We have respected COVID-19 restrictions and have not traveled much at all for the last 10 months, but with vaccines being administered, I have hopes that we can once again travel safely by the summer. Our feet are super itchy, so I’m starting to not only think about where we might go, but how to save money for family travel.
My grandmother was known for her frugalness and passed that down to her daughters and granddaughters. My family prides itself on finding great deals whether it’s a designer purse or pair of socks, but what really gives me goosebumps is a $450 ticket to Tokyo or enough points on my credit card to pay for a hotel in San Francisco for four nights. Travel, especially travel with kids, can get expensive. Here are some of our tried and true ways to get the most bang for your buck before and during journeys with your family.
- We often fly out of a different airport than our “home” airport when traveling abroad. We live in Indianapolis, but for international flights, I’ve discovered that it’s almost 1/2 price (per ticket) to fly from O’Hare in Chicago. It’s about a 3-hour drive, but we saved almost $2,000 by driving there versus flying from Indy on trips to Europe and Asia. If you live in a smaller market, try checking flights from major airports like ORD, JFK, Newark, Boston, SFO, LAX, etc. before booking. You can also find some savings booking two different tickets. So, one ticket from Indy to Chicago and then separate ticket from Chicago to Europe or Asia. Another trick is to book a flight to a central location just to get on a continent, and then buy a separate ticket for your specific destination. For example, I booked Indy to Zurich for a crazy good price, but we really wanted to go to Greece. So I used the Hopper app (see below), and eventually found a great deal from Zurich to Athens.
2. I’m hawkish looking for cheap flights and you can be, too. Subscribe to Scott’s Cheap Flights, Dollar Flight Club and use the Skyscanner and Hopper apps to get notifications on specific routes. Scott’s is currently publishing flights for dates 3-4 months out for international travel and 1 to 2 months out for domestic travel. They are also emphasizing flights that waive change/cancellation fees. Skiplagged is another cool site to find flight and hotel deals, especially if your destination is flexible. You set your time frame and it tells you the best deals from your departure city.
3. To save on checked luggage costs, we try to just use carry-on bags or backpacks. And, we stay at Airbnbs or hotels with laundry facilities, so that we can do laundry halfway through our trip. There’s an added bonus: we’ve been able to cut our packing in half thanks to this tip. Also note that flying no-frills airlines also means that you may have to pay for checked luggage, seat selection, etc.
4. Purchase multi-day attraction city cards like the Copenhagen Card, New York Pass, or Paris Pass to save on admission to museums, attractions and even ground transportation. Cities around the world offer them and you can save at least 25% by using them. Also check to see what age kids travel for free on public transportation. For example, in Denmark, children 12 and under can ride free on trains, buses and the Metro with an adult who has a ticket.
5. Purchase a membership to a museum who is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Your membership will grant you access to museums around the world through their Travel Passport Program. We have a membership to the Indiana State Museum (in our hometown of Indianapolis), but have used the member card to get in free at The Leonardo and the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL and the Field Museum and Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, among others. It has paid for itself three times over.
6. Our family of four often eats at least one meal in our hotel room. I like to hit a nearby market and pick up ready-made food, or hummus with veggies and naan. It’s not only a money saver, but at the end of a long day, it’s often more fun to sit on the floor of our hotel room, shoes off and noshing on things I’ve picked up. Tip: try to find a hotel room with mini fridge – and be sure to pick up local specialties. We also like AirBNBs for this reason. In addition to eating a dinner or two, we often pick up snacks and breakfast foods to keep there, saving time and money.
7. For airport parking, find a spot at a hotel instead of long-term lots the airport. It’s typically a few dollars a day cheaper than the airport. They have shuttles to the airport and sometimes even covered parking. Our favorite Web site/app for finding inexpensive parking around airports is SpotHero.
These tips keep our family travel affordable and allow us to take more trips. It will be a few more months before I will consider booking any flights, but I’ll definitely be monitoring airfares, considering road trips, and searching for more ways to save money for family travel.
