As hard working as we all are, we often think travel is something out of reach. Travel is often seen as expensive and an item low on the priority list. Americans leave 52% of unused vacation time at their jobs according to a study conducted by Project: Time Off.
Can you imagine yourself sitting on a beautiful sandy beach with turquoise water slowly massaging over your feet at the perfect temperature? Can you also imagine having a personal butler fulfilling every request? Now can you imagine doing this at a price that is affordable to your lifestyle?
Travel enables the opportunities to enrich our lives that have long benefits on our families, jobs and other areas of our lives that command our attention. It all can be done without having to break the bank.
As I began exploring the travel industry, I prioritized looking for the best value of my dollar. Here are my top 3 tips to make travel fit within your budget.
Planning ahead is king
When we wait until the last minute, be prepared to pay a premium for it. I recommend booking your travels at least 4-6 months from your vacation date.
You will typically find the best prices within that time frame. Booking 12+ months ahead does not automatically mean the best price. There are few cases such as cruise liners or highly popular events like the Essence Festival where this would be important.
I also recommend doing the research on vacation destination and what other events are happening at that time. This could add to or take away from your trip.
Seasons – The time of year is a major factor
Each city and location has its high peak and low peak travel seasons. Dramatic discounts can be found by going in low peak times.
For example, in 2017 I traveled to Morocco in December instead of summer time. I got airfare and 5 star luxury accommodations for nearly 40% less, and I love a bargain!
Value vs. Cost – there’s a difference!
Did you know that traveling to the Caribbean could cost you about as much as it would be to go to Las Vegas? Right. Sometimes you can actually go further for the same price.
Here in the US, if you are traveling to other big cities – you will get big city prices. An average tourist spending in New York on any given day is about $500 for hotel, dinning, transportation and entertainment.
In Costa Rica you could easily get away with spending $200 or less per day including hotel, dinning, transportation and entertainment.
The reason is because the US dollar has more value than the Costa Rican colon. To put this in perspective, $100 US dollars is equivalent to 56,537 Costa Rican Colones!
A full plate of Casado- the traditional Costa Rican dish will run you about $4-6. That’s how much it costs me for a grande mocha in Seattle.
Travel is extremely therapeutic and enriching, and let’s not forget WELL DESERVED. No matter your budget you can still get a great vacation. Travel is Soul Food.
To begin exploring your next vacation visit www.PrimeMeridianTravel.com
Gusti Clark
CEO/Travel + Culture Expert
Prime Meridian Travel
San Francisco | (415) 377-0084
GustiClark@
IG: @ChoklateDoraExplora
#PrimeMeridianTravel
