I dream of being able to take my children traveling more, showing them lots of places, and hopefully giving them the travel bug. However it’s not cheap, there are so many things to pay for once you get to the destinations but you have to get there first!
So I have put together some ideas on saving money when traveling with kids to help, and every extra bit of money saved is a bonus and possibly an extra ice cream!!
Compare Prices
This is a must. I have been so surprised when I have sat down and spent a little bit of time comparing prices. Use comparison sites to check, visit websites directly, call up travel operators and visit the travel agent. They all have their own discounts and products so you might be surprised by the difference.
Be Flexible
I know that isn’t always easy, but try to be flexible with your timings, days, and places you can travel from. It made a big difference to the costs when we last flew by changing airports to Stansted and not Gatwick or Heathrow.
Different Airports
I noticed a big difference in price when you flew out from one airport and flew back into a different one. This is great if you’re using public transport for your airport transfers as it doesn’t matter which airport. Not good when you’re driving to the airport though! However, if you’re flying into Greece, booking a taxi from Athens airport ensures a smooth and hassle-free transfer, no matter which airport you depart from on your return.
Airport Transport
Think about how you are going to get to the airport. Driving will cost petrol and parking charges. However, you could use public transport and let someone else do the driving for you by checking out National Express travel offers on Groupon to pick up a deal.
Look Into Hiring A Car
You could look into the cost of car hire from the airport to where you are staying, as this would give you the flexibility of exploring different places whilst on holiday, and not having to wait for coach transfers for everyone.
Check Passports
Check passport dates as soon as you can to make sure they are in date, the last thing you want to do is end up spending out on urgent passport renewals!
Savvy Packing
Pack light as possible, small toiletries, and lightweight clothing. You don’t want to be charged extra for suitcase weight.
As you’re putting together your packing list, don’t forget to think about appropriate outdoor clothing for your children. This article on how to choose the perfect kids’ winter jacket for your trip offers helpful suggestions to make sure they stay warm, dry and comfortable throughout your travels.
Destination Choice
Think about your destination, pick somewhere that isn’t as touristy to keep the costs down. Also, look at the countries that have different school holidays to ours. Don’t limit yourself to one destination, you could even look at cruise offers where you could find a cruise to take you to many different destinations on one holiday! Showing your children many different places in one trip.
Hotel Facilities
Look at the things you can do whilst you’re on holiday. If the destination doesn’t have many places to visit with the kids, does the hotel have a pool? Or are you better off looking into family villas in Mallorca as you can find a villa with activities at the villa to do.
Car Parking Charges
Watch out for car parking charges. Hotels can charge for parking on-site and the places you visit during the day.
Advance Booking
We hesitated when booking our flights last time and thought we would get some more things sorted and then when we came to booking them the prices had really increased. So book in advance! I also recommend printing out everything you need before you head abroad – you never know when your signal or phone will die. Make sure you’ve stocked up on cheap printer ink first!
Self Catering
Think about self-catering, being able to supply all your food works out so much cheaper. Kids love picnics, so go out on an adventure and find a perfect picnic spot. But make sure before booking there is a shop nearby to pick up items.
Eating Out
If you’re eating out look at the types of restaurants around you, you can usually look at the menus online beforehand which will help you budget for the meal, as well as see how reasonably priced they are. Square Meal UK has a large selection of restaurants you look into around your area, with pricing, menus, and more information about that restaurant.
Tourist Cards
Consider tourist cards when visiting places. When we visited Copenhagen we purchased Copenhagen cards which gave us lots of entry into attractions, free travel around the City, and discounts on restaurants.
Spending Money
Give the kids a spending money budget for the week or each day. This way they can learn to budget, buy just what they want and when it’s gone it’s gone!
Pre-Purchase Tickets
Look online for pre-purchasing tickets for attractions you’re going to visit. they usually offer discounts on tickets and some big places offer rainy day promises, so you can use your ticket on another sunnier day!
I hope some of these were helpful for you and it now means you might have a few more pennies for extra ice cream!
12 Comments
Fab tips. Defo looking at different airports can change the price a lot. We opted to fly from Manchester once and it was nearly £600 cheaper so even with an overnight hotel, petrol and parking it saved us hundreds
Oh wow what a difference!
Some great tips on saving money as it can be very expensive travelling with children. I like your idea of giving the kids a spending money budget as it helps them learn how to manage their money.
Thank you, good for them to know when it’s gone it’s gone!
Great tips here. We have 4 children so always looking for saving tips. We are saving to go abroad next so some of these tips will come in handy 🙂
Oh have a lovely time, it’s very pricey when you start adding more children into doesn’t it!
I definitely need to start using sky scanner as have to admit I never have before!! Great tip with the spending money saves it all adding up through the day.
Yes it does doesn’t it! A round of ice creams for 5 of us is surprising!
They’re great tips. I always use Skyscanner to check who flies to our destination and the times. But I then book through the airline as you can easily add checked baggage and allocate seats. This doesn’t always happen when you go through Skyscanner. We also book AirBnB’s so we have home comforts and a kitchen/washing machine. Often it’s worked out cheaper or equal to hotels.
Oh I love AirBnB! Good tip on the Skyscanner and then direct too, thanks!
What a great guide. It’s so expensive just traveling as a couple, I can’t imagine how expensive it must be with kids, any little saving helps!
Katie xoxo
It’s pretty expensive but so rewarding to see them enjoy visiting new places