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Planning a vacation is always fun, but it can also be stressful. You want to make sure that you have everything planned out so that your trip goes smoothly and you don’t get burned out. That’s why I’ve put together my best budget travel tips for family travel to help you save money and have less stress in your travels!
You don’t have to be a millionaire to have great travel experiences! Fabulous, yet affordable, travel is just waiting for you and your family!
Some of these things will save you money, and some are just my favorite travel tips and travel hacks. Here we go, budget travelers!
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- Best Budget Travel Tips
- 1) Try New Things!
- 2) Download Offline Maps
- 3) Reserve Equipment in Advance
- 4) Plan Ahead
- 5) Look for Free or Inexpensive Activities
- 6) Travel in Off-Season or Off-Peak Times
- 7) Save on Souvenirs
- 8) Manage Your Travel Splurges
- 9) Use a Credit Card That Earns Points/Miles
- 10) Minimize Dining Out
- 11) It Doesn't Hurt to Ask!
- 12) Look for Less Expensive Destinations
- 13) Use Public Transportation
- 14) Purchase Trip Insurance
- 15) Look for Unique Experiences
- 16) Turn Off Data Roaming on Your Cell Phone
- 17) Rent or Purchase a WiFi Device
- 18) Stay Where Breakfast is Included
- 19) Snack It Up
- 20) Use a Luggage Scale
- 21) Try to Avoid Using Cash
- 22) Pack Blue Tape
- 23) Costco Membership
- 24) Giant Packable Beach Bag
- 25) Pack a Laundry Outfit
- 26) Pay Attention to Prices
- 27) Look for Free or Discounted Activities for Kids & Students
- 28) Don't Overextend Yourself in Other Areas of Life
- 29) Sign-Up for Flight Deal Emails
- Best Budget Travel Tips
Best Budget Travel Tips
With semi-budget travel, we like to balance savings with a few splurges here and there.
We’re not staying at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, but we’re not staying in hostels either. Some families might, and that’s great! But, for us, it’s about looking for great deals and finding that balance, whether you’re planning a road trip or flying to Southeast Asia.
Here are my favorite budget travel tips that will help you save money on family vacations!
1) Try New Things!
New foods, new experiences, new places, new modes of transportation! Immerse yourselves in the local culture, whether it be somewhere different in your own country or somewhere new around the world.
I once overheard a guy in a coffee shop telling someone that, no matter where in the world he traveled with a particular friend, the friend always wanted to eat at Chipotle. It was predictable, affordable, and filling. While all those things might be true, it’s good to branch out sometimes.
When we travel, our family generally chooses not to eat at establishments we have at home. On rare occasions, such as chain restaurants with unique products in foreign countries, we make exceptions. For example, back in the day, I tried the “baked bean dippers” at a Burger King in the UK. We didn’t have baked bean dippers in the States, so I wanted to try them. Otherwise, we try to eat local and experience new tastes.
2) Download Offline Maps
The Google Maps app for smartphones has a nifty offline maps feature. Download the area you plan to travel in before leaving, and turn on your GPS so that it can use data from satellites rather than cell towers (which requires internet access). That way, if you are somewhere with no WiFi or service, you’ll still be able to find your way around.
3) Reserve Equipment in Advance
As soon as you know your travel dates, reserve or rent equipment that you need in advance. This can include such things as ski equipment, lift tickets, and ski lessons. Do your research ahead of time and make a reservation.
4) Plan Ahead
Planning ahead means doing your research and booking anything that needs to be booked well before the trip. This may include flights, lodging, local transportation, and certain activities.
Some restaurants and museums, for example, are closed on certain days of the week. On the other hand, certain days might have free admission. Do this research ahead of time.
Have a plan in place for what you’re going to do and how much time is needed. Be reasonable, based on predicted crowds, peak or off-peak season, etc. Include necessary breaks for meals/snacks, bathroom breaks, and even naps.
Always, always, always have hand wipes available to clean your hands and wipe up messes along the way!
