About Us

January 10, 2017

Why we are here

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Our mission is to help you create amazing travel memories without breaking the bank.

Established in 1998 as America’s favorite Go-To travel magazine, Budget Travel inspires and empowers millions of Americans to become savvy travelers and see more for less. For over two decades, Budget Travel has provided readers with the how-to advice they won’t find elsewhere: Destinations where the dollar goes the farthest; authentic, under-the-radar tips; and a template for getting the most from each travel experience.

We focus on U.S. domestic travel, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, road trips, cool small towns, American cities of all sizes, weekend getaways, theme parks, cruises, national and state parks, best budget destinations, island escapes, budget travel tips and how-to stories.

We like to think of our audience (that is you by the way) as curious, discerning, intelligent, and down to earth. Our users understand that budget travel is not only about cheap places and backpacking, but about creating the best travel memories with whatever money you have. That's why our new site experience integrates a private booking platform with discounts of up to 50% in all sorts of hotels, from 5-stars, chic boutique hotels, and even motels. We want to offer you a simple and easy to use platform to help you discover, get inspired, and book an amazing trip at an incredible price. All in one place.

Lifetime travel memories are waiting for you just around the corner, safe travels!

The Budget Travel Team

Our Story

Budget Travel Magazines

Budget Travel was conceived by Arthur Frommer in 1998 and then sold to Newsweek a year later. Ten years later, in 2009, The Washington Post Company, which at the time was Newsweek’s parent company, sold the magazine to BRG Investments, a subsidiary owned by Alphonse Fletcher Jr., a prominent Wall Street investor. The last issue of the magazine was printed in 2012.

Then, in 2014, Lonely Planet acquired Budget Travel’s assets, and brought this amazing brand back to life. Budget Travel then became an award-winning multimedia platform, and our authors frequently appeared in television segments on The Weather Channel, CNBC, New York’s PIX11 Morning News, and more.

Not so long ago...

In late 2020, Budget Travel separated from Lonely Planet and became, again, a small independent travel media startup on a shoestring.

The first thing we did, was to resist the temptation to “reinvent ourselves” and decided to look back at the original core belief and early principle of this great American brand: “Vacations for Real People.” We had to look no further; this mantra was all we needed. We then focused on building a great new experience and finding great partners. The rest of the pieces started to click and provided a serendipitous moment of order, growth, and joy.

Seriously, do you really need to see another staged photo of an infinity pool, a glass of champagne, and a perfectly manicured beach in the background?

Welcome to the new Budget Travel, Vacations for Real People™.

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