Staying on budget is usually the top priority when people plan holidays and extended trips. When I traveled around Europe and the Middle East for nine months, I had a respectable — but far from extravagant – amount of savings and I was aware of the fact that if I strayed from my budget too often, my trip would be cut short. After all, it’s better to miss out on some fancy meals and cocktails than the next country on your travel agenda. But for some people, money is not a concern. Imagine winning millions in a lottery draw overnight – where would you go and what would you do? Some past lottery winners have chosen to go on some fascinating, budget-breaking adventures.
Where do most UK lottery winners choose to travel?
A 2012 study by Camelot and Oxford Economics sorted through the spending and savings habits of 3,000 National Lottery lottery winners. While lottery millionaires spent by far more on property and investments, many also chose to splurge on luxury holidays and caravans. In fact, the combined amount these 3,000 spent on what they considered to be their most luxurious single trip overseas is £21 million, or an average of £7,100 per person for a single holiday! 10% of winners preferred to travel in the UK extensively and spent a remarkable £7.4 million on luxury caravans. For lottery winners who did travel overseas, 68% chose to live the ultra-good life and stayed in five-star hotels.
| Most Popular Destinations for UK Lottery Winners | % of winners who travelled |
| USA | 27 |
| Caribbean | 9 |
| Dubai | 6 |
| Canary Islands | 6 |
| Mallorca | 5 |
| Portugal | 5 |
| Maldives | 3 |
| Canada | 3 |
Matt Myles, the Ultimate Lottery-Winning Globetrotter
No discussion about lottery winners’ traveling habits is complete without Matt Myles. When he won £1 million in the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker raffle in 2014, Matt Myles was a normal 27-year-old factory worker in Hereford. Myles got the travelling itch really quick and booked a flight to Indonesia before the money was even deposited into his bank account. After investing £500,000 of the winnings, he said he wasn’t interested in seeing how far he could stretch the rest and wanted to have wild experiences instead. He then decided to take £100,000 and go on a round-the-world trip with his brother and best friend. The three of them travelled to the US, Brazil (for the World Cup), Thailand, Ibiza, Spain, and Italy. In less than eight months, the three buddies spent £80,000 – most of which Myles admits was for alcohol. He and his crew spent £4,500 in one New York restaurant and another £7,000 in one night at Space, a nightclub in Ibiza.
What your dream holiday tour look like Matt’s? If you had a £100K, where would you go?
A Trip to Graceland Was ‘Always on My Mind’
David and Donna Hendry of Edinburgh won £4 million in the National Lottery on a very special day. David is a major Elvis fan and amazingly they won the jackpot on 8 January 2015, what would have been Presley’s 80th birthday. The first thing the family did after seeing their numbers drawn was to go to McDonald’s for dinner and plan the trip of a lifetime to – you guessed it – Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Making Holiday Dreams Come True for Others
Jane Park, from Edinburgh, was just 17 when she won £1 million through the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker raffle in 2003. Two years later, she heard that Leon Rendle, a 15-year-old battling a rare form of cancer, wanted to have a dream trip to Universal Studios in Orlando so he could swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, no insurance firms will cover him for the US visit due to his illness. Jane Park wanted to do something for the family and she contacted Rendle’s mother via Facebook, offering to pay for his trip. Sometimes making travel dreams come true for well-deserving people is a better experience than going on holiday yourself.
Travelling is one of the most rewarding ways to spend your time and money – whether on a shoestring budget or no budget at all! Wherever you lie on that spectrum, keep planning and keep travelling!
