How To AFFORD To Travel With Kids: Our Family Travel On A Budget
Family travel adventures are an opportunity to create memories that last a lifetime. But many people don’t believe they can afford to travel with their kids because it is so expensive.
The common misconception that family travel is only for the rich prevents many families from realising their travel dreams. However, affordable family travel on a budget can be a reality with a strategic approach and some creativity.
The days when we could squeeze our family of five into a four person room and purchase cheap kid’s meals are long gone! ‘Free Child’ places no longer apply at most attractions, and airlines treat them as adults.
And if you think travel is expensive with young kids, it only gets more expensive as they get older. With prices increasing across the world, there is no time like the present to start making those money saving changes!
With over 15 years of worldwide family travel, we have learnt many ways to save money and maximise our budget. Despite not being ‘super wealthy’, we were able to take a family gap year by applying a few simple tips. And with a little planning, perhaps you can too!
Our top three tips for affordable family travel: Set a realistic budget, choose a cheap destination and travel out of peak season.
13 Tips To Make Travel Affordable With Kids
Travelling with kids is not cheap! Most families considering extended travel will need to put a plan in place to be able to afford it.
From early planning to making affordable choices on accommodation, transportation, and activities following our simple, budget friendly tips, you can travel for longer without breaking the bank or selling all of your possessions!
1 | Adjust Your Everyday Lifestyle
Once you dream of travelling, you may be scratching your head, wondering how to make it happen. If this is you, adjusting your mindset to believe that you can do it is a great first step.
Assessing your everyday lifestyle will likely reveal potential savings that could put you on the right path. Simply having fewer family nights out, reducing takeaways, driving the car less and buying cheaper, own brand grocery items will all help. Cutting out non-essential purchases such as a phone upgrade can often save substantial amounts of money, especially if you are on a contract.
Reducing your everyday spending should free up some cash and increase your travel budget. We suggest having a separate bank account for family travel funds where you can watch them grow.
2 | Set A Realistic Travel Budget
Setting your travel budget early, before you do any travel planning, will reduce the chance of overspending later. If your travel dream does not fit your family budget, explore options to either raise more funds or reduce your travel costs.
With some planning, we have found that sometimes we can travel cheaper than at home!
We break down our overall budget to understand what we have per person, per day. This informs decisions on how much our family can afford for transport, accommodation, food and experiences. It is important to allow some flexibility, as some days you’ll spend less than on others.
Prioritise where you want to spend your money. If luxury accommodation or an expensive tour is essential to your experience, make sure you budget for it and adjust the spending elsewhere.
Engaging your family in planning will allow you to discuss individual preferences and find the right balance between ‘must-see’ attractions and more budget-friendly alternatives.
3 | Research Family Travel Destinations Before Booking
Not all travel destinations are equal, especially when it comes to price! When researching where to travel, be open-minded about your destination and be prepared to change your location.
Airfares can vary significantly within a country and even between airports around some larger cities. Searching different airports can reveal big savings.
Much of our travel inspiration is from travel guides and family travel blogs. This also makes it more likely to find destinations off the beaten path, save money and get a more unique and authentic experience away from crowds.
Our travel destinations are chosen based on how affordable the country is. Researching can be time-consuming but helps us travel longer within our available budget. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan to travel to more expensive destinations, just remember the overall impact they might have on how long you can travel.
Europe has a reputation for being expensive and having travelled extensively through it, we can confirm this to be the case! However, venture into Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Albania and Poland, and you’ll find them much more budget-friendly than their Western counterparts! Our other recommendations for cheap family travel destinations include India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia and Peru.
4 | Be Flexible And Plan Early
The key to extended, affordable family travel with kids is planning in advance. Once you have set your budget and decided on a destination, book your flights, accommodation and car hire as soon as possible. This may allow you to take advantage of early-bird discounts and promotions.
Prices usually trend up closer to your travel date. You may occasionally find an amazing last-minute travel deal, but as a general rule, finalise your family travel early to get the best budget-friendly prices.