Family travel doesn’t always go as planned, as much as I want it to! But, it’s good to have a general plan in place so you can adapt when things don’t go as planned.
5) Look for Free or Inexpensive Activities
Look for free or inexpensive activities in the area you’re visiting. For example, most of the activities we experienced on Whidbey Island could be visited with their $30 annual Discover Pass!
Some of our favorite inexpensive activities with kids are:
- Visiting a park and going on the swings, slides, or merry-go-rounds (the kids could spend hours here!)
- Picking berries at U-Pick farms
- Going for walks in nature (lots of parks with maps tell you how much time it will take for each trail)
- Free walking tours
6) Travel in Off-Season or Off-Peak Times
This is huge! Traveling during off-peak or off-season times of the year is a game changer. It can often mean cheaper lodging, less crowds, and the activities might even be cheaper (for example, lift tickets for skiing).
Figure out the best time to visit the best places in the world, and it could save you time AND money!
7) Save on Souvenirs
Before purchasing a particular souvenir, consider:
- How much will it cost?
- How will you get it home?
- Will it require an extra bag fee?
- Will it involve high shipping costs?
- Where will you put it at home?
I always hesitate to say “don’t buy souvenirs,” because they’re a great way to remember your time and the memories. But, you can save money if you consider the questions above.
Many years back, we decided that the majority of our souvenirs would be refrigerator magnets from the places we visit. They’re inexpensive, they don’t take up much space, and they easily remind us of all the places we’ve been!
If you’ve got a super tight budget for your travels, this could be a category where you can save. Choose to collect memories, instead of stuff and things!
Consider purchasing an inexpensive travel journal which can then become a souvenir itself! Here are some great options for adults & kids alike:
- Adventure is Out There
- Vacation Activity Journal
- My Travel Diary
- Always Take the Scenic Route
- Travel Journal
- Mini Travel Scrapbook Stickers
8) Manage Your Travel Splurges
Semi-Budget Travel is budget-conscious travel, with a splurge here and there.
That means, manage your splurges!
While the most expensive hotels in the world might be fun to experience, staying there can severely limit all the other goals you have for your travels.
Limit your splurges to things that are really important and memorable. I will splurge on unique activities that we can’t find at home and that are unique to the location, such as a jungle trek day trip on Borneo, or the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany.
9) Use a Credit Card That Earns Points/Miles
Use a credit card that will help “pay” for your future travels, by earning points or miles when you make purchases.
We’ve used points and miles for first class upgrades, free airfare to Hawaii, cutting the cost of our rental car in Hawaii, and free airfare to Europe. You can redeem points/miles for virtually free flights, hotel stays, and car rentals.
Choose a credit card with a low annual fee and big benefits. Two of our favorites, both with low annual fees, are:
United MileagePlus Explorer – This card earns miles in United’s loyalty program. It offers benefits, such as free checked bags and United Club one-time passes each year. Miles can be redeemed on partner airlines, including Lufthansa.
It’s important to say that credit cards must be used wisely. Make sure you are able to pay off your balance each month. Going into debt for travel experiences will lower its sweetness, and in the end, you’ll probably pay more than it would have cost to just buy the airline ticket or hotel room outright. But, if you’re able to be responsible with your spending, trading your debit card for a card with these benefits could jump start your travel!
10) Minimize Dining Out
This goes for travel and when you’re at home! Eating out almost always costs more than cooking and eating in.
When traveling, shop at local markets and grocery stores, and minimize dining out. This will do more than just save you money. It’ll give you another cultural experience, too!
11) It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask!
One of our best tips is: it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Traveling can be expensive, and sometimes we think we should just suck it up and pay the price. But, if you ask for discounts or special offers, you often find that you can save quite a bit of money on your trip! So, don’t feel guilty about asking for a deal, as most people are really happy to help, if they’re able.
12) Look for Less Expensive Destinations
Overall, look for cheaper places to visit. It’s worth considering less expensive destinations, if it means that we can spend more time in each location.
