Name: Creating budget-friendly trips in 2026
Uploaded: 2026-01-12T18:00:33.536Z
Duration: 4 min 10 s
Description: Are you looking for cheaper travel and a budget-friendly getaway for 2026? Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy, shares ways to cut costs and discusses travel trends.

Are you looking for cheaper travel and a budget-friendly getaway for 2026? Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy, shares ways to cut costs and discusses travel trends.

As 2026 approaches, many travelers are focusing on budget-friendly vacations, with surveys indicating a shift toward off-season travel and more affordable destinations. Brian Kelly, CEO of The Points Guy, highlights that while luxury travel continues to drive industry growth, about 40% of Americans plan to reduce their travel spending.

Kelly recommends exploring destinations where the US dollar is strong, such as Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa, and suggests using credit card points and rewards to offset costs. He also notes that new credit card options allow travelers to earn points on expenses like mortgage payments, providing additional opportunities for savings despite rising annual fees.

Creating budget-friendly trips in 2026

Many people looking to travel in 2026 are focused on budget-friendly getaways. According to a recent survey, roughly two-thirds say they will shift to off-season travel and nearly the same amount are choosing cheaper destinations. Brian Kelly, the founder and CEO of The Points Guy, is here to share ways to cut costs and the travel trends that are taking off this year. Taking off, you see how we did that? Like a plane, like a plane. Yep, thanks. Thank you, Nate, thank you. I did not write that. You validated me. I appreciate it. So, Brian, you're saying that the gap is widening between luxury travel and budget travel. Yeah, so luxury travel is what's driving the industry. The travel industry did pretty well last year, record numbers. We're gonna see record numbers again this year. But, you know, about 40% of Americans are concerned they're gonna spend less on travel this year. And the way to do that, and I've been preaching this forever, that off-season travel, the shoulder season, when you go to Europe in August, first of all, it's all Americans you're with, it's twice the price, and it's hot. So, you know, spread out the destinations that you go to. That's a good point. You know, I love Italy as much as the next person, but go to destinations, Croatia, Albania. There are so many hidden gems where your dollar just goes so much further. I heard so many good things about Croatia. That is definitely on the list. You also predict that because the US dollar is weak, that international travel will be impacted. So what are some good places that you can travel to where you get more bang for your buck? Yeah, so there are certain currencies the US dollar has been hit. You know, the euro over the last year has gained so much. And simply what that means is your dollar goes less. You need to spend more to vacation in Europe, but the dollar has strengthened against Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, even in South Africa, one of my favorite destinations. You will be shocked at what you can get for a meal in those destinations. So the flights might be a little bit expensive, but when you're planning international trips, look at the exchange rates. Certain countries, you can just get so much more for the same price. You'll be shocked in South Africa, 40 US dollars, a beautiful meal for two people. Rewind. So, you know, leveraging the US dollar makes a huge difference. So you mentioned a couple of places that might not be on people's radars like Croatia and Albania, but I'm shocked that, for example, I saw a video recently of people in the Maldives, which used to be a location that not a lot of Americans would go to. It's overrun now with tourists. So where are sort of the out of the way places people should be thinking about? Yeah, so especially for if you're on the West Coast, going to the Maldives, I've been many times, it's far and it is really expensive. I just got back yesterday from Fiji. I want to shout out Fiji. Did you really? I have a one and a three year old. I was wondering what that glow was. Makeup crew went to town. Fiji is the most family-friendly country in the world, the Fijian people. And that's, you know, it's still a 10 hour flight from the West Coast, but going to the Maldives is 24 hours, layovers. You know, so there are really great beach destinations. Of course, the Caribbean, there's also a lot of Caribbean islands where the U.S. dollar has strengthened. Mexico, Colombia. So, you know, I love the Maldives, but it is a commitment and a full day to get there. So I love going to the Points Guide for your credit card advice. A lot of annual fees are increasing. You know, how can people manage that? What smarter choices can they make? Yeah, so I want to say this. At 2026 New Year, for those who have not played the Points Game, this is my appeal to you. You've got to get in on it. There are now more credit cards than ever. I went to Sydney, December 26th. At last minute, I changed my tickets because of the storm that was coming. 129,000 points on American Airlines miles to go first class from New York to Sydney. So last minute, the airlines opened up tons of award availability that you can actually go places and save a lot of money. And also get credit cards that reward you for what you're spending on. So there's a credit card built. That's now, this week they're announcing that you can pay and get points on mortgage. That'll be coming out in February, which is a game changer. They've had that for rent. So a lot of the credit cards have raised their annual fees, but you can still get value as long as you use the credits. Awesome stuff. Hey, Brian Kelly, we appreciate you joining us. I know you're the points guy, but you should be known as the fashion guy. Okay, I'll show you how to properly rock a hoodie.

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