Guest Post: Cheaper Family Holidays

When you have children the price of going on holiday tends to go up quite a bit. Not only do you have to pay for their flights once they’re over the age of two, but you also get charged for a family room, or multiple rooms and then of course, there’s the expense of eating out for everyone while you’re away as well.

However, there are some ways that you can reduce the cost of family holidays without making them any less fun.

For some people the easiest option is to go on a self-catering holiday. That way, you can take advantage of cheap flights and get some great accommodation deals, but you don’t have to eat out every mealtime. For people who have children who are fussy eaters this can be a real saving as you can cook them what they like in the apartment or villa and not have to watch good food being thrown away (at your expense) in a restaurant. It can also make holiday mealtimes less stressful.

However, if the idea of self-catering doesn’t appeal, there are other options open to you. Lots of parents don’t fancy the idea of continuing in the chief cook and bottle washer role when they’re on holiday – it doesn’t always make for the most relaxing of breaks after all. Many holiday companies now offer cheap all inclusive family vacation packages, and this often represents a great saving for people travelling with their children. As well as having all your flights, accommodation and food and drinks paid for before you set off on holiday, an all-inclusive trip often includes kids’ clubs and other activities at the hotel itself. Not every facility or activity is included in the deal, though, so check any details on what extras you’ll need to pay for before you go to avoid disappointment.

Another option is to holiday with the kids in your own country, so you don’t have to pay out for flights for them. If you have willing grandparents or friends who will look after them at another time during the year, you and your partner could always jet off for a week’s relaxation by yourselves.

Everything depends on your budget, your children’s temperament and what kind of holiday you all want. Going abroad with the kids need not cost the earth, but there’s no doubt that holidays with children are quite different to the ones you had when you were young, free and single!