We love to travel and make it a priority to go on two or three vacations every year. Naturally people ask us, “Doesn’t that get expensive?” Well, yes, it CAN get expensive, but I’m a born bargain hunter, and I have learned a thing or two about making my dollar stretch when traveling. Some of these tips were passed down from my parents, some were taught to me by friends or internet forums, and some I’ve had to learn the hard way.
If you want to travel more but are scared off by the price tag, here are a few tips to save money on family vacations—check them out in the slideshow.
What are some ways you save money while traveling?
More Frugal Travel Tips:
- 5 Tips to Planning Budget Friendly Family Vacations
- 6 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Disney Vacation
- DIY Local Adventure Ideas Map
Ways to Shave Hundreds of Dollars Off Your Next Family Vacation
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1. Travel during non-peak seasons.
Hotels know most people travel during peak times, such as holiday weekends, spring break, summer, and the end of December, and they raise rates accordingly. If possible, avoid these peak periods and travel when rates are generally lower, such as late January into February, late September, or early December.
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2. Always ask about discounts.
Many hotels, rental car companies, and attractions offer discounts for AAA members, AARP members, military, students, or seniors.
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3. Take advantage of hotel amenities.
Get the most for your dollar by looking for hotels that offer extra amenities, such as continental breakfast, free WiFi, fitness centers, and pools.
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4. Check hotels on the outskirts of town.
If you're visiting a major city, you could potentially save $100s if you stay at a hotel in the suburbs.
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5. Even if you already have a hotel reservation...
...keep checking online for better deals. If you find your same hotel online advertising a better rate, call and see if you can get your room rate adjusted.
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6. Search for coupons and discounts online.
This goes for not only hotels and airlines, but things like rental cars, entertainment venues, theme parks, museums, zoos, and anything else that requires an entrance ticket.
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7. Use an app or website to monitor airline ticket prices.
Apps such as Skyscanner will show you the lowest priced tickets for your destination, and will also show you the cheapest day of the week to fly (if you're flexible). You can also set alerts for if/when tickets drop in price.
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8. Check your airline baggage fees.
Factor in the cost of checking luggage when you select your airline, and always try your hardest to fit everything in your carry-on bags! Sometimes that's not realistic, so if you do need to check a bag, try to condense as much as possible (without going over the airline's weight limit).
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9. Make your credit cards work for you.
If you use credit cards, be sure you are getting some kind of rewards! We have a card that earns points for travel, and every year we are able to redeem at least one or two hotel nights using our reward points. Pretty great, considering we aren't doing anything above and beyond our normal spending.
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10. Watch out for foreign transaction fees.
If you're traveling abroad, find out if your credit or debit card incurs foreign transaction fees. Mine does, and I found out the hard way during a recent trip to Mexico! My husband's card has no fees, so now we know to primarily use that card when traveling out of the country.
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11. If you are able to, look for last minute cruise deals.
Often cruise lines will discount unsold cabins in the last weeks before sailing. Some cruise lines even offer "kids sail free" deals. Not every family can just up and leave with a few days' notice, but if this luxury applies to you, take advantage of it!
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12. Scope out free attractions in your destination city.
State parks, monuments, outdoor concerts, memorials, gardens, landmarks, and even some museums and zoos offer free admission.
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13. Look for entertainment bundles or passes.
CityPASS is a great website that offers discounted admission tickets if you buy a package. For example, the San Francisco CityPASS gives you access to the cable cars, California Academy of Sciences, Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, Aquarium of the Bay, and the Exploratorium for nearly half the price of the regular individual prices. If your destination is not listed on CityPASS, check the destination's tourism website or send their tourism bureau an email.
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14. Search for discounts or coupons...
...for local attractions in the newspaper. Most hotels will have a local newspaper they can give you or sell to you. Aside from coupons, newspapers are great resources for finding things to do in the area, including free events or seasonal festivals.
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15. Research public transportation and passes.
Utilizing public transportation can be a great way to save money on a rental car. Also look for discount passes or special deals. For example, when visiting Barcelona, we saved money by purchasing a metro T10 travel card for ten euros. This multi-person pass gave us ten journeys on the metro for ten euros, instead of paying around two euros per journey individually. Also, many big cities offer a "hop on, hop off" bus, which stops at several popular locations. You can buy a day pass and hop on and off as you please.
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16. Instead of stopping at a coffee shop each day...
...bring a tumbler to fill with coffee at the hotel. Most hotels offer free coffee in the lobby or in their guest rooms.
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17. Bring a large pack of water bottles
...or have one delivered to your hotel. Buying water bottles one-by-one at shops or gas stations can get expensive.
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18. If you have a road-trip day planned...
...consider bringing a picnic lunch.
Find a nearby park where you can stop and eat, and the kids can play around for a while.
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19. Prepare your own food.
For extended stays, choose a hotel with a mini kitchen or wet bar, complete with sink, refrigerator, and microwave. Oatmeal or ramen soup can be prepared using the hot water from the room's coffee maker, and snacks such as popcorn or single-serve mac 'n' cheese can be prepared in the microwave. Pack (or purchase on arrival) a loaf of bread, deli meats, and condiments for quick sandwiches when hunger strikes. Also bring hearty fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas, granola bars, and boxes of crackers and cookies. Don't forget to also bring a few plastic bags to act as trash receptacles for car rides!
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20. Make lunch your main meal.
Dinner menus tend to be pricier than lunch menus, so make the most of your lunch and then have a light snack or appetizer for dinner. If you have a refrigerator and microwave in your hotel room, you could also wrap up half of your dinner to eat for lunch the next day.
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21. Look for kids eat free...
...or "kids free with paying adult" deals at restaurants and entertainment venues. Some restaurants and venues have these (or similar) offers only on certain days of the week, or during certain hours, so do a little research ahead of time to schedule your plans accordingly.
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22. Skip the tourist hot spots.
Popular big name restaurants often jack up their prices if they are located in a tourist zone. Instead, ask your hotel concierge for recommendations for restaurants loved by locals.
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23. If you rent DVDs for road trips...
...or long flights, consider checking out what your local library has to offer. Most libraries have a large DVD collection available.
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24. Keep track of gas prices with an app.
If you're going on a road trip, you will want to stretch every penny you spend on gasoline. The crowdsourced GasBuddy app will show you the best gas prices in your area, and you can help others by reporting the gas prices you encounter.
