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If you want to save a lot of money when you are booking your family holiday, then you have nothing to worry about. There are so many ways for you to take the whole family on holiday without breaking the bank, and you will soon find that you don’t have to sacrifice your overall experience either.
Ways to save money when booking family holidays
Bargain
If you are chatting with travel agents, tour operators or even hotels, try and bargain with them. This is especially useful if you are booking a last-minute trip. Travel operators are often in a rush to try and fill up the last few seats on a plane, or even the last room in a hotel and you can really take advantage of this sometimes.
Timing
If you are booking hotels or your travel online, then make sure that you look up reviews and that you also trawl through comparison sites. When you do this, you will soon find that you can get all of the dates you want, and you can also save on certain aspects of your holiday. For example, if you travel a day or two earlier than planned then this could save you a significant amount on your booking. Certain countries have their school holidays at different times, and by avoiding these dates you could save up to 50%.
Go Indirect
This can be a bit of a problem if you have very young children, but if you are organised then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do this. Changing flights isn’t too difficult and it gives you time to stretch your legs too. Depending on your destination, this can save you a lot of money and it also makes it much easier to cut down on the cost of your vacation.
Check the Fares for an Inclusive Tour
An inclusive tour is usually an arrangement that can be completed by eBooking (electronic booking). Long flights are sold as package deals along with hotel accommodation and a hire car. Depending on where you book, and how you book, it can actually be cheaper to do it this way when compared to booking everything separately. This is especially the case if you are going on a city break.
Frills
Choosing your seat can really inflate the price of your booking. Charges for seat selection and even priority boarding can really inflate the headline price and you may even find that it’s just not worth it. If you check-in for your flight in plenty of time and if you book no-frills then there is a high chance that you will all be sat next to each other anyway, so you really do have nothing to worry about.
Measure your Luggage
It doesn’t matter if you are travelling with hand luggage only or whether you plan on checking some of your luggage into the hold because you do have to make sure that they are all below the right size and weight restriction that has been imposed by the airline. You need to do this before you leave for the airport because excess charges can be extortionate.
The Internet
So many travel companies, hotel chains and even airlines circulate their special offers by email. You need to sign up to take advantage of these because they usually only send them out to those who are on their newsletter. By signing up to various airlines, you can then find out when booking periods are at their cheapest and you can also find out what deals are on as well.
Think Local
Believe it or not, you don’t always need to go abroad to book a family holiday. You can save up to 90% by staying locally. Think about booking a caravan, or even going to stay in a B&B for a few nights. If you want to save even more money while also having the option to go away whenever you want then it is always a good idea for you to look into static caravans for sale.
Plastic Bags
Some airports will give you some plastic bags so that you can take any liquids with you through security. Others will charge you for this privilege, so it is a good idea that you always take your own and that you make sure that you are not over the required allowance. This will save you a ton of time and it will also make it much easier for you to avoid hassle at the airport.
Overnight Travel
If you are one of those people who can fall asleep just about anywhere then why not consider an overnight ferry? Or even book a couchette on the train. This can be a great option depending on the age of your kids, and you can usually get trips like this for a bargain price. You also save money on accommodation because you are travelling overnight as well, so you can essentially get an extra day for half the price.
Take Your Own Food
A round of sandwiches and a nice soft drink can easily cost you a small fortune on a plane. You can save a lot by bringing your own. Of course, you can’t take liquids through airport security, but you can easily buy them in the departure lounge.
Travel by Coach
Travelling by coach is way cheaper when compared to travelling by train. You can do a quick search online to try and find out the fares and you can also calculate how long it is going to take you to get to your destination. If you are going to arrive by coach later on in the day then you can avoid booking early check-in at the hotel, which can save you even more money.
Swap your House
If you live in a very desirable area, then you may want to let someone else borrow your house. A home swap can easily help towards the cost of your vacation and you never know, someone may be travelling to your area at the very same time. The best thing about doing this is that you don’t need to handle the whole arrangement yourself,
In fact, there are plenty of websites that you can use to make the swap formal and regulated so you don’t have to worry about a thing. You can also do a car swap as well if you want. This can save you from having to rent and it can also be done formally through numerous sites.
Stay by the Beach
If you are planning on going abroad then private pools can add a ton of expense to your holiday. Book a private villa that is near to the beach instead. When you do this, the kids can run free and you can also save without compromising your experience. If you do know that you need to book a room with a private pool, then be more selective when choosing your destination. Spain, for example, is known for having a huge range of villas that come with their own pool, so you will get them much cheaper when compared to travelling to a country where they aren’t as common.
So, going on vacation doesn’t have to be expensive and when you are travelling with the whole family there are certain things that you can do to try and cut down on the cost. The above tips should be more than enough to get you started and it is a great way for you to get the insight you need to save thousands you next looking into booking your family holiday.
