7 Ways to Save Money on Your Family Holidays

Going abroad can get expensive - especially with kids. However there are ways to cut costs! Here are just 7 ways to save money on family holidays abroad:

Take advantage of early bird deals - Booking a holiday early can get you access to early bird deals. When it comes to flights, this could include big discounts or even a free seat for a child. Booking early can also increase your likeliness of getting upgraded – many airlines will treat early bird customers to free upgrades to business class, whilst hotels may upgrade you to a family suite if you booked early. On top of this, booking early may allow you to pay off a holiday, in smaller instalments over a longer period, so that you have less saving up to do.

Take advantage of last minute deals - The alternative strategy if to book last minute. Many airlines offer cheap flights to last minute customers to fill empty seats, whilst you can also secure last minute cruises from Southampton for a steal. Some hotels meanwhile may also slash prices a couple weeks before to help book up empty rooms. Booking a last minute holiday can be difficult as your workplace may not allow you to take the time off last minute, although you could always book this time off in advance, and simply hope there are deals around a couple weeks before.

Travel out of season - Avoiding peak holiday times can also allow you access to cheaper deals, plus you won’t have to deal with the crowds on the beaches or the queues for attractions. This may be better suited to families with young children that aren’t in school yet though. You should make sure that you choose somewhere that’s still hot out of season. Destinations such as the Canary Islands or Turkey are ideal as they can remain pretty warm all year round.

Avoid tourist traps - Certain destinations are naturally more expensive such as Paris and Barcelona. Unless you’ve got your heart set on travelling to these places, consider trying somewhere off the beaten track. There are many upcoming holiday destinations that are cheaper simply for not being the traditional destinations – these upcoming places include Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria. Of course, you may still be able to find a cheap place in France or Spain simply by avoiding the big resort areas.

Break up long flights - If you’re looking to travel somewhere further afield, you may want to consider breaking up the flight, rather than taking one long direct flight. Whilst you can get to Florida or Thailand in a single stint, such flights can be very expensive. Booking two shorter flights could cut the price by as much as half. If you’re worried the longer travel time will take its toll on the kids, you could always stop over somewhere and book a hotel for the night – even with the added cost of a hotel, you’re likely to save money.

Go all inclusive - All Inclusive holiday deals save stress and money in most cases. Such packages generally include flights, accommodation, food and drink and airport transfers. To get these all inclusive bundles, you will have to generally go through a travel company. You can shop for many of these deals online.

Try alternative accommodation - Whilst many people like the luxury of staying in a hotel, there are other accommodation options worth considering. For example, you could try staying on a campsite – even if you don’t fancy roughing it out in a tent, you could still save money compared to a hotel by staying in a caravan or lodge. For a big family, you could also look into renting out a holiday home. This could be much cheaper than renting out multiple rooms in a hotel and you’ll all be much closer together for the duration of your holiday. You can even find family hostels in many cities that could be perfect for a family city break – these contain more basic room amenities but as a result are a fraction of the price of city hotels.

This is a collaborative post.