How do I take a Luxury Trip on a Budget?
Most budget travel guides focus on finding discounts from private businesses—like cheap hostels, budget airlines, and buying supermarket food to picnic with —but since these businesses aim to make a profit, even with discounts, their deals can rarely be classified as super cheap. To travel super cheap and still enjoy luxury, you need a completely different approach. Our Strategy is based on three principles: subsidies, surplus and local knowledge and hey presto, you've turned a $1,000 into a $10,000 trip.
1
Government Subsidies
Many governments fund free or heavily discounted transport, culture, and accommodation. Unlike a business, they’re not trying to profit from you. For example, you can go to the Opera in Vienna for €2 this is made possible by government subsidies. Generally, the higher the taxes a country imposes, the more opportunities there are for finding unbeatable bargains.
2
Leverage Surplus
Every day, high-quality food, goods, and even travel resources go unused or are discarded, and by tapping into these, you can enjoy luxury without the hefty price tag. For example, you can grab surplus artisanal products like pastries, bread, and $30 of deli ingredients in Paris for just €3, or book a five-star hotel on the same day after 3pm for as little as $5.
3
Local Knowledge
Countries, cities, and communities have free or nearly free infrastructure—mountain huts, free tours, free transport, —that most tourists overlook. For example, on Sundays in Sydney, Opal card holders pay a maximum of $2.80 for unlimited travel on public transport within Sydney, meaning you can get to the Blue Mountains super cheap.
4
Luxury on a Budget
Instead of begging businesses for discounts, this approach lets you access what’s already free or super cheap, funded, or wasted and the local tips so you can travel in comfort and enjoy luxury, without playing the tourist spending game.
