When it’s time to take a vacation, there is nothing more fun than having some of your extended family along for the journey. However, since this means you will likely have a larger group with you on the trip, costs may become a concern. Yet rather than think twice about taking your vacation or limiting your activities along the way, there are many ways you can save money on your trip. If you’re eager to embark on a fun vacation with your extended family, keep these tips in mind.
Timing Your Trip
If you really want to save substantial money when traveling with your extended family, time your trip so that you take it during the off-season, rather than at the peak time for most tourists. For example, if you want to visit Disney World, May and September are often great off-peak times to pay Mickey Mouse a visit. In many places, you have to pay more money depending on the time of the year. The most common cost that tends to change is the cost of hotel rooms, theme parks, and even museums. In some places, restaurants, flights, and public transportation also fluctuate based on the time of year. If you want to save money on your trip, it’s a good idea to look at the price of your desired location at different times of the year and learn what time of year is the cheapest overall.
Look for Travel Deals
In many cases, the larger group you have with you, the more money you can save when getting to your destination. For example, you can often save money on in-town transportation by traveling with a big group of people to pitch in on a bus charter. That way, instead of everyone paying for an Uber or getting multiple cars, you can travel together for a cheaper price. Typically, the price of a charter bus is cheaper per person than if you were traveling with a smaller group and renting a couple of cars. Once you start checking into this option, you will find many bus companies offer charter trips of all types to many destinations. As an added bonus, these trips are often much cheaper than flying, let you travel on comfortable buses, and can be done over a long weekend or perhaps a week.
Picnics Instead of Restaurants
When traveling with extended family, eating out meal after meal can quickly bust your budget. If you want to save plenty of money on meals, try eating out for perhaps only one meal per day. Otherwise, you can stop by local grocery stores and load up on stuff for sandwiches and other low-cost foods, then perhaps head to a nearby park for a picnic. If you have access to an oven or a stove, you can even bake or cook food if you have time for that on your trip. Otherwise, creating food like cereal for breakfast and cold sandwiches for lunch can save you a lot of money while still providing you the energy you need to enjoy your trip.
Take Advantage of Free Entertainment
No matter where you travel to during your vacation, you and your extended family can likely find plenty of free entertainment upon arriving. By paying a visit to the local library or looking at bulletin boards in grocery stores or elsewhere, you can probably find free concerts, comedy shows, movie screenings, festivals, or other fun events to attend free of charge.
If you plan wisely so that you and your family save money along the way, you are sure to come away with a vacation that everyone will remember in the years ahead for all the right reasons.