Luxury vs budget travel

Luxury vs budget travel is a matter of personal taste and let's be honest your pocketbook.

Some people cannot be comfortable travelling unless they know that they will be staying in a 5-star hotel at their destination.  For them the comforts of home, or even comforts greater than home are essential.  For others, sleeping on a rock under the stars is not a problem.  It is all part of the experience of travel.

Jasper Park Lodge

I tend to travel more on the budget side.  I find that it allows me to better experience my destination.  More importantly, it allows me to stretch my travel dollar further.  When I want to upgrade my accommodation at some point then I will.  Perhaps there is a hotel where I am going that in itself is part of the travel experience in the area.  Two examples I would suggest are the Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta or the Ice Hotel in Quebec City.  Other times if I have just completed some heavy travelling I may want to really sleep on a comfy bed and pillow.  If I want to dine at a finer restaurant at some point, I will, but in general  eating with the locals is fine with me.  Sometimes it will allow you to strike up conversations with them and get to know more about where you are at - sights, events, history.

What it all comes down to, is what you, the traveller, find to be most comfortable.  You are doing the travelling and need to ensure you have set things in place to enjoy the experience.

The attached article considers both approaches to travel.

Luxury vs budget travel