How to do Luxury Travel without Overspending
Instagram has convinced us that to sip coffee with a view of the Amalfi Coast or lounge in a linen dress by a Greek villa pool, you need a trust fund and a black Amex. But here’s the truth: you don’t need a luxury budget to travel in style. You just need strategy, creativity and a knack for spotting affordable luxuries.
This guide is for the girlies (and guys) who want chic Instagram moments without draining their savings account. Think: boutique hotels, dreamy sunsets, and aesthetic cafés that look like they came straight from a Pinterest board; all for a price that leaves room in your wallet for Aperol spritzes.
Why luxury travel doesn’t have to cost a fortune
Luxury travel isn’t about how much you spend: it’s about how it feels. Staying in a €500-a-night five-star resort is nice, but so is booking a boutique hotel with rooftop views and a free breakfast for €120. The aesthetic is the same, but the price tag isn’t.
Aesthetic travel is all about choosing moments that feel rich, not just look expensive. It’s the afternoon you spend sipping €2 espresso in a pastel-coloured Lisbon alley. It’s wandering through a lavender field in Provence at golden hour. These things don’t require designer luggage or maxing out a credit card; they just require smart planning.
Choose the Right Destination
Not all places are created equal when it comes to aesthetics. Some cities ooze charm from every café corner, while others leave you hunting for that one Instagram-worthy wall. Choosing the right destination is half the battle when you’re trying to travel beautifully.
Go Beyond the Clichés
We all know Paris is stunning, but it’s also crowded, pricey and not always as photogenic as Instagram makes it seem. Instead, think about Budapest: elegant boulevards, thermal baths, fairy-tale rooftops and café culture for a fraction of the cost. Similarly, instead of Santorini (where rooms can easily hit €500 a night), consider Naxos or Milos. They have the same whitewashed houses, turquoise waters, and bougainvillea-covered balconies, without the inflated price tag.
Choose Sisters of the Icons
Skip Amalfi Coast, go for Puglia. Polignano a Mare and Ostuni look straight out of a Dolce & Gabbana ad but offer boutique stays under €150.
Skip Barcelona, go for Valencia. It has beaches, architecture, and tapas culture, but with calmer vibes and more wallet-friendly prices.
Skip Cinque Terre, go for Liguria’s hidden towns like Camogli or Sestri Levante. Same colorful cliffside charm, minus the tourist crush.
Skip Monaco, go for Montenegro. The Bay of Kotor is jaw-droppingly beautiful, and cocktails won’t cost €25.
Pick Destinations with Built-In Charm
The best hack? Choose places that naturally give you detail-rich, cinematic backdrops. Cobblestones, pastel walls, tiled churches, fishing harbours, historic rooftops; these things photograph beautifully without any editing tricks. Lisbon, Porto, Dubrovnik, Krakow, and Marrakech are masters of this.
Your photos won’t reveal that you skipped the “mainstream” spots: only that your trip looked effortlessly chic.
How to book hotels that look Luxury
Boutique Beats Chain
Here’s a secret: the most aesthetic hotels aren’t always the most expensive. In fact, the opposite is often true. Boutique hotels and family-run guesthouses are the sweet spot. They focus on charm, design, and experience. Think locally sourced breakfasts, linen-draped windows, and leafy courtyards, without corporate chain pricing.
When I stayed in Puglia last year, I booked a masseria that cost €110 a night. Whitewashed walls, bougainvillea climbing the balconies and a pool that looked like it was designed for Vogue editorials. Did it come with a concierge in a tailored suit? No. Did I care? Absolutely not. It was beautiful, it was cosy and it was very, very photogenic.
Book Smart
Timing also plays a huge role. Shoulder season is your best friend. Late spring or early autumn gives you the same sunsets and café terraces, minus the inflated prices and selfie-stick crowds. Weekdays are even better: hotels often drop rates mid-week and you’ll have more luck scoring that “room with a view.”
And here’s a tiny but powerful hack: always check if breakfast is included. It’s not just about saving €20 a day: it’s about those dreamy, lazy mornings with croissants and cappuccinos served in a chic dining room you can photograph before heading out.
