Do you want to travel more with your kids, but don’t want to break the bank to do it? Family travel can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to bankrupt you. A little smart planning can help you save hundreds to even thousands each holiday. Read on for my top ten tips for family travel on a budget.
- 1. Get a Travel Credit Card
- 2. Plan Your Destination Based Off Flights
- 3. Be Flexible with Accommodations
- 4. Pack Light
- 5. Eat Smart
- 6. Decide Your Best Mode of Transportation
- 7. Buy a SIM Card
- 8. Don’t Purchase Car Insurance Through the Rental Company
- 9. Don’t Buy Trinkets
- 10. Know When to Book
1. Get a Travel Credit Card
The best thing you can do for yourself if you want to travel, is get a good travel credit card. What does your current credit card do for you? If the answer is nothing, then you shouldn’t be using it. A credit card should work for you. You spend money on it each month, and hopefully pay it off again before your statement due date. It will take some research to figure out the best card for you as there are many travel cards, and they all offer different perks. Some will give you hotel stays, or discounts at hotels. Others are for flights only, while others give you deals or discounts for things like car rentals.
Our American Express card paid for our accommodations for 5 nights in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. What would have cost us $500USD per night, cost us zero dollars.
If you’re serious about family travel on a budget, hop on google or talk to your bank, and start getting travel credits through your credit card company today.
To get the maximum benefit from your credit card you should be buying everything on it and paying it off each month. I never, and I mean never use my debit card. Get more travel credits and points on your credit card by using it to buy things you would be buying anyway.
2. Plan Your Destination Based Off Flights
When my husband and I book a holiday, it’s sometimes planned around what flight deals we can find. A number of years ago we were hoping to plan a holiday in Thailand, but found an amazing deal on flights to Japan, so we switched our focus and booked flights to Japan. When you are flying with kids, your flight cost can increase significantly as each child over the age of two is full price. Flights are often the most expensive part of any holiday.
Try making a list of cities or countries you want to travel to in order of most wanted down to least. Doesn’t have to be a long list, top 5-10. There are some sites you can add deal alerts to, or subscribe to get emails of travel deals. Our local airport offers an email subscription, and they will email you deals and alerts so you know what sales are coming. Google flights also allows you to subscribe to alerts. You set up a new notification for a specific flight, and they advise you when the price drops. When one of the destinations on your list goes on sale, book it for your family travel on a budget!
3. Be Flexible with Accommodations
Hotels are great while on holiday. Room service, clean sheets and towels, and concierge to answer any questions you have about the area at any hour of the day. If you’re willing to sacrifice all that and stay at a home rental, you could end up saving a few hundred dollars or more. Sites like Airbnb or VRBO are great options for accommodations in any city. You can easily search location, prices, number of bedrooms, amenities, etc. You can even message the owner directly and ask any other questions you might have.
For families with kids, especially small ones, rental units can be more convenient, as you can get a full kitchen and separate bedrooms. Most home rentals come with on site laundry, which is a bonus when traveling for a longer period of time. Be sure to check all options when booking for each city on your itinerary. You may find in your first city a hotel is cheaper, but in your second stop, an Airbnb is. We have often traveled and booked a mix of hotels and airbnbs.
Make sure to research the location of your accommodations well. When traveling with kids especially, you may want to stay away from certain areas of a city. If you’re traveling with young kids, you probably don’t want an apartment in the middle of the entertainment district during spring break.
4. Pack Light
Most people think that bringing everything from home is cheaper than packing light and possibly end up needing to purchase things while abroad. Have you ever stopped to add up how much the fees are for checking luggage? Airlines have been steadily raising their rates for check in bags over the years, and the cost will likely never decrease. If you’re able to, just bringing a carry on and a personal item is your best, most cost effective choice. A carry on can be stored in the overhead bin, while your personal item goes under your seat. This is easier to do when traveling with older kids as each child can carry their own bags, and have everything they need in their bag for the duration of the holiday.
If you are traveling with carry on only, be aware of the liquid requirements for the airline you will be flying with. Most airlines only allow for small bottles of liquid, or tubes of toothpaste.
