4 Travel Secrets of the Ultra-Wealthy
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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When it comes to traveling, the ultra-wealthy have a leg up over most people. Tapping their vast resources, the uber-rich can access the types of experiences that many of us only dream about. But this doesn’t mean that the average American can’t learn a thing or two from the way that the rich travel and incorporate that into their own travel style.
Here’s a look at how truly wealthy individuals tend to travel and how you can vacation in a copycat style while using limited funds.
Prioritize Comfort
Those willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars have no problem flying on private jets or using private airline concierge services to shield them from the masses as they fly first class on commercial airlines.
While this type of travel is beyond the reach of the average American, there are still ways to prioritize convenience. You can use credit card points and miles, for example, to buy a business- or first-class ticket or upgrade your ticket from economy class. You can also redeem points to stay at five-star, luxury hotels that the rich and famous frequent.
Seek Out Lesser-Known Destinations
Generally speaking, the rich and famous aren’t interested in visiting crowded and popular tourist spots like Rome or Paris. For starters, they have likely already been there many times.
But they also prefer getting away from the masses and experiencing “the next big things” before they become too popular. Sailing on a private yacht to various islands in the Mediterranean, for example, is currently a hot option for the billionaires and multi-millionaires of the world.
This specific adventure isn’t something that most Americans will ever experience. But there are ways to approximate this type of travel while still on a budget. In fact, traveling to lesser-known corners of the world is often more inexpensive than going to the popular, flashy destinations like Florence or Barcelona.
Kotor in Montenegro is much more affordable than oversaturated Dubrovnik, Croatia, for example, even though the two towns lie on the Adriatic Sea and share much in terms of history and architecture. While you might not be able to afford a yacht for $20,000 per night, you can easily day trip on smaller, private boats and see the same scenery as the upper class.
Book Private Transportation
One thing that the wealthy know more than most is that money can buy time, and time is valuable. Booking private transportation, be it a private jet or a personal car service, saves time at the airport and on the road.
While most Americans can’t afford to book private jets, there are still ways to get private or exclusive transportation to help save time. For example, if you can get an airline upgrade to business or first class through using credit card points, you can breeze through the airport by using dedicated check-in and security lanes. You typically also have access to a club lounge, which provides you with not just a place to rest but also complimentary food and beverages.
These are the types of comforts and conveniences enjoyed by the very rich, but they are accessible to at least some degree by the average American who plans ahead.
Use Exclusive Tours
If you’re looking to find ultra-rich people on a group tour, you won’t have much luck. Wealthy travelers book private tours both to avoid mingling with crowds and to make their experience that much more private, exclusive and enjoyable. And while you might not be able to spend $10,000 or more on an ultra-luxury private tour, there are plenty of private tours you can take for relatively reasonable prices that can give you a similar experience.
For example, instead of taking a group tour of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, you can pay a bit more and get a private, before- or after-hours tour of those popular sites without having to mingle with the masses. You are also likely to get more out of a private tour, as you can absorb more information in a one-on-one setting with your guide and ask as many questions as you would like without holding up the tour.
The Bottom Line
Just because you’ll never own a private jet doesn’t mean you can’t steal some tricks from the ultra-wealthy in terms of how to travel. Use the tips above to make your vacations a bit more luxurious without burdening yourself too much financially. Just be sure to always travel within your budget and avoid spending beyond your means.
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