Traveling by yourself is a lot different from traveling with other people. On the other hand, traveling with different types of people also changes the dynamics. For example, traveling with friends is different from going on a family vacation.
You might be able to get away with more money-saving techniques when you travel by yourself. However, if you’re going on a family vacation, the sheer number of people is going to make it harder to save money during travel.
Therefore, you need to proactively look for ways to save money for your upcoming family vacation. On that note, here are eight brilliant tips that will help you save money and not break the bank for your family vacation:
Travel off-season
It’s a lot harder to book cheaper plane tickets anywhere when you travel during the school break or when more people are also free to go. Therefore, if you can, consider going during the off-season. That way, you’ll save a lot of money from the cheaper flight tickets alone.
Also, if you’re going to book flights on certain days of the week, try to book your flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, as plane tickets are often more affordable then. If you book your next vacation online, you can compare flights to see exactly which day of the week and month has the cheapest flights.
It would be best if you also considered when the off-season is for your travel destination. For example, the winter season might mean that it’s more expensive to travel to tropical countries since it’s in high demand.
Choose family-friendly accommodations
Staying in hotels will be expensive when you’re bringing your whole family with you.
Choose cheaper accommodations like booking an Airbnb so that you won’t have to devote a considerable chunk of your travel budget to your rooms. Not to mention that booking via Airbnb means you get to enjoy whatever amenities an apartment or condo has.
For example, you can save a lot of money from having to eat out if your rental has a kitchen that you can use.
Take advantage of your miles
You might have mileage privileges available if you often travel, which you can luckily apply to the whole family.
These mileage points allow you to get rewards that will give perks for your travel. From booking a hotel room to travel discounts, many benefits come from these mileage privileges that you should check if it’s available to you.
Get smart about packing
Checking your luggage can add to your costs, and it doesn’t guarantee that it stops there.
So once you start packing for your trip back home, it’s advisable to weigh your checked luggage to make sure that it complies with your airline’s allowed size and weight of baggage. Otherwise, you’re going to have to pay for the overweight baggage fee.
If you want to reduce your travel expenses, you and your family should be better at packing. Don’t bring any unnecessary items with you. Also, try to pack clothes that look good no matter what you pair it with so you don’t end up packing a ton of clothes for the trip.
Hit the grocery store
Although eating at local spots is an excellent way to get to know the local culture, you should also make sure that you don’t spend too much money eating out.
It’s a lot cheaper to cook food yourself or to buy snacks here and there. You can have a light breakfast, get by with the snacks, then have a bigger budget for lunch or dinner when you want to eat out.
Think hard before renting a car
No matter where you go, they probably have some form of public transport that you and your family can use. Therefore, you should try not to rent a car for your travels.
It’s a lot cheaper to use public transport, and it can be a lot faster in some cases.
If you want a more private vehicle, then you can always look at the ridesharing apps available in these countries.
Join a tour
Going on a full-day tour can feel like they’re more expensive, but they save you a lot of money, time, and effort.
They arrange your itinerary for you and the travel to and from destinations. At the same time, they’re probably going to provide you with food during the entire tour, so you don’t have to worry about that when you’re there.
Find things to do for free
There are many attractions in each country that you don’t have to pay for to access. For example, there are probably parks and beaches that you don’t need to pay for to enjoy.
Try and look up free attractions in areas near your lodging so that you don’t need to spend money to enjoy and spend time with your family.
A family vacation is a time to enjoy one another’s company. At the same time, it’s a chance for you to relax. Therefore, you should plan to avoid worrying about things like your budget while you’re there. Planning is going to make sure that you don’t break the bank, even when you travel with your family.