Remaining flexible with your dates allows you to take advantage of lower priced flights. Skyscanner will show you the lowest prices from almost every commercial airport on any given day, out to several months ahead.
For best prices on international travel, book at least 6 months before departure and, for domestic flights, at least 1 month ahead.
5 | Use The Lowest Cost Transport Option
Some means of transport are more budget-friendly than others. Always confirm the total price before booking.
Busses and Trains are usually (but not always!) cheaper than flights. In many developing countries, you can hire a car or mini-van with a driver for a very reasonable inclusive day rate. Overnight ferries can sometimes be an affordable choice, as can night busses and sleeper trains, saving on the cost of accommodation while keeping you on the move.
In most Asian countries, you’ll find the ubiquitous Tuk-Tuks and Rickshaws, which are great ways to travel shorter distances. Research how much they should cost, and be prepared to haggle for the best price!
Our number one budget saver is to walk where possible. Taxis are generally expensive, with Uber and Grab being cheaper alternatives where they are available.
We often use road trips to explore larger areas. Hiring a vehicle with built in accommodation like a rooftop tent or motorhome can be a great way to save on hotels. Deals can often be negotiated out of season or if the vehicle requires relocating.
6 | Free Accessible Travel Money
Specialist travel cards give you near-perfect exchange rates, free withdrawals and often cashback on spending. We use Chase and Starling for our travels, but many others, such as Revolut and Caxton, are highly rated and have zero fees. We used the cards whenever possible to minimise the amount of cash we had to carry.
There are usually occasions when you will need some cash. Always source ATMs that do not charge a fee for withdrawals. They vary depending on the country but tend to be from the National Banks. Try not to withdraw more money than you will spend, as you may lose out when you exchange it for another currency.
7 | Travel Off Peak
Staying flexible with when and where you can travel, especially with kids, will give you more options to reduce your costs. Festivals and events near your destination can push up prices. Avoid travelling at weekends and during the school holidays when travel is most expensive. It’s far easier said than done if your kids are in school!
Travelling ‘off-peak‘ is usually cheaper, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being the cheapest travel days. You may find further savings if you opt for early mornings and late evenings.
Shop around for the best deals. Consider your departure and arrival ports and departure day (Fridays are usually priced higher). Clear your cache before searching, as your previous searches can sometimes negatively influence the price quoted. For flights, companies like Skyscanner provide easy filter options to find the lowest price for the whole month. We often use the search ‘anywhere’ option to find budget friendly locations we may not have otherwise considered.
If a trip is looking unusually cheap, check the weather. What looks like a great deal, but your experience may not be as expected if it’s hurricane season!
8 | Pack Light
As well as reducing the time spent waiting for your baggage, packing light can really help your budget. Pack as little as possible; while you may find this a challenge, your wallet will thank you.
Budget airlines soon stop being cheap when they charge you for ‘extras’ such as checked luggage or even just a slightly oversized carry-on! Be really selective with what you travel with and ensure the bag you buy meets the size requirements.
Budget airlines will charge you if you don’t check in online or exceed their carry-on size limit. Also, never pay to select your seat. While you may be tempted if you have children, no airline will separate a parent and a young child.
Travelling only with carry-on bags has reduced the time we spend in airports collecting luggage and allows us to travel in smaller (cheaper!) vehicles. When travelling with hold luggage, we’ve often had to order XL Ubers or take two taxis due to the number and size of bags rather than the number of passengers.
Having only carry-on bags also allows us to be more mobile, making navigating public transport and walking to our accommodation easier.
9 | Save On Family Accommodation
When it comes to stretching your family travel budget, savvy choices with accommodation can be a game-changer. If you are a family of five or more, you may often be looking at two or more rooms in a hotel.
Consider alternatives to traditional hotels, such as vacation rentals, Airbnb, family-friendly hostels, homestays, and home swaps, where you can often find spacious and budget-friendly options. Staying outside of cities or popular tourist attractions will also help your budget.
