Do you want to take a family trip on a budget? I asked the experts and collected over 40 of the best tip and hacks to help on your next trip.
It is often much easier to spend while you are away than it is to save. For this reason, I believe the below information when travelling is invaluable!
The costs associated with travelling can be expensive. Accommodation, meals, activities, transport all add up and if you are travelling as a family, the cost is sometimes multiplied by the number of people.
I reached out to the travelling community for their expertise on the subject to help with insider knowledge on how to save money on your next holiday.
The information is separated into the categories where you will typically spend the most money when travelling:
- Accommodation
- Dining & Meals
- Transportation
- Activities
- Credit Cards
- More Money-Saving Tips & Hacks
Continue reading and start saving with the below family travel budget tips!
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Post was updated in May 2021
Table of Contents
How to Take a Family Trip on a Budget?
Accommodation Tips
1. Join a hotel loyalty program. For instance, Accor Hotels has Accor Plus which offers discounted accommodation rates, one free night’s accommodation each year, along with up to 50% off dining all year round.
2. Keep an eye out for accommodation specials where you receive a discount for a longer stay. E.g. Stay for 3 nights, pay for 2.
3. Have you thought about house sitting or house swapping? Aussie House Swap hosts Australia’s largest home exchange community. Join by creating your house listing and then add travel dates. Search through the listings and contact the homeowner to discuss a swap. If you would like to contact a member or list your home you need to become a registered member, and fees do apply.
4. If you are staying in a hotel, check if the items left in the room are part of the minibar. For instance, bottles of water left on the bedside table or desk may be part of the minibar and before you know it you have purchased a $6 bottle of water. Either ask for it to be removed so you can stock it with some of your items or just remove the items yourself.
The below tips were contributed by Riley’s Travels
5. Request a better rate, although Expedia, Booking.com and Trivago all offer competitive rates – give the hotel a call and see if they can better it. Worse case you get a no and still earn points with any of the above. I found Expedia to offer the best deals when booking packages and Booking.com give great loyalty discounts. Become a member and receive better deals.
6. Research your location, for transportation reasons, ensure you are close to facilities specific to you. Travelling from your accommodation to areas you plan to visit without a car can add a pricey cost to your activities.
The below tip was contributed by Full Suitcase
7. A great way to spend less money when travelling with a family is to stay in apartments rather than at hotels. Having some extra bedrooms and a kitchen is a big plus too.
The below tips were contributed by The Blonde Nomads
8. We are always conscious of keeping costs down when we travel. Depending on where we are going and where we are staying one of the major factors for us is the price of accommodation. As our kids are not yet school age, we often travel out of season away from the busier periods like summer and school holidays.
9. We often choose a simple/smaller room option when booking a hotel as we find we spend most of our time outside exploring the destination anyway.
10. Right now, as we are living in a caravan full time we often save money on accommodation/camping fees by staying in free camps which makes a big difference. We also steer clear of tours or activities unless it is a must-do for the area.
The below tip was contributed by Glimpse Guides
11. Some hotels also have laundry facilities in the room or on the premises, which in return will save you from dry-cleaning expenses.
The below tips were contributed by Our 3 Kids v The World
11. I recently discovered booking hotels early particularly over 90 days before your stay can often save you a lot of money. We booked our hotel for New York over New Years in February for $300USD per night, that same hotel is now over $500USD per night.
12. I have also found that booking bucket list hotels mid-week much cheaper than booking on weekends. If there is a specific hotel, you would love to stay at, book midweek and save the cheaper hotels for the weekend when rack rates are higher.
13. One last tip, if there are specific hotels that are in the CBD and are popular with business travellers, book that hotel on weekends when business travellers aren’t there, you will likely get a cheaper rate.
Dining & Meals Tips
The below tips were contributed by Travel with Meraki
1. We head to the local grocery shop and stock up on fresh produce for meals and snacks. My three children are constantly hungry and always asking for snacks, so buying like this saves us a small fortune.
2. When we do eat out as a treat, we tend to head where the locals go. Ask your Airbnb host or even the people who serve you at the grocery store where is good! One of the best meals at a destination was when our Airbnb host booked us their usual table at their favourite local hangout.
The below tip was contributed by Full Suitcase
3. We find the best way to save money when travelling is to picnic during the day. Kids love it, and they also eat healthier. On top of that, you can picnic anywhere and have more time for sightseeing rather than spend it looking for a restaurant. Needless to say, it costs much less too.
