Saving money on a family trip starts with planning. My family and I try our best to take a trip as a family at least once a year. With everyone involved in various extracurricular activities, a family vacation is a great way to reconnect. I’ve learned that planning is key if you want stress-free family travel. As a mom of 5, I can tell you doing your due diligence and looking for affordable vacation packages can save you a lot of money.
Long trips can be nothing to look forward to with young children. Sometimes, an airplane is the most practical way for the entire family to travel. But is it also the most economical way to take a trip? Although children would probably like to travel by airplane, parents aren’t always able to take that route due to the cost of airline tickets. With a family of four or five, the prices quickly increase, and that is just for airfare alone. How will you enjoy the rest of your vacation? Before you despair, here are a few tips for saving money on family travel.
1. Check travel sites – Sites like KAYAK and Orbitz can be great resources for airfare deals. A word of caution: You don’t have to book with them. Use the sites as a guideline to see how airfare is priced for the time of your intended trip. Unfortunately, all airline flights are not displayed here, so you could miss out on deals that would benefit your family. Know the risks as well. Tickets are often non-refundable, and your fare can change without notice, which could bind you and your family. Also, watch out for hidden fees.
2. Check airline sites – Since most people use sites like KAYAK, they forget that they can also check the airline site for deals. If you are traveling with very young children, this would be the place to investigate ticket price breaks and information about child safety seats, carry-on baggage allowances, and other fees. Don’t be afraid to use discount airlines like JetBlue and Southwest airlines for domestic travel.
3. Try a travel agent – Travel agencies are well-connected with airlines and many vacation destinations. Tell them what you need, and they can put together a package for your family that includes airfare and hotel for the price of simply the airfare in other places.
4. Travel through the week – It is well-known that leaving through the week is more cost-effective than leaving on the weekend. The same goes for traveling on high-traffic days leading up to holidays. Make provision to take your kids out of school for vacation if it will save you hundreds of dollars instead of traveling on their scheduled breaks.
5. Check your destination – Are you traveling to Florida? It could be that some airlines or even the city of your destination itself (Orlando, for example) may offer family travel deals for visiting them. If you plan on visiting Disneyworld with the family, this can save you money.
These are just 5 Tips For Saving Money On Family Travel