One meal in Malaysia cost just $0.72 USD (hello, street food!)! That said, we’ve also been to Iceland for a week on a semi-budget.
This doesn’t mean you need to avoid major cities either. We found Kuala Lumpur (KL) to be quite reasonable price-wise.
13) Use Public Transportation
A big way to save money is using public transportation. We always try to use the bus or subway when we’re in a city that has it (like London). It can be cheaper than taking taxis, which are pretty expensive in some places!
Half the fun of using public transportation around the world is figuring it out!
You will also save by not having to rent a car, avoiding parking fees, traffic, and possibly even learning to drive on the other side of the road!
14) Purchase Trip Insurance
Don’t forget to buy trip or travel insurance!
It doesn’t hurt to add this little extra bit of security when you’re going on vacation. Buying trip insurance can cover things like lost luggage or flight cancellation (and will reimburse you a defined amount if it does happen).
We even take it one step further and pay a little extra for the CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) clause.
You might be wondering why I’m suggesting this additional expense. Well, it’s because I’ve read some horror stories about people being stranded in a foreign country (or having to cancel for some reason) and not having anything to show for their vacation. With trip insurance, you can recoup many of your trip expenses, if the unexpected happens.
A great deal isn’t so great, if you have to cancel and can’t get your money back.
15) Look for Unique Experiences
If we come across something on our travels that we can eat or experience at home, we’re less likely to go for it away from home. Unique experiences don’t have to be expensive either!
16) Turn Off Data Roaming on Your Cell Phone
Make sure data roaming is turned off on your cell phone.
Story Time: Canadian cell towers can be reeeeally strong (even when you’re in the U.S.!), and you don’t want a surprise bill when you get home!
17) Rent or Purchase a WiFi Device
It might seem like an unnecessary luxury to buy one of these things for your vacation when you could just wait until you get to your hotel, but connectivity is really important. You don’t want to be stuck without the internet for your whole trip!
Plus, the cell phone company international plans can be cost-prohibitive, especially for a long trip.
In the past, we’ve rented WiFi devices in Asia, and we’ve used our cell phone international plan in Iceland. In many places, you can even rent WiFi devices at the airport upon arrival, but this won’t necessarily work if you’re traveling through multiple countries.
Next time, we’ll consider the new Solis (formerly Skyroam). They offer a compact WiFi device that can be shared with up to 10 devices and can be used in over 130 countries! You then pay for a data plan that fits your travel needs.
18) Stay Where Breakfast is Included
What can you do to have a budget-friendly hotel stay? One option is staying at a hotel that includes breakfast in the price. The good news is there are plenty of budget hotels with free breakfast available!
This is one of the best ways to save money on food costs each day. So, when you’re making hotel reservations, make sure to find out if breakfast is included.
19) Snack It Up
If you must dine out for a meal, consider more snack stops and less sit down full meals.
The budget traveler is always looking for ways to save money on food. Eating out can be expensive, but you don’t have to eat out every meal. It’s easy and inexpensive to pack some snacks that you can munch on as a meal or just as a snack when your stomach starts rumbling.
For example, in Paris, check out the food stands that sell crepes and croque monsieur, instead of the spendy prix fixe meals.
20) Use a Luggage Scale
One of my favorite semi-budget travel tips is to purchase a luggage scale. They’re not very expensive, and they can save you a lot of money in potential overweight luggage fees. So, weigh your luggage before you head to the airport, every time. Pack the luggage scale in your carry-on, so you can use it throughout your trip.
21) Try to Avoid Using Cash
Try to avoid using cash as much as possible. Besides ATM fees, exchange rates, and the chance for loss, cash just has added risk.
Credit cards provide a convenient and budget-friendly way to make purchases overseas.
Credit card transactions can be processed in the local currency, which means that you won’t have to deal with any conversion rates or exchange fees. It’s easy to keep track of your trip expenses when you know exactly how much money you’re spending every day!
