9 Money-Saving Tips for Traveling Families

Posted by sanjay on February 13th, 2017

Today’s traveler knows that the initial price of their airfare is really just a reservation and not a full payment. Extra fees for services such as checking bags, priority boarding, and meals add approximately 15 percent onto the base fare.

Airlines today are profitable largely due to the revenue streams from these fees and even the low-cost carriers are getting in the game, charging customers higher amounts for flight changes – a fact that makes tech-savvy travelers nuts – and even carry-on bag fees.

All of these changes affect business travelers but they’re also hard on traveling families. Here are 9 tips traveling families can save money on their trips.

1. Try to avoid airline fees

Some of the latest airline fees can hit traveling families hard. Recently, the big three airlines – American, Delta, and United – all announced increased change ticket fees. Their eye-twitch inducing 0 per seat change fee on top of any difference in the fare can hit families traveling together pretty hard when school holidays are delayed or cancelled because of missed school days due to blizzards or super storms.

2. Don’t buy too early

While you may be tempted to get your vacation reservations made early, it’s not the best way to get the best price. The airlines and hotels are intentionally set up for higher prices early on to catch those who must book their travel (business travelers often have little choice about the timing of their trips, for example) and their prices begin to fall as the time gets closer.

Experts recommend shopping for flights well in advance using airline and hotel comparison sites like Kayak.com and Hotels.com. Set up email alerts for the dates and routes you want to cheap travel insurance and then wait and watch. The flights typically begin to fall between 45 and 60 days before you’d like to travel. You’ll notice the trends and have a better idea what a ‘good’ price is versus an average price pretty quickly and you’ll be ready to buy when the right one appears.

3. Go in the ‘off-season’

Yes, this is harder for families tied to school year calendars, but many schools across the U.S. are turning to year-round calendars and this is having an effect on travel. The typical summertime breaks are now scattered across the warmer months of the year and the shoulder seasons often bleed into breaks.

4. Avoid hotels

Sure, you’re going to have to stay somewhere but hotels are nearly always the worst option for families. There are a range of options for staying in apartments, flats, and even entire houses that cost less than an economy hotel room where everyone’s piled in on top of each other.

5. Live like a local

When you avoid staying at a hotel, it’s easier to live like a local. Families can save a lot of money by eating at least some of their meals at ‘home’. Public transportation is often cheaper than renting a car, plus many vacation rentals include bicycles which can give you and the kids some great exercise and a way to explore your destination from ground level. Ask the locals where they like to eat their meals and you’re more likely to find inexpensive and the tastiest options around.

6. Go where the dollar goes farther

If the current exchange rate is dashing your dreams of a trip to France, travel somewhere the dollar has better purchasing power. Right now, South and Central America and Canada are great options, but don’t overlook destinations like Turkey, Switzerland, and Croatia – they’ve avoided switching to the Euro and are more budget-friendly. There are many affordable destinations that are rich in culture, history, and natural beauty available on a budget.

7. Look for cheap and free things to do

Many destinations have local coupon books that give you discounts on attractions. Many larger cities like Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta (to name just a few) have City PASS. These passes combine offers from a lot of attractions over a period of days and the more people you have, the more you save.

8. Insure your trip

If you do have to cancel your trip for unavoidable reasons, trip cancellation protection means you’ll be able to be reimbursed for your pre-paid trip costs. With many hotels now committed to strict cancellation fees in exchange for lower room prices, many travelers are also stuck footing that bill when they have to cancel.

9. Avoid unexpected medical costs

If you’re traveling outside your health insurance network, take a little time to get travel medical insurance. The cost of medical care is rising around the world and some countries refuse to treat travelers beyond life-saving measures when they’re not citizens of the country.

[Source: http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/2013/05/13/money-saving-tips-for-traveling-families/]