Five Tips to Saving While Traveling with Kids

With summer upon you, you may be planning a summer vacation for your family. But, as oil prices drive up the cost of gas and airline fares, a vacation can represent a fairly large part of your summer “fun” budget. For some of you, a vacation may even feel out of reach in your current financial situation. Although you can’t control some parts of your vacation costs, there are a few ways that you can cut costs as you travel with your family.

Make your vacation a series of day trips rather than visiting a far-flung destination. You’ll save on the cost of hotels and eating out every night, and your little ones will sleep much better in their own beds.

If you’re driving to your vacation destination, fill a cooler with ice and pack snacks for your family. By carrying your own food with you, you’ll be able to avoid expensive stops at fast-food restaurants and feed your family in a much healthier manner.

As long as we’re discussing saving money on food, be sure to pack lunches for your family as you visit different attractions throughout your vacation. Most zoos and theme parks will allow you to bring food into the park. If that isn’t an option, you can often leave the park for lunch (which you’ve carefully packed in a cooler and left in your car) and then return for another round of fun.

Plan your trip ahead of time so that you can take advantage of any discounts that may be available to you. Early planning leaves you time to look for discounts that may be offered through companies like AAA, Entertainment Books, or even the destination itself. Some zoos feature free or discounted admission days; be sure to try to work those days into your vacation plan. Requesting travel information from your destination’s department of tourism is also a good way to find discount information.

Choose a hotel with amenities that you can really use, but don’t pay for extras that don’t add value to your family’s vacation. For instance, your kids will probably be thrilled with a hotel with a pool. However, they couldn’t care less if your hotel stay includes access to a fitness room or a business center.

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