Even if it seems far, trust me on this one, New Year, Valentine’s day and other holidays are just around the corner and they will come faster than you think. Maybe it’s even your anniversary soon. This is actually the perfect time to start slowly planning gifts for your beloved. If you are on a tight budget, don’t be sad – your options are still countless. You wouldn’t believe how cheap some things can be. All you need to do is dig a little deeper, and you will see.
Important note before we start: always pay attention to additional feeds, taxes and ALWAYS read the fine print. With that being said, here are some ideas for an incredible budget-friendly weekend for two. Enjoy.
Travelling off season
During winter months, everyone will either choose to go somewhere snowy where they can ski and do other winter activities, or in some tropical paradises to run away from the cold. This is perfect since all the popular cold-weather cities, which are full of tourists during spring or fall, are going to be half empty, and the prices will fall faster than the speed of light. Empty streets will allow you to see and explore everything better, and all the cafes and restaurants will help you fill your bellies and get warm after all those adventures. Bring your winter coats and enjoy.
Be a local tourist
This might sound ridiculous, but did you know that there are some Sydneysiders that have never seen the Opera house? There are some New Yorkers who have never seen the Statue of Liberty. Crazy right? But, when you really think about it, did you ever in your life visited tourist sites in your city? Be honest. Wouldn’t it be so fun and cool for you two to explore your city a little bit? But there is a little catch: while you are being a local tourist, check out of your house and go in a hotel, hostel or a guesthouse – that will make the whole experience much more real. Also, go to the local tourism office and get those city tourism passes. They will allow you to see much more local attractions for free, or really cheap. Your city is waiting to be explored! Hurry up.
National park camping
Oh, these are the best. In Australia, camping fees are very small, they go from 30 to 60 AUD; in the US 15 USD, and in Europe countries, or Japan, camping on public lands is free. Tell me now, could you think of anything more romantic than a weekend with your loved one underneath the stars, surrounded by the sounds of nature? If you, on the other hand, are not fans of tents, the national parks often provide cabins. All in all, you can go hiking, kayaking, exploring etc. Perfect adventure for couples.
Organize a spa weekend
This is for all of you romantic love birds out there. There are so many options here, especially now, when you have themed spas everywhere. Even though it may seem like the spa weekend costs a lot of money – it really doesn’t. Every city is filled with spas you don’t even know about. Imagine this: peaceful jazz music playing in the background, you and your partner lay in the pool on matching floating pool chairs, while sipping wine – this is what I call paradise. Of course, if you or some of your friends have an indoor pool or a Jacuzzi, there is a low budget DIY spa idea right there. You can use the rest of the money to buy some champagne and fancy dining, but that all depends on your imagination.
Last minute offers
Take cruises for example – they can be very expensive. A small room on a seven-day Caribbean cruise will cost you over 700 USD per person. But check this out, if you two are the last passengers, the cruise will be a bargain. If you try hard enough, you can easily find cruises for as low as $30 per day. Of course, this is risky, since we can’t know will somebody cancel their trip or not, so if you are not a fan of risks, you can book cruise a year in advance and have even bigger discount.
Also, this doesn’t apply only for cruises. You can go on a last-minute vacation, also. A lot of travel agencies have awesome and really cheap last minute offers, so spend a day surfing online and you will find something you both like, and can afford.
Whatever you choose, make sure that your partner agrees. However, I’m sure that all of these ideas are suitable for anyone. Use your imagination and create a perfect, fun, romantic and unique memory which you two will happily remember for a long, long time.
