on the menu.
By the way, tourists have named four disappointing countries they no longer plan to visit: Bulgaria, Egypt, France, and the Dominican Republic.
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Source: tsn.ua