Champagne Travel on a Beer Budget

Thats right. Dinner absolutely free. We’re talking about the full deal - starters, main meal, a bottle of wine, all from top restaurants.

This is one little tip that is essential to any champagne traveller’s arsenal.

Last month I was travelling to visit a friend in another state. During this trip I was able to take someone out for dinner, enjoy great starters, a beautiful meal and wine in a funky restaurant in the middle of the CBD.

And the best part? At the end of the night I was able to tell my friend that dinner was on me.

The even better part? I kept the receipt and was completely re-imbursed for the full cost of both meals.

Next month I have a few hours stop-over at an international airport. How will I pass the time? I’ll be spending part of it enjoying another fantastic meal and a glass of wine at a great restaurant, all on the house.

How do I do this? I am a mystery diner.

The Mystery Dining Company re-imburses me for all my meal & drink expenses and in  return I answer a questionnaire on my experience at the restaurant. The questionnaire covers the ambience, the service, the cleanliness and of course the meal itself.

The Mystery Dining company has clients in the UK, the US, Australia, Turkey, Norway, Egypt and more. These clients are restuarants, coffee shops and cafes. They want feedback on their services and are willing to give you dinner on the house in exchange.

You do need an eye for detail and need to fax your receipts and answer the online questionnaire to the Mystery Dining Company by the next day.

But if that sounds like an ok deal for being able to have a great eating experience for free, it might be something worth checking out.

Are there any other similar services that you have been a part of? What was your experience?

Enjoying champagne travel on a beer budget isn’t about backpacking in the traditional sense - the cheapest accommodation despite the conditions, existing on a meal a day etc.

Nor is it backpacking’s affluent cousin - flashpacking, which is when you are cashed up and able to afford first class travel but choose to bypass the air-conditioned tour bus for the thrill of the wind in your hair and a pack on your back.

So, what is it? 

Champagne travel on a beer budget (CTOABB) means not having to be cashed up to enjoy amazing experiences, luxuries and indulgences while you travel. The secret is knowing little tips and inside hints for getting the most out of your budget.

CTOABB is an awareness that whatever your budget, you can always travel with style.

This blog is hopefully a place of inspiration, hints, tips and advice from those doing it well.

So whether you travel as a lifestyle, travel for work, work to travel or just love planning that next 2 week vacation, stop in at Champagne Travel on a Beer Budget regularly and take your travel experience to a whole new level.

Gridskipper finds gourmet restaurant delights at bistro prices in Paris Bistronomy

Budget Globetrotting explains how to Stay at Convents for Cheap Accommodations in Italy

Concierge provides the low-down on How to avoid currency conversion fees

Want to step off the plane looking like you’ve been luxuriating in first class when the reality is you’ve been cramped back in economy?

Read on for a selection of tips on travel style from those who do it well:

Lisa Bjorksten gets the inside secrets from one of those impossibly polished Emirates air attendents at Beauty Addict

Anna Soref gives the low-down on in-flight Ayurvedic beauty tips at The Yoga Journal

Michelle Johnson delivers practical advice in Frequent Flyer Fashion - arrive at the airport in style

Photo source - Flickr  

 Want to relax? Detox? Feel rejuvenated? Look amazing? 

If so, make sure your next travel experience involves some time at a luxury spa…

Steam rooms, spas and communal baths have been all the rage in countries such as Turkey and Korea for centuries, but day spas and spa resorts are a phenomena that has increased exponentially over the past decade.

And if you have been to one, then you know why. Nothing beats the feeling of walking out of a spa in a blissful state. Refreshed & calm while radiating that glow that is only acheived by being massaged to within an inch if your life.

Most luxury hotels from Sydney to Singapore, Chennai to Costa Rica have their own spa (with some resorts even being solely dedicated to the spa experience), meaning you can work a bit of spa action into the itinerary of nearly any trip you are planning.

But if you are reading Champagne Travel on a Beer Budget, chances are that you want the luxury experience without the luxury price tag. Am I right? Never fear, here are some ideas for a champagne spa experience on a beer budget:

1. Book into a luxury spa, but stay at cheaper accommodation nearby

Just because you are not staying at a hotel or resort, doesn’t mean you can’t book into their spa facilities. So, to cut down the cost of your spa experience, book into the spa at a ritzy resort but book your accommodation close by in a cost-friendly hotel.

Using Thailand as an example, here are three tried and tested spa resorts (from budget to decadent) that have very affordable accommodation options nearby:

The Sanctuary - Ko Phan Ngan

Spa Resort - Ko Samui

Chiva-Som - Hua Hin

Whether you book in for a quick beauty treatment or a week long fasting program, most spas will allow you to use their facilities (either complimentary or for a small fee) - pools, spas, saunas, fresh juice. Which leads to my next point…..

2. Pace your spa experience

Think that a whole day at a spa is too expensive? Then pace out your spa experience. Only booking in for a massage & a blow-dry? Space your treatments out and make a day of it. Get there early and relax in the sauna and spa. Have one treatment and then laze by the pool reading a book and sampling some spa cuisine before you have another. Spending a day at the spa is a very glam and decadent experience and you’ll walk out feeling like a new person.

3. Find a hidden gem

Every travel destination has its own well-known spa, you know the one, you’ve seen it in the magazines, heard it whispered about with almost reverential tones. But usually not too far away is another spa that is maybe not as well known, far less pricey, but still a haven of relaxation equipped with therapists that really know what they’re doing. Ask the locals where they go, check out the back streets and don’t be put off by spas that look like they’re in need of a fresh coat of paint (as opposed to things you should be put off by - like promises of ’sensual’ massage). Some of these spas without all the hype are the tried and true black book secret of many a local.

One that springs to mind straight away is The Ginseng Bathhouse. Located in Sydney, Australia’s Kings Cross, this spa (also known as the Korean Baths) has been relaxing and rejuvenating locals for years for less than half the cost of spas only blocks away. It may be a no-frills establishment, but these women take the spa experience seriously and ensure that you won’t regret your visit.

Want to compare the price of a cup of coffee or a movie ticket in Paris, Cairo or Auckland to find out how far your travelling funds will take you?
Check out the Frommer’s Global Price Index for June 2007 at http://www.frommers.com/rss/articles/4445.html

Puntarenas, Costa Rica looks like a good bet to me.

Like to stay at this gorgeous pad in the South of France for next to nothing?

Dreaming of a villa in Tuscany? A chic apartment in Manhattan?

Or a house by the sea in Sydney?

Budget travel doesn’t have to mean share bathrooms and bed-bug friendly hostels. Networks such as Couch Surfing can set you up with a place to stay and instant local friends in almost any location in the world, in exchange for you offering a bed at your place for a friendly traveller too.

Or, if you want to make like Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in ‘The Holiday’ and enjoy a longer vacation in a house you would normally pay big bucks for, check out Home Exchange

Home exchange does have a subscription fee, but networks such as Couch Surfing are completely FREE.