Your credit card issuer will also usually cover any lost or stolen funds, so it’s important to notify them as soon as possible if something happens so they can help protect your account. Finally, some credit cards offer additional benefits like extended warranties on items purchased during the trip and exclusive discounts at certain locations while abroad.
If you travel often but don’t want the hassle of dealing with foreign currencies, consider getting a credit card that doesn’t charge any fees for international transactions, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred VISA.
22) Pack Blue Tape
When traveling, it’s crucial to be prepared. This includes packing the essentials. A great budget travel tip for family travel is to pack blue painters tape. Blue painters tape can be used for anything that needs quick or temporary repair while you’re on the go.
No joke, blue painters tape is an essential item to pack while you travel. It can be used in so many ways, such as:
- mark hidden steps in hotel rooms
- make sure toiletry bottles stay closed
- prevent new-shoe callouses
- hang “Happy Birthday” banners in hotel rooms
So, use blue tape (oh yeah, it’s on the Ultimate Packing List)! I always make sure that I have some in my suitcase when I travel because it has so many uses!
23) Costco Membership
Your Costco membership card is valid at any Costco warehouse worldwide! Use this to your advantage!
Check out how it worked at Costco Iceland!
24) Giant Packable Beach Bag
Sometimes you just need a big bag to carry all. the. things.
But, you only need it while you’re actually at your destination, not before, not after. This means it needs to be packable before and after.
The SnapSac MegaTote (my favorite giant packable beach bag) seems to not exist anymore! That bag is perfect for traveling with 4 beach towels, hats, snacks, underwater camera, and other goodies. The best part? It’s washable, which is great for spills and sand alike.
No matter which giant beach bag you’ve got, one big bag is often better than a million smaller bags to deal with!
25) Pack a Laundry Outfit
Pack one extra set of clothing that you wear only when doing laundry. Then, you can wash all your other clothes at once, the clothes washing outfit won’t get too messed up, and…you won’t be naked in the laundry room!
26) Pay Attention to Prices
At the Target check-out in Hawaii, we were charged $2.00 more for each pair of leggings than the indicated price on the items. Supposedly, the price shown on the item is the “mainland price.” Without question, however, the price was adjusted for us. Just pay attention to what you’re being charged, and ask for any appropriate price adjustments.
27) Look for Free or Discounted Activities for Kids & Students
Look for free or discounted activities for kids and students. Make sure to bring your kids’ student ID cards to receive student discounts at museums and other activities.
Also, a family trip to Iceland may be somewhat of a splurge, but many things in Iceland are free for kids!
28) Don’t Overextend Yourself in Other Areas of Life
There’s no need to keep up with the Joneses by buying a bigger house or a more expensive car, especially if your overall goals are to travel more.
One of the best pieces of financial advice that my Dad gave me was to avoid being saddled by a huge car payment. That’s great advice! There’s no good reason to be paying $400, $500, $600 (or more!) per month on a single car payment. Buy a more reasonable car, and save the rest for your travel budget.
29) Sign-Up for Flight Deal Emails
There are multiple flight deal alert subscription services that exist these days.
My two favorite ones are:
Sign-up for emails from Scott’s Cheap Flights and/or Dollar Flight Club, and you will receive the best deals on airfare right in your inbox! It’s how we found $275 roundtrip airfare to Iceland!
It’s one of the cheapest ways to save hundreds of dollars on airline tickets for your next family vacation!
Best Budget Travel Tips
I hope you enjoyed these tips, and I can’t wait to hear about your own budget traveling adventures. Do you have any advice for how to save money on vacation? Let me know in the comments!
Remember, you don’t have to be a millionaire to have great travel experiences! Fabulous, yet affordable, travel is just waiting for you and your family!
Check out our Semi-Budget Travel resources, to help you plan your trip and save money at the same time!
Subscribe to get budget-conscious travel ideas & tips (with a few splurges here & there!) right in your inbox!
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