Which Splurges Are Actually Worth Paying for When Traveling?

Purchasing upgraded plane seats usually isn’t worth the investment for shorter flights. However, if you are strategic, you may be able to snag a seat at the front of the aircraft at a price that’s palatable for longer journeys, explains Daniel Herszberg, the co-founder of Travel Insighter, who has visited every country in the world. “For me, this is the ultimate comfort, especially on long-haul flights. Sleep, champagne, priority boarding. The full package!” Hertzberg says.

If you have airline points, you may be able to use them to purchase an upgraded seat at no out-of-pocket cost. Alternatively, you may be able to bid on an upgrade for a fraction of the original price starting 24 hours before boarding, Hertzberg says. Or, look for creative options to make your flight more comfortable, such as Air New Zealand’s Sky Couch.

I have used points to purchase Premium Economy seats on United for a trip to South Korea and bid cash to upgrade to Saga Class on Icelandair for a trip to Iceland. Although I don’t splurge on upgrades often, both times I purchased more comfortable airline seats, it made a significant difference in the amount of jetlag I experienced. That essentially gave me an extra day of vacation, which is priceless.

Lounge access isn’t just for first-class passengers. Nearly anyone can access airport lounges by paying a fee or getting an annual Priority Pass membership. “The more I travel, the more I consider access to lounges as the ultimate upgrade, especially for a long layover. The opportunity to shower, have an actual tasty meal, and sometimes even a massage,” is a splurge that’s well worth the investment, says Herszberg.

Having lounge access has also transformed the way I travel. I no longer worry about spending several stressful hours at the airport sitting in a hard seat and shelling out a fortune for mediocre airport food. Best of all, I get a Priority Pass membership included with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. After using the card’s other benefits, such as statement credits worth hundreds of dollars for travel costs and StubHub tickets, my membership is practically free. However, now that I have experienced lounge life, I would pay out of pocket for access if necessary.

I used to think that getting the least expensive cabin on a cruise was the best option. I don’t spend much time in my room on any trip, so I didn’t see the point in spending more for a cabin with a balcony when I had multiple outdoor decks at my disposal.

However, once I upgraded to a room with a balcony, I was hooked. I especially appreciated having a balcony on a recent cruise to Antarctica with HX Expeditions. Being able to step outside my cabin to enjoy the endless icebergs, fresh polar air, and wildlife in complete privacy, at any time of day or night, allowed me to experience the frozen continent in a more immersive way.

Cruise experts agree. “One of the most worthwhile upgrades is a cabin with a balcony,” Sundem says. “This is something that’s rarely emphasized, but it can completely change your onboard experience. Having access to fresh air, the ability to step outside, or simply crack a window makes a significant difference in both sleep quality and overall well-being, particularly on longer voyages,” she says.

Being escorted to a waiting car by someone holding a sign with your name on it isn’t just for the rich and famous. Booking a pre-arranged transfer is often worth the splurge for the right type of trip.

Many travelers arrive at their destinations weary after a long flight, often in a country where they don’t speak the local language fluently. “At the end of a 20+ hour journey when you’re exhausted and disoriented, having someone waiting for you, holding a sign, ready to assist, is invaluable,” Sundem says.

Plus, drivers often act as local guides, giving you insider tips to help orient you to your new location. They may also provide water and incorporate other small touches into the process to make the trip easier, she adds. Herszberg agrees. “Especially when landing in a chaotic city after a long flight, there’s nothing more luxurious than being whisked away by a white-glove service. And best of all, one of the most stressful moments of travel, finding the Uber station, or haggling with taxis in broken English, is gone,” he explains.

Booking tours is often part of the travel experience. Whether your tour is for a few hours or a few weeks, the type you book matters.

“If you have the means to upgrade to private or small group tours, do it. You will get more out of the experience and enjoy it more. In addition, private and small-group tours offer more flexibility than larger-group tours. Often, you can customize the itinerary and have more one-on-one time with the guide,” explains Roseann Pruitt, Product Manager for Envoyage, a global network of travel advisors.

After being shuffled around on huge, crowded tour buses on big tours, I decided the savings weren’t worth the trade-off. Now, I always book smaller tours, usually led by locals. I typically use a service like GetYourGuide or ToursByLocals to book shorter private or small-group tours. I’ve also taken four longer small-group tours with Intrepid Travel because I know I will have a local, knowledgeable guide who’s accessible and flexible. I’ve enjoyed my trips a lot more since making the change.

