Despite what the budget airlines might have you believe, traveling as a family is anything but inexpensive. In fact, budgets regularly get blown out of the water, which is hardly surprising when one starts to factor in the thousands that are spent during school holiday season.Top three things I do that help me save on family trips.In this post you will get information about save money when traveling as a family.
Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand that is going to make prices shrink during those periods in which the kids are off school. However, there are “hacks” that can bring the price down through other means, some of which will be explored through the course of today’s post.
Avoid the tourist traps and cities
First and foremost, you don’t have to center your vacation plans around popular tourist destinations. For example, in the case of the UK, London is regularly talked about as the “only” worthwhile destination for those traveling.
Unfortunately, this is one destination where hotel prices are through the roof. If you were to span the net a little wider, and visit some of the other big cities in the country, you get much more bang for your buck. Manchester, as an example, has scores of activities for kids and hotels in this area are a fraction of the price of the capital.
The same rules apply around the world; don’t always head where the front page of the travel brochures tell you.
Be strategic with the school holidays
As already alluded to, the prices during school holidays start to border on the ridiculous. Budget airlines are no longer budget, and you are left trying to squish costs in whatever way possible.
However, there are ways to negotiate this period. For example, if we return to the UK again, Scotland has slightly different holiday dates. It means that flights from say Glasgow can be thousands cheaper in some cases (for a family at least), when compared to flights from an English airport. Sure, you have to get to Scotland, but this will still be much cheaper than forking out for a flight from a mainstream English airport.
You don’t have to eat out every night
When it’s just mom and dad traveling, a meal out every evening isn’t overly expensive. However, throw a couple of little people into the mix, and the costs have suddenly got a lot higher.
While it might not be quite as special, try avoiding eating out every night. Instead, nip to the grocery store on your first evening, and stock up so you can dine-in. Sure, it doesn’t have to be every night, but for the odd occasion you can save some money.
Search for attraction tickets long in advance
Whether it’s theme parks, museums or whatever ticks your family’s box, make sure that you search for attraction tickets a long time in advance. There can be occasions where tickets for these places are at their cheapest three weeks before your intended date, and the savings can be significant. It might not work for those of you who like to roll out of bed on vacation and decide there and then your plans, but if you’re not against a bit of planning you can save a small fortune.