The below tips were contributed by Riley’s Travels
4. We often nab the “with breakfast room” at the hotel. Breakfast is quickly becoming an expensive trend, so I find value in a buffet hotel breakfast, my husband is a big eater, here I can fill up, Riley can explore a few food options, and I grab some fruit and have my double coffee at a reasonable price.
5. If you want to eat out, aim for lunch – loads of restaurants offer lunch deals almost the same as the dinner menu at half the price. This is always the case in Tokyo and Europe.
The below tip was contributed by Your Boys and Mine
6. Pack lightweight lunchboxes, drink bottles and a small backpack in your suitcase. Use them to pack a lunch and snacks when going out for the day. Buying food and water each day when you are travelling can be expensive.
The below tip was contributed by Kids Go Places
7. We love to eat out but will nearly always have breakfast where we are staying. This is for many reasons A. The kids can’t wait and dining in saves time B. Saves money C. Easy and convenient. When travelling locally, I will bring a toaster, a loaf of bread and peanut butter and there’s breakfast. Bananas and apples to top it off; and long-life milk and a box of cereal with plastic cutlery and spoons.
The below tip was contributed by The Blonde Nomads
8. The other major cost when travelling with our mini blondies Marli and Ziggy is food!! Just like most busy kids they are ALWAYS hungry!!! So I pack loads of snacks to keep them happy and to avoid having to buy food while we are out. I keep things like dry cereal, baked beans and cans of tuna in our hotel room so when the kids wake early or are hungry between meals I can offer them something filling that is not full of sugar like a lot of travel snacks. If staying at a hotel with a breakfast bar, I always travel with some mini zip-lock bags so I can grab a few extra pieces of fruit, bread or things like plain pancakes from the buffet so I can offer them to the kids later.
The below tip was contributed by Happy Place Hunters
9. We bring refillable water bottles and stock up on fruit and snacks when we arrive to pack with us each day, so we’ve always got something on hand to feed hungry kids. This saves us threefold (we’re not as tempted to buy expensive treats out, we’ve got food on us no matter how remote we are, and it keeps the kids filled up on healthier options). Then we can enjoy the occasional splurge on really quality authentic or must-try dining experiences at a destination with the money we’ve saved by eliminating convenience buys.
Transportation Money Saving Tips
1. Walk whenever you can, not only will it allow you to see and experience more of the destination you are visiting but it will save on public transport, parking fees, and petrol.
2. Are you flexible with when you want to travel? Mid-week, in particular, Tuesday and Wednesday are predominately the cheapest days to fly.
3. Do you enjoy road trips? Transfercar offers budget-conscious travellers to travel for free by making one-way trips to return cars to car rental operators.
4. Have you tried Uber? Your alternative to a taxi and on all our experiences faster service, less expensive and more reliable. Simply download the app on your phone, enter your pickup location and tap request. Your credit card or PayPal account is charged automatically, so you never need cash.
The below tip was contributed by Glimpse Guides
5. Buy a city sightseeing pass for public transport. In large cities like London, it can be smart to buy a week-long pass, so you’re saving on taxis’ and subways.
The below tip was contributed by Our Next Adventure
6. If needing a rental car, we’ll book a few months in advance at a refundable rate (not pre-paid). We’re not particularly loyal to any certain company and usually go with whoever is cheapest (while still being reputable, of course!). After the original booking, I’ll check back a few times as we get closer to our departure date. More often than not, the rates will go down if there are cars left available last minute, so it gives us the option to cancel our original reservation and re-book at the lower price (which is usually cheaper than the pre-paid rate anyway!)
The below tip was contributed by Mum With Wings
7. Be smart about what mode of transport you use. Are you weighing up hiring a car or using public transport? Before you decide on which method suits you, do the maths and weigh up the pros and cons involved for each. For instance: Car rental costs – daily rental cost, parking, petrol. Pros – convenient, no set times. Public transport costs – fee per person timed by how many trips will be required. Con – you need to rely on them being on time, and you need to follow the schedule.
The below tips were contributed by Riley’s Travels
8. Parking can be expensive! Looking for parking before you head out is worth it, loads of stores, hotels, restaurants offer validated parking.
9. Opt for an eco-car. We have found that picking up a SIM card is cheaper than adding a GPS. In Europe, the GPS was 7 Euro a day, and a SIM card with data was 17 Euro and lasted our full four weeks.
