How to Have Fun & Save on Your Next Family Vacation

Only the backs of two young sisters are seen as they embrace. Together, they watch the waves of a beautiful seascape.

Have Fun & Save on Your Next Family Vacation

There’s no better way to bond as a family than to create shared experiences via memorable vacations.

First of all, if you’re like many families, the cost of traveling is just too much to justify. While you might take a vacation every few years, you don’t do it nearly as often as you’d like.

What if all that could change?

Well, with the right money-saving tactics and insights, it can.

Here are some relatively simple ways you can save money on your next family vacation, without having to compromise on fun.

Be Flexible With Timing

Timing is everything. If you want to save some serious cash, be open to whatever dates are most inexpensive. For example, you might discover big savings if you’re willing to:

Plan a mid-week vacation versus a weekend stay.
Plan a vacation during “shoulder season” – the time between peak and off-peak.
Consider leaving a day early or staying an extra day to get a better price.

The more flexible you are with your vacation days, the easier it is to play around with the numbers and find something that fits into your budget.

Book Hotels Smarter

If you’re booking a hotel, be smart about where you stay.

“You can often save a lot of money by staying a bit outside the center of a city with all the tourist attractions and then taking public transit or traveling in to see the sites,” Claire Trageser writes for Travel + Leisure. “These sleeping arrangements might also give you a quieter spot at night and give you a chance to see part of a city you wouldn’t visit otherwise. And, the travel to the city center on public transit can be part of the fun.”

It’s also helpful to look for hotels that have a hot breakfast included. If you consider that the average breakfast for a family of four costs somewhere between $20 and $40, this could save you as much as $280 over the course of a weeklong stay.

Try RV Travel

Who says you have to travel by car or plane? And why stay in an expensive hotel if you can find a more inexpensive option? With an RV, you don’t have to.

The folks over at Allstar Coaches crunched the numbers and found that families can save up to 50 percent on out of state vacation costs by renting a luxury RV. Here are a couple of reasons why:

When you rent an RV, you’re both traveling and sleeping in the vehicle. This means no expensive hotel stays. At the very most, you’re paying a few dollars per night for campgrounds.

Renting an RV allows you to buy your own groceries and cook meals in your kitchen. This is significantly cheaper than dining out for every meal.

Best of all, RV trips are fun, unique, and memorable. Isn’t that what you’re going for?

Rent Out Your House

With the rise of platforms like Airbnb, it’s easier than ever to rent out your own house.

Perhaps you could offset some of your own trip expenses by finding a guest to stay at your place during your absence.

Even if you charge something cheap, like $75 per day, it could add up to hundreds of dollars to put toward your vacation cost.

Look for Free Things to Do

While there will always be certain attractions you want to see on vacation, you can lower your costs by peppering in some free activities.

Options include museums, local outdoor markets, hiking trails, picnics in a park, walking tours, and local live music.

When planning your trip, be sure to read reviews on sites like TripAdvisor. You’ll pick up little details here and there from people who have firsthand experience with your destination city.

You might even find free activities that aren’t published anywhere else.

Start Planning Your Next Vacation Today

Above all, the sooner you start planning your vacation, the more opportunities you have to save money.

If possible, always try to plan your trips at least six months in advance.

How to Have Fun & Save on Your Next Family Vacation