Saturday, January 12, 2013

Save Money Travelling as a Family

'Family at the hotel check in' photo (c) 2011, Holidayextras - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Traveling as a family is a great opportunity to spend time together as well as an opportunity to grow as an individual as you discover new places. However, traveling can be an expensive endeavour which can hit the wallet even more when you travel as a group. The following are some suggestions a family can discover the world, while keeping more money, sometimes foreign, in their wallet.

Bed and Breakfast:Many hotels these days offer a complimentary buffet-style breakfast for their guests. This is a great deal for families. Two parents and two children can often share a room and save tens of dollars on breakfast the following day. By filling up on free breakfast you will not be tempted to buy food until the next meal. If possible, try to rent a room with a fridge or a little kitchenette where you can store some snacks or cook a few meals without needing to go outside to restaurants.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: We all get sick; this is a fact of life. However, no one wants to be sick on vacation.
Not only is it an inconvenience it can be downright expensive, especially if you need emergency medical care. So do not skimp and buy travel insurance in Canada, for a few dollars you can not only save hundreds of thousands of dollars but also be protected against trip cancellation, trip interruption or baggage loss or delay.

Remember that it is a journey: Once you get to your travel destination, make sure to discover the many free things the new place has to offer. Do some research. Many museums, zoos or exhibits have discounted days or even free admission on certain days of the month. By planning your schedule accordingly you can save a lot of money in admission fees. Furthermore do not be hung up on seeing everything. Take a walk through the main streets or the local park or the beach. These are all free activities that will make a huge impact on your travel experience.

Do some research:As mentioned before, taking a little bit of time to research your trip beforehand, can save you a lot of money in the end. If you know the places that you want to visit beforehand, make sure to visit their website and see if there are any coupons that are available for your adventures. Instead of spending a lot of money for a taxi at the airport, try and check if your hotel offers a shuttle service. There are plenty of discounts available for families if you keep your eye open.

Haggle: Many places want your business, so they are willing to work with you to get you a better price. Perhaps an airline can offer you a cheaper seat on a different line? Or a vendor at the local market will lower the price of his goods, if you only ask.
Through these tips and more, your family can have a great and inexpensive travel experience.


The above is a guest post I found in my inbox this morning that I thought you might enjoy.

2 comments:

  1. When I was growing up, a big part of traveling was researching our trip. I think half the fun of a trip is learning about it beforehand.

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  2. My husband and I love to stay at Bed & Breakfasts. A big part of finding a good one is definitley research, though. Otherwise you never know what you're going to end up getting.

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