21 Travel Tips For A Budget-Friendly Vacation With Your Family

Travel Tips For Better Family Travel! ✈️ 🧳

Vacations can provide great family memories for years to come. That said, planning for these adventures can often seem daunting and expensive. But if you keep reading, we will show you 21 awesome travel tips that will help you plan a budget-friendly vacation, and will also reduce your stress while planning.

1. Take Advantage of Travel Sites

While it may seem obvious, many people still forget to maximize the benefits of online travel sites like HotelsCombined and TravelZoo. These sites allow you to compare rates across a variety of airlines and hotels and often offer discounted packages. You may find the fares you are looking for right off the bat, or you can set up alerts to ensure you get notified when prices drop.

2. Opt for the Off-Season

The natural path is to go to the mountains in the winter and the beach in the summer. These tourist areas, however, still need visitors in their off-seasons, and they often offer dramatically reduced pricing both on lodging and nearby attractions. You can also expect fewer crowds at some top attractions, and have a better experience, and get to do more.

3. Be Flexible

Flights are more expensive on weekends. Explore mid-week flight prices for the best deal. If you are flying around the holidays, consider flying on the actual holiday. Most people will avoid traveling on holidays, leaving the best fares up for grabs.

4. Book early

If you are trying to plan a summer vacation, a winter vacation, or a holiday trip, you should book early to get the best deal on your stay and on airline tickets. You don't have to book several months in advance to get the best deals. All you need is to book at least 15-20 days before your travel date. Travel rates usually start rising 10 to 14 days before a major holiday, so make sure to avoid booking anything within that period.

5. Ditch the Hotel

Alternatives to hotels are becoming more and more common. Sites like Airbnb or Vrbo allow you to shop for alternative and more cost-effective lodging options all around the world. Renting a condo, apartment, or house also gives you access to a kitchen, allowing your family to buy food at a local grocery. Another alternative to a hotel is a campsite. Camping gives you front-row access to some of the country's greatest natural wonders. They also give your family a great opportunity to bond.

6. Cash in Points

Many credit cards offer airline miles or points towards hotel rewards programs. If you know there is a vacation in your family's future, make sure you understand your credit card benefits. Also, be sure to tap into any existing travel reward or loyalty programs you are a member of.

7. Look for Deals

Many sites offer deals on hotels, entertainment, airlines, and more. For example, Groupon has a section only for travel, and you can find great deals on hotels. You can also find deals on things to do, and save money on activities. Another great website to check for deals is Goldstar. On Goldstar, you can find many family-friendly events and things to do in so many different cities.

To find great deals on a cruise, check out Cruisesheet. To find good deals on transportation, check out FlixBus. If you need to rent a car, you can find great car rental deals on Turo.

8. Rent Out Your House

If you plan your vacation ahead of time, you can also plan to rent out your house on Airbnb or Vrbo while you are on vacation to make up for your lodging expenses. All you need to do is to create an account on airbnb or Vrbo, take some photos of your house, and list your house for rent.

9. Exchange Your House

HomeExchange is a great website where you can list your house for a home exchange. Home switching allows you to go on vacation without spending a fortune on accommodation fees. On HomeExchange you can find 450,000+ homes in over 187 countries around the world. The sign-up is free and you can set up your account in 3 easy steps.

10. Try All-Inclusive Resorts

Use Costco All-Inclusive Travel to find great deals on all-inclusive resorts that will save you lots of money on food. Also staying at an all-inclusive resort that is family-friendly, you can save on activities because most all-inclusive family-friendly resorts have so many different entertainment and activities for the kids. You can also use ClubMed to find all-inclusive family-friendly resorts. Another great website to find all-inclusive family-friendly resorts is Sandals.

11. Get Paid While Traveling

Yes, you can get paid while you are traveling, and I will tell you how if you keep reading. You can make some extra cash on your vacation when kids go to bed and you have some free time. You can teach English online while you are traveling, and you don't have to be a professional teacher to do that. As long as you are fluent in English, you have a laptop, and an internet connection, you are good to go. As an online English teacher, you can earn around $14–$25 USD an hour working for companies like GoGoKid.

12. Save Money on Your Hotel Booking

Use Apps like Pruvo to save on hotels that you have already booked. Hotel prices tend to drop after reservations are made. Pruvo will get you the exact same room you booked for a lower price. Pruvo tracks price drops for existing hotel reservations, and once the price drops, it will notify you. Once you get notified that a better price is available, you can call the hotel and request a lower rate.

13. Take Snacks With You

We all know that kids get hungry every 10 minutes even after a full meal. Instead of buying snacks from expensive hotel shops, take a bag full of snacks that your kids love and are easy to carry. You can also purchase snacks from a market once you get to your destination, and store them in your room's refrigerator, if necessary.

14. Write About Your Travel Experience

Consider starting your own travel blog and write about your travel experiences and all the places you go. You may be able to deduct the cost of travel-related expenses including transportation and accommodations at destinations that are the subject of your blog content.

15. Prepare Your Own Meals

Instead of going to restaurants all the time during your vacation, consider booking a hotel room with a kitchen, and save money on meals, by cooking your own meals. If you don't want to cook all three meals -- and we know that part of the fun of vacationing is dining out -- we recommend at least cooking breakfast at the hotel to save money. And if you don't want to cook at all, take breakfast snacks and skip a fancy breakfast altogether.

16. Put Holds On Your Subscriptions

These days, we all have many different subscriptions. From book subscriptions and streaming TV subscriptions to meal preparations and more, the monthly subscriptions really add up. Save money by putting hold on all your subscriptions while you are on vacation if you won't be using them during your vacation.

17. Go Where Locals Go

When you are a tourist, everything is more expensive, But if you find local attractions and local restaurants, you can save a lot. Anywhere you go, you can find events that are free for locals like free museum days, farmer's markets, and local events. Check the city calendars and plan your trip around fun local events.

18. Protect Your Money

If you save up for a trip overseas, you’ll need to take extra precautions when it comes to protecting your money. Nothing can screw up a vacation as quickly as losing your money, which can be especially problematic when you’re already on a tight budget. Before heading out, set up an account with a money transfer company. For example, if you’re taking a trip to Mexico, set up an account with Remitly so friends or family members can easily and cheaply send you cash should the worst-case scenario happen.

19. Pack Your Own Entertainment

Your days will probably be packed with sightseeing and travel, but if you aren't prepared, you may shell out money to keep the kids entertained in the evening. Of course, if you plan ahead, you can avoid these costs. Be sure to pack puzzles, travel games, and coloring books. Another way to fill the evenings is by packing a portable streaming TV device, which will let your kids watch their favorite TV shows and movies. These devices are available at a variety of price points, allowing you to find the one that fits your budget.

20. Consider a Staycation

Many families never explore the sights readily available in their own town. If you find yourself in that category, consider planning a staycation. This avoids the costs of lodging and transportation and allows you to splurge on activities and food. If you go this route, make sure the family treats it as an actual vacation and avoids planning activities with other friends. When you’re looking for things to do as a family around town, look no further than FUN WITH KIDS IN LA.

21. Get Cash Back On Your Travel Purchases & More

Consider using websites like Rakuten to get cashback when you book your travel. On Rakuten, you will see all the offers and the percentage of cashback you will receive on your purchases. You can also use Rakuten to shop for all your travel needs and get cash back on those purchases too, saving even more money.

We hope you enjoyed these travel tips for your family vacation. If you have more travel tips that are not listed here, we would love to hear from you. Scroll down and write us a comment.

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