Smart Ways To Save On Family Travel
There’s much to love about packing your bags and taking a trip as a family, but it’s not as if it’s all enjoyable. Far from it. There are some aspects that we could do without. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect, the one that can dampen the mood (or prohibit the activity altogether), is the cost. Sometimes, it just seems as if the costs just keep on rising. While this could happen automatically, there are ways to wrestle back some control over how much your family travel costs you. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some tried and tested methods that’ll help you to save on your family adventures.
Save Up Slowly
There are genuine ways to save on the cost of your family travels (we promise!), but the first bit of advice we have is to spread the cost over a longer period of time. If you’re paying the whole cost in one go, then yes, it’ll feel like a lot. However, if the money you’re spending has been slowly grown over, say, a year, then you won’t feel the hit anywhere near as much. If you put 40 pounds a week away in a savings account, then you’d have more than 2000 pounds within a year. You’d feel that amount of cash if you spent it all in one go, but no if it’s divided between 52 weeks.
Where Are You Going?
If you find that you’re spending too much on your family holidays, then it’s worthwhile looking at the types of places that you’re travelling to. It could be that the reason your trips are costing so much is that you’re picking places that are on the higher end when it comes to expenses. Whatever type of trips you like taking (for example, city breaks or beach holidays), there will be a cheaper option available to you. There are many underrated destinations all across Europe, where the costs are low. Croatia has a beautiful coastline and outstanding cities, and is highly affordable.
Length of Time
As well as where you’re going, think about how long you’re going for. Many people think that they should go for as long as humanly possible, but this isn’t always the smartest idea. While it would be nice to spend a couple of weeks on holiday, there’s no avoiding the fact that the costs will be much higher than if you went for a week. In most cases, you can get your fill of fun and relaxation within the space of a week anyway. The only time when you should go for a longer time is if you’re going far away. For example, if you’re going to Australia, then go for as long as possible — it’ll cost you more, but it’ll be worth it because the cost of the flight is so much.
Time of Year
Additionally, think about the time of year that you’re travelling. There are some periods of the year that are more expensive than others. For example, you’ll find that costs are 30% or so more expensive if you’re travelling during the peak of summer or in between Christmas and New Year. And that’s a lot of money! You’ll find that you’re somewhat limited as to when you can travel, if you have kids that is. But even then, you’ve got some control over costs. You’ll spend more at that period if you’re travelling to a hot destination like the South of Spain, but less if you’re going to a place that doesn’t receive too much heat. If your kids aren’t yet in school (or they’ve left), then you’ll have much greater say over when you can travel. Most summer places are just as fantastic during spring; indeed, sometimes they’re even better at this period.
Take a Staycation
When we think about travelling, most of us think about boarding a plane and journeying to an overseas country. But this is not your only option. You can also take a staycation, which means going somewhere within the UK. Not only can this be just as fun as going overseas, but it can also lead to significant savings. It’s expensive to pay for flights for the whole family, after all. You can save even more money on your staycation by checking out the discounts available at Net Voucher Codes; you might just find that you’re able to snag a great deal on a cottage or other quaint accommodation type. Another way staying within the UK saves you money is that you already know how to save money here. When you’re abroad, you just have to spend whatever amount of money they’re asking for, since you don’t know any better. When you’re in the UK, you’ll have an idea of how much things should cost, and where you can buy things cheaply.
Or Go Camping
Another good idea for saving money on your family travel trips is to essentially do away with accommodation altogether. If you invest in a high-quality family tent, then you’ll be able to go camping all year round, and it’ll cost you virtually nothing. There are many fantastic campsites across the UK. You’ll just need to pack your car on Friday, set off, pitch your tent, and then enjoy a weekend of fun. Most activities that you’ll do when you’re camping are free, and the cost of pitching your tent is minimal.
Alternative Travel Plans
One of the best things about the modern world is that there are just so many options available. While you can take a traditional holiday, you don’t have to do that. There are other ways to travel, explore, and have a good time — and these are often cheaper, too. For example, you could sign up for a site like Workaway or HelpX, and take your family on a volunteering holiday. You’ll find that you have a highly interesting thing, and that it costs you next to nothing.
Take our tips above, and you’ll find that the cost of travelling is much more manageable!
