Money and Stuff

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The challenge of travelling as a family comes from the arithmetical growth of expenses for each additional family member travelling. That’s why in today’s article, about family travel, I am going to tackle how to save on the priciest parts of family vacations.

Travelling abroad? Check your currency

If you want to take a cultural trip, a tropical beach getaway, a safari tour or simply visit a foreign, faraway land, google in what countries the dollar his high (or your country’s currency) because a strong currency means that travel to where your money is strong means everything there will be cheaper.

If travelling to the European Union, keep in mind that the purchasing power of the euro varies from country to country. In general, southern countries are more affordable; and big tourist destinations (Paris, Amsterdam, London, Barcelona, Rome, etcetera) will be higher than the rest of their respective countries.

The trip itself

One of the first things families think of, when getting ready to travel for vacation is packages.

There are ways to save on car rentals
without resorting to this!

After all, they are designed to give you all these perks, save money and are convenient when you have a group right? No, not according to travel agents. Because oftentimes these packages have amenities your family will never use and simply because their point is to make a sale, and not to save you money, it’s recommended that you be very careful when booking packages. Do the math and calculate how much the same arrangements and amenities would cost you individually before booking.

When flying, try to find if your destination city has more than one airport and, if it does, check for travel to those alternate airports because you will likely save quite a bit when travelling in group that way, enough that a bit more ground transportation from the airport will be justified.

Getting around

Renting a car/minivan/SUV? Like I mentioned in my traveling single article, book the absolute cheapest vehicle. I already explained that you are more likely to get a free upgrade because the cheaper vehicles are the first to go, but, if you’re cheapest option is there ready for you to pick up you can still change your reservation to an upgrade on the spot and it turns out that upgrades at the agency itself are cheaper than online.

Also, if you are renting the vehicle for more than 3 days but less than a week, check the weekly rate for rental. It might be that renting it for a whole week and returning it earlier is cheaper than the day-by-day rental cost.

When driving in the car on highways, use the GPS to locate gas stations that are not just on

You probably know this but: kids love water!

the side of the road, but those who are 2-4 further inland. The two minutes extra drive will save you in gas. Also, take a large thermos with you, as many gas stations will allow you to fill a thermos for a lot less than the price of 3-4 coffees.

If you are staying in a small beach, mountain or lake town, find out about public transportation options and also about bike rentals. They are great to get a round and good, fun exercise for the kids.

Finally, keep in mind that in many small places worldwide there are drivers who can be hired for several periods of time for

Lodging: you greatest potential for savings

The greatest expense when travelling with children is food and snacks. That’s why opting for

lodging that allows you to save on meals is a priority.

Because of this food issue, a hotel should be a last resort when travelling. Usually hotels only offer free breakfast and few amenities for children. Yet if you must go to a hotel, here are a few tips:

• Aim for a hotel mini-suite with kitchenette. That way you could cook meals and snacks. 
• Lacking a kitchenette, check if your destination area has a larger hotel chain that has a “kids eat free” offer. Three meals a day for several days for your children, even if the adults pay for meals, is still a great savings.
• Request that your room have a mini-fridge and ask that it be cleared out of snacks and drinks; that way you and your family can use it for milk, fruit, cold cuts, cheese and snacks that need refrigeration. And while at it, keep in mind that some hotels have rooms with microwaves where you can cook some quick meals and snacks. Every bit helps.

A great alternative to hotels in the US, Europe and high tourism areas is hostels. Hostels in

Yep, this is a hostel! In France.

the 21st century are distant-upgraded versions of the places you stayed in your student days or saw in the movies of the 80s. Nowadays you can find hostels with actual family rooms, with private bathrooms and even kitchenettes. For hostels in the US, check out Hi USA.

My best suggestion when travelling for longer than 10 days is to rent a place of your own and, when possible, rent directly from the owner. This is especially the case when travelling to hot beach destinations. There are two enormous sites of houses, apartments and cabins for rent by owner that have been around for a very long time, with ratings and everything: VRBO and HomeAway.

For adventurers? Try camping! This is something that has also changed a lot since the days

And this is a campground!

of paying $8 a night for pitching a tent on a place like Cape Henlopen (a place where I camped a lot when I lived in DC and of which I have tons of fond memories. If you like really empty beach, no boardwalk, just you the sand and the waves, this place is two and a half hours out of the city). Nowadays campgrounds are more like resorts, with amenities for all ages (from paragliding to water skiing, with spas, saunas, pools, hot air balloon rides, water parks and even horseback riding) and the best of these will cost you about half the price of your cheapest hotel, with a lot more adventure and fun to be had, without question.

Last but not least I need to mention that, in case you didn’t know, AirBNB caters to every taste, need, and budget. Check them out when planning your trip, you may find someone who has just what your family needs.

I have asked this of readers before but will ask again. If you have any good tips that I have not mentioned, please use the comments section below, you’ll be helping your fellow readers!

And I leave you today with a picture of Cape Henlopen in Delaware
a very well-kept secret.