Getting Around Without Killing the Vibe
Transportation is another place people assume style costs money. Yes, business-class flights look great on Instagram, but so does hopping off a vintage train in a linen dress.
Flying smart doesn’t mean flying cheap and miserable. It means using fare alerts, booking midweek and being open to alternative airports. That €50 you save on a flight from London to Porto instead of Lisbon? That’s two bottles of vinho verde and a cheese board. And if you’re flying long-haul, check airline packages like Qatar Airlines; sometimes a luxury carrier offers better value bundled than a budget airline pieced together.
Once you arrive, lean into the aesthetic alternatives: overnight trains, scenic buses, or even a vintage car rental for a day. No, you don’t need a Fiat 500 for the entire trip, but renting one for 24 hours to drive the Amalfi-style coastline (or Puglia’s olive groves) will give you photos and memories worth far more than the price tag.
Packing Like an It-Girl on a Budget
Aesthetic travel isn’t about having 12 suitcases of designer clothes. It’s about knowing what photographs beautifully and makes you feel stylish in every photo. Enter: the capsule wardrobe.
Pack neutrals, breathable fabrics, and one or two statement pieces. A white linen dress, wide-leg trousers, classic sneakers, and a silk scarf can carry you through cafés in Paris, beaches in Spain, and ruins in Athens without ever feeling “recycled.”
Props matter too. A straw hat, woven tote, or a pair of vintage sunglasses? They weigh nothing but instantly upgrade a photo from “tourist” to “Pinterest board.” And don’t underestimate the power of small luxuries: like a tiny perfume vial. Pulling out your signature scent in a budget hotel bathroom? Instant luxury vibe.
Experiences That Feel Luxe
The truth is, the most memorable moments rarely cost much. The sunset from a fortress in Dubrovnik is free. Wandering through a spice market in Marrakech costs whatever you choose to spend. Even in pricey cities, you can find luxury in the little things: a €2 gelato eaten on a Roman piazza, or a golden-hour walk along Lisbon’s waterfront.
That said, booking a few curated experiences can elevate your trip without emptying your wallet. A cooking class with a local nonna in Tuscany? Around €50, and it gives you a story, a meal and photos you’ll keep forever. A vineyard tour in Spain? Often under €30 and you’ll feel like you’re living out a lifestyle shoot.
When you do want to splurge, do it smart. Instead of a €200 fine-dining dinner, book a €60 food tour that lets you try five local spots. Instead of hiring a yacht, book a local fisherman’s boat ride at sunset. Same vibe, smarter spend.
Capturing the Aesthetic
Here’s the fun part: creating content. The secret to aesthetic photos isn’t expensive equipment: it’s timing and perspective.
Light is Everything
Shoot in the morning or golden hour for soft, flattering light. Look for symmetry: doorways, staircases, tiled walls. Mix candid moments (laughing over coffee, leaning out a window) with classic travel poses.
And when in doubt, editing is your best friend. A simple Lightroom preset can transform a slightly grey afternoon in Porto into a sun-drenched masterpiece.
Mix Candid with Staged
Not every shot needs to be posed. A laughing coffee moment, a wind-in-your-hair ferry ride, or a market stroll often looks more luxe than a stiff “Instagram pose.”
Remember: the point isn’t to fake luxury, but to capture the richness of the experience. Because nothing says “chic” like actually enjoying the moment.
Final Touches That Elevate the Vibe
It’s the little things that make your trip look and feel chic.
Buy fresh flowers from a local market for your hotel room.
Pack a mini speaker for soft music during breakfast on your balcony.
Invest in one splurge experience (a rooftop cocktail, a spa day, or a boat ride) and let it be the “highlight” moment of your trip.
Traveling aesthetically isn’t about luxury labels or endless budgets. It’s about choosing destinations wisely, finding beauty in details, and making small swaps that create big impact. Whether you’re staying in a €110 masseria in Puglia, riding an overnight train in Eastern Europe, or sipping coffee in Lisbon, the essence is the same: chic, thoughtful, and memorable travel.
Your bank account stays happy. Your photos look like they belong in a magazine. And you come home with not just memories, but an elevated way of seeing the world.