Drink packages on cruises aren’t always worth the splurge, but for the right person and the right price, they may make a lot of sense.

Many people simply don’t drink enough to make these packages worth the splurge, especially if they book onboard at a higher price. However, “On lines where you can include the drink package at booking, I recommend doing so because paying for drinks is something you do not have to think about on your vacation,” Pruitt says.

Plus, it tends to cost less to book a premium drink package at the time of booking. However, you need to be sure the cost of the drinks you plan on consuming is at least equal to the price of the package. When making your decision, pay attention to what the drink package includes. On some cruise lines, drink packages include specialty coffee and bottled water in addition to alcohol, making them a better value.

Although I don’t drink much, I once got a drink package so I could enjoy iced caramel coffees and chai lattes all day long. Some specialty coffees can be nearly as expensive as alcoholic beverages, and the splurge helped my trip feel more luxurious. However, if I had to down 10 cocktails a day to make up the cost, this splurge would have been a complete waste of money.

If you aren’t planning on using your hotel room for anything other than sleeping, splurging on an upgraded hotel probably isn’t worth the investment. However, for trips that aren’t jam-packed, upgrading your accommodations may be a wise move.

“Where I’m most willing to spend is on upgrading accommodations when I know I’ll actually be spending time enjoying the property itself,” Sundem says.

“If I’m intentionally building in downtime, whether that’s at a beach, in a rainforest setting, or somewhere with exceptional scenery, I will invest in a boutique hotel or higher-end lodge with strong design, amenities, and location. In those cases, the property becomes part of the experience, and the upgrade replaces the need for additional tours or logistics that day,” she explains.

Better accommodations may also mean non-negotiable amenities to make your stay comfortable. When I travel in the summer, I always splurge on rooms with air conditioning. I found out the hard way that some hotels around the world rely on open windows or fans to cool rooms. I have a hard time sleeping in hot rooms, and waking up sticky and tired makes it hard to enjoy my trip, so I no longer skimp on AC.

Sometimes it may not make sense to shell out more for a nicer hotel. However, it may make sense to splurge on a bigger room in a lower-tier property.

“Standard hotel rooms in certain destinations throughout the world can be very small, so any extra space is always appreciated after a long day of sightseeing, especially if you’re sharing the room with someone else,” says Jimmy Yoon, a travel expert and loyalty specialist at the travel search engine point.me.

For example, hotel rooms in London and New York may be no larger than a small walk-in closet. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a suite,” but even a little extra space can help make your stay more comfortable, especially on rainy days or when someone feels under the weather during their trip, he says.

Yoon suggests looking into opening a credit card that comes with complimentary upgrades. “Many larger hotel chains now offer at least mid-tier status by having one of their cobranded credit cards, which usually is enough to get complimentary room upgrades at the time of check-in, if available,” Yoon explains. I have a credit card that gives me elite status with Hilton Honors. I often get upgraded hotel rooms and receive other perks, such as late checkout and free breakfast, which helps my stay feel elevated, even at basic hotels.

Traveling by train is my favorite way to get around, but not all trains or train seats are created equally.

In Europe, I’ve purchased train tickets with assigned seats that face each other and have a table between them. Although these are usually not the least expensive seats, knowing I will be comfortable and can work or play a card game with my kids during the ride is worth the extra cost.

Plus, sometimes these seats come with extra perks, like a snack box. I’ve also upgraded to high-speed trains in Europe and Amtrak in the United States. Anything that saves time and gives me more time to explore is worth the splurge, in my opinion.

Moreover, “When traveling across Europe via train with a larger bag, something that many might relate to is the luggage situation for larger bags, especially when you’re traveling during busier times of the year,” Yoon says. “If there’s a class-of-service that leads to a better chance of having luggage space, I always opt to pay more for that peace of mind. An example of this is Trenitalia’s Executive Class on their high-speed trains, Frecciarossa, in Italy,” he explains.

One of my least favorite parts of traveling is dealing with getting through the airport and onto my plane. TSA PreCheck has helped make the process of getting through security a little more tolerable.

“TSA PreCheck is absolutely worth paying for. It makes the airport experience faster and less stressful every single time,” says Megan Daniels, a travel strategist who teaches families how to travel better on a budget at Journey Currencies.

Plus, many premium travel credit cards offer statement credits for TSA PreCheck, so if you plan strategically, you may be able to fast-track through security at no additional cost.