Vacations can be really expensive but they don’t need to be. Having a budget and sticking to it is one way to keep costs low, but there are so many other tricks to being frugal on a trip. If you have been reluctant to book a getaway because of cost, this post is for you. I’ve put together some easy ways to save money on a family vacation and still have fun!
Cook Some Meals
One cost that really adds up during a vacation is when you eat in restaurants for all of your meals. While it may be tempting with all the delicious eatery options out there, consider cooking a few of your meals to save money on a family vacation. You can still enjoy the local culinary choices without breaking the bank.
In order to make this possible, I would advise booking a hotel or a vacation rental that has a kitchen. This gives you the most flexibility with your meals.
Alternate option: Book a hotel with free breakfast or dinner included. Fill up on a tasty breakfast before heading out to sightsee for the day or come back for the evening meal.
Warning: Be sure to compare prices. If the hotel’s breakfast isn’t included in the room rate, most likely they are charging more than if you found a meal out or bought some delicious pastries.
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. When clicking on the links and booking travel, I receive a small commission with no extra costs for you. Please note, I only recommend brands I actually use and trust.
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Enjoy Free Activities to Save Money on a Family Vacation
Many destinations have free options to discover that are just as fun as the paid sights. Prioritize the paid activities that you want to enjoy and then fill the rest of your day with free activities save money on a family vacation.
Here are a few activity ideas that are in many destinations:
- Search for free museums. Even museums that normally have an entrance fee sometimes have free days.
- Explore parks, gardens and playgrounds.
- Take a free walking tour. Many cities offer these for free! Great way to learn about a city and cut down on costs.
- Research free carnivals or festivals happening during your visit. This is also a great way to learn a little more about the culture that you are visiting.
- Visit an ornate church and admire the details.
- Go window shopping.
- Create your own scavenger hunt and search for popular landmarks.
- Walk around a local market.
- Find some interesting street art.
- Work on your photography skills.
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Get Outdoors and Explore
Getting outdoors is my favorite way to enjoy free or cheap activities while traveling. It is usually in a stunning, scenic destination which brings me joy. Also my kids can be entertained for hours. Give them a body of water and some rocks and they are happy. And if it is hot, they will swim all day!
Choose destinations with hiking trails, oceans to swim in, caves to explore, and rocks to climb. Want to save even more money on vacation? Go camping. Campsites are a lot less expensive than a hotel room.
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Consider Purchasing a City Card to Save Money on a Family Vacation
If you love to visit all the popular attractions in a city but hate the cost, a great way to save money is to purchase a city card. Many cities these days have them. Depending on what activities you want to do, this can be a great way to save a few bucks.
Search Tiqets.com to see if your destination has a city card. Some great options are Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bordeaux and more. Some even include the use of public transportation around the city or a hop on hop off bus which is really convenient.
Important: Do your research and make sure you will actually do the activities that are included in the card to make it worth it!
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Go Where the Locals Go
Restaurants
One of the mistakes tourists make when choosing restaurants is eating at ones in the busy touristy areas. Yes, sometimes you just want to eat near the canal or with a view and that is perfectly fine. However, these restaurants will charge you more. We have also found that many times, they aren’t the best quality restaurants either.
Do this instead: Look for options a little further off the beaten path that have good ratings on google.
Or this: Another way to save money on a family vacation is to eat street food! Usually it is made by locals and is super tasty. The golden rule is to stand in the longest line. The locals know where the good food is! The wait might take longer, but it will be worth it!
Grocery Shopping
The best place and the cheapest place to find food is at a local market. Many European cities have indoor markets where farmers sell their goods. You can walk around and buy a few items and taste new flavors. There are usually restaurants there as well that serve some delicious options.
Other locations, such as the Netherlands, have outdoor markets on specific days. You can easily search up when these markets are open online. Usually they have the best options and are cheaper than the grocery store.
Important: It is best to bring cash. Many markets don’t accept credit cards.
If you are on an island that is popular for tourism, consider walking out of the touristy area to find a grocery store.
For example, we noticed when we were in the Galapagos that the grocery store that was right by the pier had many options, but was very expensive. When we walked down the street just a little bit, we could pay a lot less. Also we found a bakery and ice cream shop on that same street that were super cheap. We regularly stocked up on yummy pastries before walking to Tortuga Bay for 2-3 dollars for all 4 of us!
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Consider A Home Exchange to Save Money on a Family Vacation
One of the biggest costs when taking a trip is your lodging. If you are comfortable with other people staying in your home while you are gone, consider a home exchange. With a home exchange, you stay in someone else’s home for free!! There are many reputable websites out there that coordinate home exchanges in many different countries. A couple of options I found on freakingnomads.com are:
- Homeexchange.com – HomeExchange is one of the biggest companies out there for home swapping. You can coordinate a simultaneous swap or use their GuestPoints system to claim properties without a direct trade.
- Intervac Home Exchange – Intervac offers a 21-day trial membership, so you can check out if it is right for you without committing to the membership fee.
Important: It’s important to choose the house exchange program that fits your travel style and your goals.
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Travel Off-Season
Another big travel saving tip is to travel off-season. Prices drop significantly in certain places when you aren’t there during peak times. My advice is to choose a destination that is just coming off peak season or right before their high season. We often call this the shoulder season. You will save money, and the likelihood of good weather is still there. Most of the attractions will still be open. Plus flights are usually cheaper during this time too!
For example, travel to Spain in March and April, before the high season. The temperatures will be in the 60s to 70s range, there will be less people and the prices will be lower.
Visit Italy in the fall, October and November. It will be a little cooler, so showing off your swimsuit might not be on your agenda, but it is a great time to see some of the more popular attractions and avoid some of the huge crowds.
Another example in the U.S. is Yellowstone National Park. Our favorite time to visit was in September and October, after school started. The amount of tourists goes down, the wildlife is active and all the roads are still open. You will also have a more likely chance of finding a campsite or hotel with availability!
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Use Travel Rewards to Save Money on a Family Vacation
Probably the most popular result you will see to save money on a family vacation is to book with travel reward points or miles. If you get travel rewards cards and use them wisely, you can save so much money. We especially like to use our credit card points for reducing the cost of flights because we save the most money this way. Flying anywhere from the states is expensive. If you have to purchase 4 tickets, that cost adds up.
Here are some of the travel reward cards that we recommend: Travel Reward Credit Card Perks and the Best Cards
You can also save money by using your points to book rental cars and hotels as well. Additionally you can opt for a reward card that provides cash back. All of the options help reduce travel costs in the end. What’s important is that you choose a travel credit card that works for your lifestyle!
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