Many airbnb rentals include laundry facilities, so traveling light is not such a burden. Easily wash your clothes to re-wear them during your trip. It will save you money and save you the hassle of having to lug around large luggage from place to place.
5. Eat Smart
A great part of traveling is experiencing cuisine from around the world. This doesn’t mean you need to eat at the fanciest of restaurants everyday though. There are many ways to experience the local cuisine and save money doing it.
When we travel, we often skip a big breakfast unless it’s included in our hotel package. We find a local coffee shop and stop in for a coffee and a pastry while on the go. Pack some fruit such as bananas and oranges for kids to enjoy between small meals.
Consider where you are traveling and what their breakfast customs are. For example in Italy, it is normal to just stop at a cafe and have a cappuccino and a cornetto (an italian pastry similar to a croissant) for breakfast. Whereas in Scotland, a big hearty heart stopping breakfast is the custom. We were looked at like we had three eyes, when we advised our bed and breakfast we would not be having breakfasts while staying with them in Edinburgh.
You don’t need to eat out for three meals a day. Stop for the small pastry and coffee. Many places offer farmers markets where you can purchase fresh fruit and homemade bread. In Greece we bought feta cheese, crackers, fresh tomatoes, olives and deli meat. For breakfast, lunch or dinner we had our own little charcuterie platter of local specialties, and very inexpensive for your family travel on a budget.
Dinner is typically going to be the best meal to eat out while traveling. Restaurants feature their best meals in the evening. Eat small or on the go for breakfast and lunch. Bring healthy snack foods for the kids. A great lunch plan is a picnic in a nearby park. Stop at a local grocery store or farmers market and pick up some crackers, fruit, cheese and deli meat. Easy, and delicious. The kids will love picnicking in the park.
6. Decide Your Best Mode of Transportation
You’ve decided where to go. What sights do you want to see, and how do you plan on getting there? Lots of cities have excellent public transportation like subways, skytrains and buses. Taxis are available around the world, and ride shares like Uber are gaining popularity as well.
Taxis in many cities around the world are known to charge tourists more. In many countries there are even problems with ‘fake’ taxis who are known to scam tourists or even rob them. We usually only take a taxi when one is ordered for us by our hotel, at the airport or at a well known tourist sight/attraction. When you take taxis from these locations, you know they are a legitimate taxi service, and you will know the price prior to being dropped off at your destination.
The local bus and trains are usually a safe option, but when you are traveling with a family, you have to pay for each individual ticket. A $3.00 fare doesn’t sound like much, but when you have two parents and two kids, you are now looking at $12.00. How far are you going? Would a taxi or a rideshare be cheaper based on your destination? An Uber driver will drop you right where you need to go. How far away are the train stations, and how far are you and the kids able to walk if needed?
Rideshares are a great alternative to the above mentioned options. Rideshares are safe, cost effective and convenient. They also help in the instance that there is a language barrier. All your destination and pick up details are entered in the app in your preferred language, and is automatically translated into the drivers preferred language. All prices are set, and you pay for everything right in the app, which limits the amount of cash you need to carry with you. You do need the ability to have an internet connection for the ability to order a ride, and that leads into my next tip to save money on a holiday.
7. Buy a SIM Card
If you don’t purchase SIM cards already when you travel, you need to start. Having access to the internet while on holidays has more benefits than just being able to order rideshares. We live by google when traveling. When you’re in an area filled with restaurants, which one do you choose? We choose one of the top two highest rated ones. Oftentimes the best rated, is not the most expensive, and if you base your choice off the reviews, you are going to get a better meal for your dollar. Google reviews rarely steer us wrong.
Having a SIM card will save you more time, than money. But we all know our time is valuable, especially when traveling with kids. On holidays in Italy, we lined up for tickets to enter Vatican City. We were told it was an almost four hour wait, and in the hot July sun. On a whim, we decided to go online to check ticket sales. We were able to buy tickets online and reserve a window for less than an hour later. Instead of standing in line for four hours, we sat at a coffee shop for forty five minutes before walking right into the Vatican.