The below tips were contributed by The Little Adventurer
10. Hiring a car, rather than using taxis and public transport can make life much easier when travelling with children and all their accompanying paraphernalia – although, of course, this can become expensive too. To try and keep the costs down, we always try to avoid buying add-ons from car hire companies. When possible, we bring our car seats (even if the airline charges for bringing them onboard, this often is far less than the cost of renting them), and we bring our satnav or use the Google maps app on our smartphone, rather than renting a satnav from the car hire company. It is possible to download specific maps on Google maps in advance now, so they will then work offline and won’t use your phone’s data.
11. On top of this, we avoid purchasing the car hire company’s expensive “super CDW” insurance, which is often sold when picking up the car to reduce the accident excess to zero but instead we buy a separate annual excess recovery policy from an insurance company beforehand. This has always worked out as a better deal. Just make sure you always check the small print for exclusions.
Saving Money on Activities
The below tip was contributed by Happy Place Hunters
1. For savings, once we’re on the ground, I like to work out a shortlist of all the free or outdoor things there are to enjoy at the destination beforehand and work our way through that list at our leisure. We tend to gravitate towards kid-friendly scenic hikes, water sports and art galleries (which are often free). We limit the amount of paid activities we do to things we couldn’t or wouldn’t do anywhere else, (like national park entrance fees at the Grand Canyon, or a boat trip on the Great Barrier Reef).
The below tip was contributed by Your Boys and Mine
2. Research ahead of time discounts for attractions and call in at information centres to see if there are any discount coupons. The Lonely Planet books and guides are helpful resources that give you a list of attractions to see, things to do and places to eat.
The below tip was contributed by Our Family Travels
3. I scour the internet for good deals on entry tickets. Websites such as Experience Oz and Groupon are two that offer discounts on attractions and food.
Credit Cards Tips and Hacks
1. Did you know most hotels charge a 1.5% or higher surcharge on credit cards? As your accommodation is a main component of travelling, it can add unnecessary costs to your end account. An alternative for accommodation, you ask them at the time of booking if you can pay via direct deposit before your arrival.
The below tip was contributed by Our Next Adventure
2. The first thing I recommend to any family wanting to travel more is to get travel rewards credit cards. We’re very anti-debt, but putting our daily expenses on a credit card that gives us points to use towards plane tickets and hotels has saved us SO MUCH MONEY, it is worth all the extra work to track our expenses and pay it off each month. I recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which has flexible options for using your points, but also really good travel insurance built-in (bonus savings)!
The below tips were contributed by Beach Seakers
3. Make sure you have a credit card that won’t charge foreign transaction fees. Check this with your financial institution before travelling. Another alternative is to consider obtaining a travel card. You can place as much cash on them as you wish, which in return helps you stick to your budget and they are normally accepted everywhere you can use a credit or debit card.
More Money-Saving Tips
1. Weigh and measure your luggage. It’s so easy when you are returning home from your holiday with souvenirs that you may exceed your luggage limit. Avoid unnecessary flight costs by ensuring it is under the limit.
2. Try a staycation “a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.” Staying at home will save you on accommodation expenses, but by visiting local attractions, you will still have the sense of being a tourist in your city.
The below tip was contributed by Transparent Travelers
3. Be open to visiting other places before you reach your destination. We have found that it can be cheaper to stop in one or more places along the way. For instance, to fly from New Zealand to Thailand, it is more cost-effective to visit Bali and Kuala Lumpur along the way. You get cheaper airfare and get to see more sites… a win-win!
The below tip was contributed by Happy Place Hunters
4. When it comes to saving while travelling with kids, there are a few factors that affect our hip pocket. The biggest one is travelling offseason. If your children aren’t yet school age (or can manage time off either side of their regular school holidays), being flexible on dates can often halve your trip costs when you add up savings on flights, accommodation and the like.
More Helpful Planning Articles
I hope you enjoyed this guide and find it helpful in saving money on your next trip. If you would like more tips and advice for travelling with kids read the following articles:
Do you have any other money-saving travel tips? Tell me in the comments below.
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6 comments
What a brilliantly comprehensive list of ideas! Thank you for including us alongside all these great, travelling families.
Thank you, Jenny! There were so many wonderful tips that I’m sure it will be a resource that families will find extremely useful when travelling.
So many great tips! I have to admit that I learned a lot and also got quite some new good ideas for our trips. Thanks for including us as well.
I also learned a great deal from the amazing travelling families who shared their travel knowledge with me. Thank you for contributing, Jurga!
So many amazing tips! We will definitely be using some of these and coming back to your post in future as a reminder. Thansk!
Thank you, Gemma. I’m pleased that you have found it helpful!