A recent survey that we came across shows that almost 100 per cent of Canadians believe that travel leads to a more enriching life yet more than half of them never go on weekend getaways during the year. In addition, one in four Canadians said they would rather stay at home than have to stay in a budget hotel (we found this most interesting and amusing).
What does this mean? Canadians like to travel and they want to do it in style. But like us Culturites, they don’t want to break the bank getting a high class luxurious experience.
So…that’s where we are coming to rescue. As a result of our past six-month travel schedule (literally on a plane every week for work), we found ways to get the most bang for your buck without compromising the level of luxury. Here goes…
Research, research, research: Maximize your dollar by connecting with local contacts to identify where to go, what to do and what to see in their city. There is nothing we hate more than the run of the mill restos and bars, we want the places where the locals hang out. These are usually less expensive as they don’t include the tourist tariffs! For info on Toronto, NYC, Miami and LA, feel free to email us at info@thesocietyglobal as we have some great recommendations.
Piggyback on a work trip: Since we travel for a living, we learned this trick early in the game. If we’re on a business trip, then we tend to plan a weekend vacay close by or in that city. When you are shuffling from meeting to meeting you don't always get the chance to immerse yourself in the culture. Since one of the most expensive components (getting there) is already paid for, make a getaway out of it. Put the money you saved on flights towards a great meal out or an awesome hotel. Like many of you, vacay time is limited so even a weekend away makes a world of difference.
Find a reward card that works for you: We love the concept of double-dipping. If you can collect reward points on everyday purchases, its like free money. But do your research and make sure you are choosing a card that works for you.
We recently partnered with American Express for the launch of their new Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card and we can honestly say we love it. It's uber flexible, allowing us to earn points by just doing our thang (morning lattes, dinners out, etc.). We’re getting some serious bang for our buck.
How do you get the most of your trips? Any tips to pass on to fellow jet setters?
Hope you enjoyed a couple shots from our cruise. View more on www.thesocietyglobal.tumblr.com.
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