Travelling is not cheap, and once you add children to the mix, it gets even pricier. But family holidays don't need to cost a fortune - there are several ways in which you can save on money when planning a holiday. Here are my top 10 tips for a budget-friendly holiday with children.
Plan Ahead
Booking well in advance will help get the best deals on things like flights and accommodation. Use websites like Momondo, Skyscanner and Booking.com to compare flights and places to stay before booking (but make sure you use an incognito browser window when looking at flights to avoid prices going up!). Budget airlines will usually be cheaper (though not always), and having travelled with both budget and non-budget airlines with my daughter, I have actually been surprised at how flexible and hassle-free budget airlines have been. Another thing worth noting is that if your child is under 2, they don't need their own seat on the plane and you therefore pay a smaller amount for their flight ticket (usually around 10% of the full fare). As soon as they turn two, you need to pay for their seat, so this makes flying a lot pricier!
Be Flexible with Dates
If your kids aren’t in school yet, travelling off-season is a great way to save money on both travel and accommodation. And if you can be flexible on what days of the week to travel on, mid-week flights tend to be cheaper than weekend ones. By going off-season you also avoid masses of tourists and the extreme summer heat, if you’re going to a warm destination. Personally, my favourite months to travel are September and October - it prolongs the summer and you tend to get places all to yourself!
Consider Alternative Methods of Transportation
Flying might not always be the cheapest or easiest option - depending on where you are going, it might be worth looking at other modes of transportation, like driving or going by train. Eurostar sometimes do really good deals if you're travelling from the UK - and it means you don't have the hassle of getting to and from the airport as you will most likely arrive in the centre of the city you're travelling to. If it's your first time travelling with your child, driving might feel easier as you won't have to worry about luggage allowance - just bear in mind that things like ferries, fuel and tolls add up, so you might end up spending more money altogether.
Use Rewards and Points
Redeem credit card points or airline miles for flights and hotel stays. If you travel a lot with work, this is a good way to get air miles and hotel points to use towards free stays and discounts on flights. If you tend to use the same airline, look into what rewards programme they have - for example, we use the British Airways American Express as we fly with BA a lot when we go visit my family in Sweden. This means we get Avios points every time we use the card and if we hit the yearly spending minimum, we get a 2-for-1 companion voucher which lets us book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one. Topcashback is another useful website that gives you cash back when booking through platforms like Booking.com and hotels.com - sometimes as much as 20% if there's a deal on, so this is a great way to get a bit of extra money back when booking things like accommodation.
Choose Budget-Friendly Destinations
Opt for destinations with a lower cost of living. For example, we have recently started exploring more of Eastern Europe, and although some countries are definitely becoming more popular and therefore more expensive, it is still a lot cheaper than places like France and Italy. With budget airlines like Whizz, you can usually find cheap flights (at least from the UK) to a wide range of destinations. Sites like Skyscanner and Momondo are good for comparing flight prices, and they both have the 'take me anywhere' option if you need some inspiration for cheap destinations!
Check out my Albania guide for a Southern European family holiday that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!
Stay in apartments rather than hotels
Staying in self-catered apartments means you can cook your own food and save money on meals out (I for one love exploring local supermarkets abroad!). We usually try and do a mix of meals out and meals in, including packed lunches. I also find that this makes it way easier when travelling with kids as my daughter will be able to get food that I know she will eat. It also means that if your child needs an early night, you’re not stuck in a hotel room all evening but can enjoy a glass of wine in the living room or on the terrace/balcony!
Use Public Transportation
Explore options for travelling by public transport at your destination. By avoiding taxis and car rentals and instead use buses, trains and metros, you can usually save a fair amount. Some places also offer family passes or daily transport deals. This is also a good way to save money when going to and from the airport as taxis and airport parking tend to be expensive. Booking accommodations in central areas within walking distance of attractions will save on transportation costs and make exploring easier - just bear in mind that centrally located accommodation is usually more expensive, so it's worth doing a tally of the costs to see what works out cheaper/more convenient.
Use Third Party Excess Insurance for Car Rentals
If you are planning on hiring a car, one of the ways you can save on car rentals is by booking third-party excess insurance. This is something we have only recently started doing and it has saved us about £70-£100 per trip! Rather than paying around £10/day for full coverage for your car rental, browse places like Kayak for excess insurance companies and choose the provider that suits your needs the best. This can sometimes work out as little as £1 a day.
Pack Smart
Save money by travelling light and not paying for checked luggage and bring essentials like nappies, snacks and food to avoid costly last-minute purchases. One thing we have started doing is bringing a packed lunch/dinner for the airport. Airport restaurants are always expensive - it is arguably the most uninteresting meal of the entire holiday, but can sometimes work out be among the most expensive. Save the money you would have spent on an expensive airport meal and instead spend it on a nicer meal at your destination!
If you are planning to hire a car, consider bringing your own car seat as care hire companies normally charge a daily rate for car seats. We have a compact one from Urban Kanga which has made bringing a car seat so much easier - and the bag it comes in is great for smuggling in a few extra bits!
Take a look at my recent blog post on packing for more tips on how to pack smart.
Take Advantage of Free Activities
Visit nature, parks, playgrounds, museums and cultural events. There's lots to do in cities and rural areas alike that costs little or nothing. I have noticed that with our daughter, we don’t need to book expensive activities - she’s happy just spending time with us and things like exploring different playgrounds and hitting the beach is enough to keep her entertained! Most attractions offer free or discounted admission for children, and you could also research local community calendars for free or low-cost activities/events.
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