Does your family have a tradition of taking trips together? How about when you went to Disney World with your grandparents when you were five years old? Maybe it was the time you took an annual trip to Florida when you were in high school.
Was there ever one year where money got tight, and instead of going on that vacation, the whole family just stayed home for Christmas?
If so, then this article is for you. As a parent, we know that children are expensive. We have to buy them clothes and toys and pay for their food and entertainment.
Read on to learn how to save money when traveling with kids.
1)Pack Your Food.
Pack your snacks and meals instead of spending money on food at airports, gas stations, or restaurants while you are out for your family trip.
Not only will this save you a lot of time in the airport but it’s also highly convenient. You can quickly bring sandwiches to eat during layovers or make sure you always have snacks in the car.
2)Avoid Expensive Hotel Rooms
If possible, try to bring your family’s tent along for camping instead of staying in an expensive hotel room when you are on vacation.
Not only will this save a lot of money, but it can be enjoyable and memorable as well! You might even be able to get your kids excited about camping for the first time.
3)Look For Deals
When traveling, it’s always best to look online at travel websites for deals or packages that might be available in the location you want to visit. For instance, if you’re in England, booking your family onto one of these UK Coach Holidays will typically be more affordable (and much less stressful!) than planning the trip yourself as the price will include travel, day trips, and accommodation. Looking for deals can help save money on everything from airfare and hotel rooms to food and souvenirs.
4)Bring Your Own Entertainment
Do you need some extra things for your kids to do while you are on vacation? Try bringing along their favorite board games, video game consoles, or even a pack of playing cards.
These are all great ways for them to have fun during your trip without spending money at rental stores or movie theaters.
5)Rent a Car
While you are on vacation, make sure that you rent a car if at all possible as this is one of the best ways to save money when traveling with your family.
Without relying on public transportation or taxis, it can be easy for everyone to get around and have fun without spending too much money. Get a reliable car renting company like the SC Vehicle Hire and enjoy the rates.
6)Plan Ahead.
If you want to save money when taking your kids on a family vacation, planning is one of the best ways that you can do so.
Look up different locations online and see what activities will be available for them to enjoy while they are out. This way, it’ll be more accessible than ever before to save money on their vacation.
7)Request Family Rates.
If you are taking your kids to a theme park or amusement park, make sure that you ask about family discounts.
Some locations will offer discounted rates if there is more than one child in the group, but it’s always best to look online first before visiting the site itself, as this can save
8)Other places to stay
There are tons of other places to stay besides hotels, and all have their perks + price tags. Here is a list with brief explanations of what each means:
Hostels: This is where people with a bigger budget can save even more money overall. It’s best to book in advance because then you will most likely have your pick from whatever available rooms they have.
A hostel with one private room and a bathroom is the same as a hotel, but you can’t cook your food since it doesn’t have a kitchen.
Airbnbs: This is where people rent out rooms or homes for short periods instead of staying at hotels. You can usually find something nice on Airbnb for around $50/night, making this option one of the cheapest.
Housesitting: This means that someone who already has an apartment or house will ask you to watch their place while they are away. In exchange, they let you stay there free overnight.
Stay with friends and family: If you’re lucky enough to have some people nearby willing to offer you a place to sleep, then count yourself fortunate because this is yet another cheap way to travel.
9) Go Outside
If traveling to other countries isn’t an option for you this time around, then camping is always a good alternative. Even if just going for one night would help save money due to not needing any hotel rooms.
We know some people who love these types of vacations so much that it becomes their annual family tradition during summer, so look into this option if it’s something you’d like to try.
10)Travel slowly
This tip only applies if you’re still in the planning stages of your trip because if you’ve already packed and are ready to go, then it’s too late. If you travel slowly (for example, 1 or 2 days at a time), it will be much cheaper.
Since hotel prices usually come with the number of nights plus additional taxes. So if we take our family as an example, we can expect to save about $100 by taking two-day trips every other day rather than staying one night after another.
With these tips, you can save money on your family trip. You may not be able to escape the economic downturn of recent years, and some people might say that vacationing with kids is just a waste of time and money.
But there are still ways for you to make it work without going broke – even if you have more than one child in tow.
From packing your food to staying outside or considering other places to stay apart from the conventional ones, we’ve got plenty of ideas for keeping costs down while still having fun as a family. Which tip do you think will help most?