Top tips for a having a fantastic family holiday on a budget

When searching to find the ideal holiday destination for the whole family, for that well-deserved break and quality time with your family the last thing you need is to be adding any extra stress over the holiday budget. It is always advisable to have a guideline budget in mind for what you can afford but once the lure of those holiday sites, brochures and deals kick in, this can be easier said than done! If you’re keen to make your family holiday one to remember, but don’t want to break the bank, here are some handy tips to follow.

Practice your negotiation skills

In the current market, it seems the best place to grab yourself a deal is online but sometimes this is not the case. A travel agent will have the knowledge and capabilities to book all aspects of your holiday including flights and transfers to many destinations and will provide details for suitable accommodation serving your requirements and budget. With their expertise, you can tailor your holiday more than you might expect and the added bonus is the opportunity to haggle and in lots of cases gain some free child places. In relation to the seat availability on planes or rooms in hotels, if they are not filled then they lose out, so it is in the interest of the travel agents to look at filling these spaces by offering discount where applicable. Booking a last-minute holiday can also work to your advantage as long as you can be flexible with the dates and times you can travel. Also, although maybe not your first choice, traveling through the night/early morning or mid-week can significantly reduce the cost of your holiday.

Hotel Board Basis

Unfortunately, holiday expenses don’t just end at booking your hotel and flights. You might feel you are saving money by opting for a half board or self-catering option for your stay but depending on the size of your family the cost of eating and drinking over a week can soon add up, adding to this the need to leave your hotel in search of restaurants or excursions to fill your day. Make sure you compare against hotels that offer ‘All Inclusive’ board basis as finding a hotel which allows unlimited food, drinks as well as having sufficient entertainment in the daytime, as well as evening, will keep all your children happy therefore could see you spending the majority of your time in your hotel and no need to part with too much extra spending money.

Sight-Seeing

If you are planning to see the sights on your holiday, make sure you have a look at what options you have available. Instead of booking on to excursion why not find a map and look into the local public travel available to you. Staff at your hotel will also help provide guidance and you could find alternative travel in the form of trains and public buses. Your children will love to travel this way experiencing more of the countries views and cultures with the bonus it could save you in the long run.

The Perfect Place to Stay

Searching for hotels abroad can be an exciting experience in the build-up to your holiday but it can also produce an amount of pressure to pick a good hotel your whole family will enjoy.

A hotel will be the first choice for many which you can generally judge price and quality by amenities in the hotel and star ratings. If you are not worried about having such luxuries as a swimming pool or entertainment looking at local B&B’s could provide you with a cheap source of accommodation if your holiday will consist of you being away from the hotel majority of the time. If your family enjoys more tie at the beach, why not consider finding a Villa that doesn’t offer a swimming pool could save you. Camping sites for tents and caravans might seem like they would offer cheaper accommodation like in the UK but this is not always the case depending on the sites and facilities they offer.

Explore by Foot

If you are out exploring with the family, why not ditch the wheels and start exploring on foot! It can be fun to pick up a map and plan a walking route which allows you to see the sights you desire and to your own timeframe and with the added bonus of some exercise.

Be Prepared

If your kids would prefer to be out exploring rather than relaxing on a sunbed, make sure you spend time planning your trip. Do some online research into the locations and attractions you wish to visit perhaps documenting in a mini itinerary as this will save you time as well as money whilst on your holiday. You might also come across deals for booking tickets in advance with free child entry and with the adding benefit of saving you time in unnecessary queues.

Make sure you are covered

Before traveling outside of your home country, it is important to make yourself aware of what insurances you will need to cover your health and your families whilst abroad. You will need to put suitable health insurance cover in place. Have a look on comparison sites to find yourself the highest amount of cover for your family for the best deal which in the long run could save you expensive healthcare costs.

Preparing for the unexpected

A holiday is an exciting time for the whole family which after being highly anticipated can be heartbreaking when things don’t quite go to plan. For those who have saved for many months or are on the holiday of a lifetime, a bad experience could mean the whole holiday is affected. For significant events that impact your holiday, there is likely to be some form of compensation available which won’t help to change things at the time but may provide you with financial remuneration towards a future holiday or to help you manage the effects of the experience. If for example, you or a family member has suffered due to illness or an accident whilst on holiday, you should be able to claim back any unforeseen expenses plus compensation if it was the fault of a third party.  If you are subject to severe flight delays or worse case travel has been canceled, according to a legal expert you are likely to be eligible to make a claim for flight delay compensation. However, it can be a long and arduous process, so may be worth seeking advice from a legal expert who can work on your behalf, usually on a no win no fee basis.