We usually opt for accommodation with kitchen facilities; this allows our family to prepare meals, saving money on dining out and enhancing our overall comfort and experience.
Planning your stay for off-peak seasons can unlock significant discounts. Booking well in advance gives you a great chance of securing the best deals. We use Booking.com as our preferred search platform as it has a good loyalty programme, decent discounts and is easy to use. Check for consistently good and recent reviews.
10 | Don’t Eat Out For Every Meal
Set a daily food budget and stick to it. Many restaurants in tourist areas have inflated prices; instead, opt for local restaurants that locals eat in for cheaper meal options. Street food in places like Asia is cheap and a cultural must, but always ensure you see it being cooked or buy from a busy stall.
We purchase snacks and lunch from supermarkets or local markets if food is expensive. Refillable water bottles also help family budgets and the environment.
As mentioned above, we select accommodation with facilities to cook meals and buy food from local supermarkets. This gives us flexibility and saves us money. We have found that having breakfast before leaving the accommodation prepares us for the day and minimises impulse food purchases.
11 | Avoid Over Paying For Activities And Attractions
To protect your budget, avoid paying full price for every adventure! Be selective with your choice and always ask for a discount.
Often, multi-passes are available that give access to several attractions for a single, discounted price. These can be a really cost-effective way to see and experience the main sights. It is also worth searching online for discount codes such as 2 for 1, kids go free etc.
Taking advantage of free activities is a great way to afford to travel with kids. Many walking tours and museums don’t charge, although they will appreciate any donations.
12 | Slow Paced Travel
Travelling slowly allows you to savour your journey and comes with the added benefit of helping to protect your travel budget! Travelling longer in a destination can unlock discounts for accommodation.
We found slowing down our travel drastically reduced our spending on transport. It also allowed us more time to explore hidden gems we would have otherwise missed.
13 | Collect Memories Not Things
Collecting memories instead of souvenirs on family travels is a great money saver. It also won’t add extra weight to your luggage.
Kids soon learn the value of experiences over material goods. We rarely buy souvenirs.
Afford To Travel With Kids: FAQ
What Is The Cheapest Way To Travel With Kids?
Plan ahead, travel out of season and go slowly! Take only carry-on bags if possible; if not, try to keep checked baggage to an absolute minimum. Use public transport where available and don’t hesitate to ask for a discount.
Where Is A Cheap Destination For Family Travel On A Budget?
Southeast Asia has a reputation as a budget family friendly destination as does Eastern Europe. Our top cheap family travel destinations include Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Morocco and Peru. As flights may not be cost-effective, it will depend on which country you are travelling from.
How Much Does A Family Vacation Cost?
The cost of your family vacation will depend on many factors, including the destination, duration, month, accommodation, and the number of family members.
On average, a family vacation might range from several hundred to several thousands of pounds. Careful budgeting, smart planning, and opting for cost-effective choices can significantly impact the overall expense.
How Can I Afford To Travel With Kids More?
Start by setting a realistic travel budget and cutting out unnecessary expenses in your daily life. Then, use applications such as Skyscanner, bookings.com and kiwi to book transport, accommodation and activities in advance. Opting for budget-friendly destinations and considering alternative accommodation to hotels will make travelling more affordable.
What Is A Good Age To Travel With Kids?
The ideal age to travel with kids varies depending on location, activity and family. Children can, of course, travel at any age. Many families prefer to travel with kids under the age of ten when they are generally more adaptable and curious. We have travelled with our kids of all ages, and we personally feel travelling with teens is the best years for our family.
Final Thoughts: How To Afford To Travel With Kids
Family travel does not have to be excessively expensive. With careful planning of your destination, accommodation, transport and activities, travelling can be achievable on almost any budget, even with kids! Remember to cut out unnecessary daily expenses, plan thoroughly, and choose a destination that allows you to stay within budget,
With careful planning and a willingness to make some sacrifices, most families can travel their own adventure and travel now, not just someday.
