Easy Ways to Save Money when Booking the Ultimate Family Vacation

If you want to take a family vacation without racking up too much credit card debt, then you’ll be glad to know that this is very easy to do.

Be Flexible with your Dates

If you can be flexible with your dates, then that's a big way to save, especially when it comes to flights. It helps to go for a mid-week stay rather than one that a weekend, because hotels often surge their prices for Thursday - Sunday stays. It also helps to do a search for holidays that start a few days earlier, or end a few days later than you originally wanted, because national holidays can also bump up the price of trips and they can also make it much harder for you to take advantage of any cost-savings.

Stay Out of the City Center

You can usually save a ton of money by staying outside the city center. Sure, you won’t be as close to the tourist attractions, but you can easily catch the bus in if you are a savvy traveler. This will also give you the chance to see a part of the city that you would otherwise have missed out on.

Know where to Look for Deals

Lots of airlines and travel companies will offer deals through social media, mobile apps or even through newsletters too. You can easily take advantage of them if you sign up with your email address, and sometimes you may even get access to exclusive discounts, too. This can save you a small fortune and you would be surprised at how much it could make a difference to your trip overall.

Book Early

If you do want to go on holiday during big events, such as the Fourth of July or even Christmas, then it helps to book as far in advance as you can. If you book too late then you may find that prices start to rise and that the whole trip becomes way more expensive than it needs to be. If you have already missed the chance of booking early, then it may help to book at the last minute. Sure, booking a holiday the day before you are due to leave can be stressful, but the cost savings can sometimes be worth it.

Use the Kids

There are tons of restaurants, hotels and even attractions that are suitable for kids, so why not try and seek them out when making your travel plans? Some places will give you discounts if you have a family and this can really make a huge difference if you are on a budget.

Stay in A Resort

Family resorts are set up to your trip easy. They have food and even activities in one place, which can save you money on transport and individual meals when you stay at an all-inclusive resort. This will mean that you don’t need to take half as much spending money with you.

Think Local

Getting away from tourist areas could make your trip cheaper and even more memorable. Tourist attractions tend to overcharge people just because they know they are going to get visitors regardless. The last thing that you need is to fall into a tourist trap, so make sure that you stay out of the main city. Shop with local providers, stay in a B&B, or even think about eating at food carts instead of local restaurants.

Discounts

If you have found a hotel with a great deal then this is great, but did you know that it is possible for you to save even more money by searching for coupons? When you do, you can easily save an additional 10-15% and this can make the world of difference if you are staying in a very expensive resort.

Book with a Kitchen

A lot of families think that the most expensive part of a vacation is the hotel or even the airline. But when you have all of this booked, you may find that you need to spend even more on meals and drinks when you are there. One way for you to get around this would be for you to book a room that comes with a kitchen. You can even save time by ordering from your phone. From Chinese to Indian food, apps like Grub Hub and Uber Eats open up more options for the range of what you can eat, too.

Car Rental Fees

If you know that you are going to need to rent a car for your trip, then it helps to avoid the rental services that are within airports. They normally have way more expensive fees and sometimes there are hidden charges too. If you want to avoid this then you need to chat with your service beforehand. The more you can get everything arranged, the better because you won’t have to stress at the last minute and you may even find that you can save money too. If you are going through a travel agent then they might be able to save you even more money by booking your car hire as part of a package deal. They may also be able to access even more exclusive deals that you might not be aware of.

This is a collaborative post written by one of our blog partners.
CLICK HERE to see how we make money.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter