Ever since I turned 21 I've branched out from my family holidays and gone on a lot more trips with my friends. Not because I don't enjoy family holidays, but because I'm sure my mum wouldn't have the same enthusiasm as me for pub crawling in Prague or going to underground clubs in Berlin. That being said, I still enjoy going on the occassional family holiday as it's a chance you actually get to bond and spend quality time together - and not just at the dinner table. I recently spent a week in Albufeira, Portugal with my family and something me and my sister were discussing was 'I don't want to have many kids because then our holidays are going to cost a bomb'. Turns out there are a couple of ways in which you could keep costs lower and still have a whale of a time. Seeing as I'm always the designated travel planner when going away in groups, I took on this role for our family holiday too and these are some of the ways in which I budgeted for this holiday.
1. Ditch the travel agent.
9/10 times the holiday you're planning doesn't need a middle man. Unless you're planning a very unique itinerary and going to need lots of transfers and offers, everything you need to plan your trip is one Google search away. Pinterest is a great way to find advice and itineraries from people who have been there and GetYourGuide is great for finding tours and activities in your destination.
2. Book in advance (for mostly everything!)
I'm a fan of spontaneous holidays, but if you're planning on going to Malta and try and book one month before for the summer then you're going to be paying big dollah for an average hotel. Skyscanner also lets you set up price alerts for when flight prices change so this is always handy to keep an eye on in advance too. A lot of water parks, theme parks and attractions also offer discounted tickets when you purchase them online.
3. Consider staying in an AirBnB.
If you've got a large family then renting an apartment or somebody's house can be a lot more economic than booking a couple of double rooms. It means you get a kitchen to cook in if you want to, and a lot of the time you can find really quirky and cool places for half of the price of a hotel.
4. Have 1 meal out each day.
This was something my family did when we were in Portugal and it meant three things - there was more pool time, I didn't feel disgustingly full when it got to dinner and of course, you save a lot of money this way. If you're staying in a sunny place and you're mainly there to relax, chances are most of your lunches will be quick and easy anyway. A simple Google search of 'cheap eats in _____' will find you some good recommendations too.
5. Travel off-peak.
This might be obvious, but mid-term and half-term are where the prices sky-rocket for family holidays. If you can afford to go a bit earlier or have your summer hol in June, then you'll get a better deal on your trip. With Malta, it was actually a good thing because it was still hot and from the looks of it July-August would have had us melted on the ground.
6. Consider other locations.
When you think of family holiday what are the first places that come to mind? Mediterranean cruise? Disney World? Benidorm? Sure those places are great but there are so many other beautiful places to consider when it comes to the road less travelled. Krakow is probably one of the best places I visited this year and it had everything - history, beauty and good cheap food.
7. Look out for deals and family packages.
The beauty of the internet is that there are always good offers and discounts and sales landing in your inbox or advertised to you on social media (just not the kind that offer you £1,000,000 and a all expenses paid trip to Bahamas if you share this post). When we want a little staycation my family always goes to a town in Spain for a weekend and if you're coming from abroad then visiting Spain with Holiday Gems might be a good choice as they have some great offers and specialise in sunny destinations.
What's been your favourite family holiday? Or are you guys going anywhere fun soon?
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