This One Simple Perk Was The Biggest Way I Saved Money While Visiting One Of The World's Most Expensive Travel Destinations

The author's hotel in Basel, Switzerland.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

• Switzerland is an expensive country to visit.
• On a recent trip to Basel, I paid $38 for a burger and $607 per night for a hotel room.
• But a hotel with complimentary breakfast saved me hundreds of dollars.

If you're traveling to Switzerland, a few things will likely be mentioned.

People will want to know if you did an adrenaline-fueled activity like skydiving in someplace beautiful like Interlaken. They'll be eager to hear just how many pounds of Swiss chocolate you consumed. And most likely, they'll ask how you afforded the trip in the first place.

That's because Switzerland is known as one of the most expensive countries in the world. According to a report by the online database Numbeo, Switzerland is home to Geneva and Zurich, the top two cities in the world with the highest cost of living. The country is also home to the most expensive Big Mac, and budget travelers should expect to spend between $820 to $2,160 on a two-night trip, according to Trip.com.

I saw those high prices on a recent trip to Basel, where I spent $38 on a burger, nearly $100 on a round-trip train ride, and $607 a night in a five-star hotel.

But one thing helped me stay within my budget: finding a hotel with complimentary breakfast.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Free breakfast is usually a perk, but it was a game changer in Switzerland

Before arriving in Basel, I eyed several of the city's hotels. I debated the amenities I wanted for the four-night stay: did I need a hotel gym? Was proximity to a train station a must? Did I want a king or queen-sized bed?

Initially, complimentary breakfast wasn't on my radar. I'm familiar with hotel chains' free breakfasts, which consist of the basics: cereal, yogurt, and a waffle maker if I'm lucky.

As I eyed the reviews and photos of Euler Hotel, I realized a complimentary breakfast would be a strategic way to save money in Basel. I could tell the hotel had an enormous spread from the photos online. There were the basics like yogurt, waffles, and cereal, but also fruits, breads, pastries, smoked fish, cured meats, cheeses, eggs, bacon, and espresso.

It was a breakfast I would easily pay for, and if I ate a hearty meal each morning, I could have a lighter (read: cheaper) lunch.

And that's exactly what I did. Each morning, I headed to the bottom floor of the Euler Hotel and filled a plate with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and fruit.

Then, I'd snack on a quick sandwich or salad for lunch.

The breakfast and cheap lunch helped me save a couple hundred dollars on my Switzerland trip.

The money saved on food allowed me to splurge on experiences like a night in the Hotel Les Trois Rois, a historic hotel that has welcomed everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to the Rolling Stones.