How To Do Family Travel On A Budget

I start with this one because I believe that if you want to travel with your family, your mindset needs to change. We prioritise acquiring the means to travel together as a family. The question of when we will go, not IF, is always relevant.

I say this with caution since I am aware that there are those waiting to yell and clamour, but I have job to do! The kids are in school, though, you say. I know. All of them are true and defensible observations, and I would never minimise the realities of everyone's everyday situations. Let's be clear: spending time and money on family travel is a luxury.

Additionally, if travelling is what you desire for your family, you'll need to create a small mental opening to allow for the potential of making it happen.

Just Say No To Spring Break Travel

Avoid travelling during the peak season if you want to take a family vacation on a tight budget. Supply and demand, plain and simple. The cost of hotels and travel will increase as the number of travellers increases. Hotels will cost a fortune if you decide to have spring break in Florida in April. The most expensive months to fly to Europe are July and August.

If you travel to Paris in the fall or Arches National Park in the winter, you can save 40–70% on lodging and travel expenses. We spent $95 per night for lodging that costs $400 per night in the summer when we visited Whitefish, Montana, and Glacier National Park in the winter. I'm not joking.

Consider Taking Your Kids Out Of School

When your children are in school, it might be challenging to travel during the off-season. To have your amazing low-cost family vacation, think about taking them out for a short while.

I know. I know. It's harder than it seems. It's disruptive, your school might not like it, and some children might not want to skip class.

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You must decide for yourself and your family what is best in this situation. If you're on the fence about taking them out of school, talk to their teacher about it and hear what they have to say so you can collaborate with them to find a solution. You might need to organise time during your vacation for the kids to do their homework or lesson plans. It's a fantastic activity to do while flying! Alternately, you may collaborate with the instructor to identify a time during the academic year when their departure won't be as taxing. For instance, refraining from travelling immediately before a significant project or test.

Travel Where Your Money Goes Further

You need to think outside the box of conventional "family locations" like Hawaii and well-known theme parks if you want to figure out how to travel on a budget with kids. Wherever your money goes, you should travel. Instead of Hawaii, think about places like Panama, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines that have equally beautiful (or even better) beaches. Consider other mystical nations in Europe like Montenegro, Bosnia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic instead of France or Italy. These locations are just as charming and if you go off-season, absurdly less expensive than other well-known European locations.

Credit Card Points Are Your Friend

One of my favourite ways to get money for travel is through credit card points. Many people choose to only use debit cards, however not taking advantage of credit card points is wasting your money!

Let's be clear: the following guidance is ONLY appropriate if you can pay off your entire balance each month. This advice is not for you if you are unable to. With the interest you pay when you carry a balance, whatever points you earn will rapidly lose their value. Your credit score will also suffer.

Some people delve deeply into the world of points. They have a variety of credit cards, take advantage of all sign-up offers, participate in point and mile forums, and keep meticulous spreadsheet records of their credit card points. Not me, please. I do it simply. I just use the credit card that works best for my spending style. Even while there are credit cards that provide excellent benefits for travellers, you can only benefit if you travel frequently. If you only travel once a year, why would you obtain a card that offers Uber credits, access to airport lounges, and 5X points for airfare?

Price Compare Home Rentals and Hotels

When travelling with a family, peer-to-peer rental businesses like Airbnb and Vrbo once provided the best value. I'm not quite sure that using house rental services is the best course of action because of escalating service fees and outrageous cleaning rates. Despite this, it's still the first place I check when looking for lodging discounts for a location. The extra benefits of staying at a house rental, such as a kitchen to reduce dining out, numerous rooms, laundry, a backyard for your kids to play in, and the solitude of your own home, should be budgeted for when comparing the costs of a hotel versus a home rental.

Choose Family-Friendly Airlines

Most consumers choose the airline that offers the lowest fares but doesn't forget to factor in any additional fees that the airline may charge. For roundtrip travel, the price to check luggage for a family can easily be an extra $100.

Southwest Airlines is excellent for family travellers even though it isn't a prestigious airline with a sophisticated tiered class system or a posh airport lounge. Why do we adore them so much? Two baggage are checked for free for each person. The ability to check your luggage for free is wonderful because, even though I like to pack little, flying with a family frequently entails a lot of baggage.

Travel With Friends or Family

As a way to travel with your family on a budget, think about going with friends. Sharing the price of a three-bedroom VRBO might greatly lower your expenses.

Consider the scenario in which you needed a hotel room for three nights during a long weekend in Boise. A mid-range hotel room for three nights in June in Boise would run you about $700 overall. You would spend about $700 for three nights in a luxurious three-bedroom home in Boise in June. But now that you're sharing it in half, your total comes to $350. Additionally, you have a kitchen, a backyard, a separate room for your kids, and free parking. For me, it is a no-brainer.