Some cell phone plans will offer travel packages for data but we have always found these to be grossly overpriced. Going through your cell phone plan offers the benefit of convenience, as there is no need to stop in and buy a SIM card from a shop. But, if you take the time to find one when you arrive, you will save a lot of money. Our cell phone company wants $12.00 per day to use data. When we buy a SIM card at our destination, we pay on average $30-$50 for two to four weeks of coverage. Each destination offers different cards, for different prices.
If you are opting to buy a SIM card, don’t buy one at the airport. There are always booths at the airport selling SIM cards for travelers but these SIM cards are the same ones you can find outside the airport for half the cost. The airport shops will always raise the prices, as they are the first shop tourists see.
8. Don’t Purchase Car Insurance Through the Rental Company
If you are renting a car during your holiday, you are of course going to want car insurance. But did you know, you don’t need to purchase the insurance from the rental company? Check with your credit card company and enquire about their rental car coverage. Lots of credit card companies give you insurance when you pay for a rental car with the credit card.
After you book your rental, contact your credit card and ask for a CDW (Collision Damage Waiver). They will email or mail you a form advising that your rental car is covered. Bring a print out of this form with you when you pick up your rental car. We have had some rental companies try and tell us this isn’t sufficient and you are required to purchase their insurance. This isn’t the case, and if you stand your ground, they will give up and send you on your way with your rental car. By taking the time to bring this form, you could save upwards of $500, as some countries have very high insurance prices.
9. Don’t Buy Trinkets
You may think that the bronze Eiffel Tower replica is cute now, but will you want it in your home come next month? You may be tempted into buying cute trinkets or little gifts for family and friends, but make sure to think twice, or even three times before filling your carry on with gifts. Do you family and friends really want those items?
We usually google what the ‘to buy’ item is, of the country we’re heading to. For example, in Peru they are known for their excellent quality alpaca wool textiles. If heading there, instead of buying small trinkets or magnets, perhaps spending a little more money on a beautiful throw, or scarf, you will go home with something you will actually use at home to remind you of your holiday.
Usually consumable goods are your best money spent. In Cambodia, they are known for their Kampot Pepper. We brought pepper home for our friends and family and it was very well received as they could actually use it. Many destinations have something edible they are known for. Maple Syrup from Canada, Kona Coffee from Hawaii, Chocolate from Belgium. Who wouldn’t much prefer a bag of Kona Coffee over a plastic hula doll for the car dashboard?
10. Know When to Book
You can book some flights up to a year in advance, but that doesn’t mean you will get the best price booking so far in advance. The sweet spot for booking airline tickets seems to be around 4 months prior to your travel date. For families planning a vacation, this is a good amount of time to get everything in order. If you book too far in advance, or with too short notice, you will most likely pay more for your flights. Make sure to use the above mentioned Google Flights alerts to find the best price.
Aside from booking your flight at the best price, also think about what time of year to travel. If you can travel during non peak times, you can save lots of money. This can be harder when you have kids in school, as you may be unwilling to pull them out for a family vacation. Lots of teachers are more than willing to send homework packages for your kids to complete during the time they are away.
Make your list of top destinations, and start planning your family travel on a budget today. My 10 tips are sure to help you save more money, which allows you to travel more often. So many memories can be made traveling with your kids and introducing them to the world. Don’t wait until their older, start now.
Comments
Love this lost of ideas, totally agree with them all.
Love our AMEX card too, have a few free nights in our bank to use up. That Air BNB in Budapest looked awesome.
Love these tips! I like the credit card idea and packing light ideas the best.
Great article with very useful tips! I love what you said about buying something more meaningful instead of trinkets you’ll never use again.
Wow! Really helpful tips! Incredible the amount of travelling you’ve done with a young family! Inspiring! Pinning for later. Thanks! 🙂
Great tips! Haven’t ventured too far with our little ones yet but this is helping motivate me.
Love the tips. We also almost always have a picnic for lunch during our holdiays, so much easier with a kid (and usually cheaper and healthier).
Great tips! As a family of 5, we definitely try to be economical in our travels so we can do more holidays! We like to do an AirBnB stay when possible as we can sometimes get a lower rate, the ability to cook our own meals and we try to find a more walkable location to save on transportation costs.
Great budget advice!!
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