I recently talked about how glad we were that we brought one of our portable sound machines on a family holiday to the Lake District in northern England, which got me thinking about traveling as a family in general.  It’s challenging and expensive enough to travel as a family, and since we’ve done it so much the past 5 years, I’d like to share a few tips we’ve learned for traveling as a family with small children on a budget.  I gave a few pointers last post and will continue with part 3 today.

Tips for Traveling as a Family on a Budget

I mentioned planning ahead is actually two-fold- booking ahead of time to get the best deals {see last post}, as well as thinking through every item that should be in your suitcase.  Thus, today we’ll focus on specific items to bring.

Adults.  

• You know what you need as a parent: clothing for every day, pajamas, toiletries, a good book…all the stuff you require.
• Do not forget identification, including driver’s licenses as well as passports.
• You may want an under-clothing pouch to keep your money, IDs, and cards safe.
• GPS/Sat Nav.  They really help you navigate foreign places and even help you get back on track when hiking off-trail.

Kids.  This is where it gets trickier.  You have to bring their everyday essentials and then some.

• They will need more than 1 outfit a day because you won’t be able to do laundry.  Do NOT count on them staying clean and re-wearing garments.
•  Bring extra underwear, as well as more than enough diapers.  Though you can probably buy them at your destination, bring enough for the travel time as well as at least a day’s worth in case it takes you a while to find a store.
• Anything they require to sleep with- paci’s, toys, books, etc.  Because of this, we have intentionally not let our kids get too attached to any larger items- too big to pack!  They each have a small handheld “lovey” that goes on every trip.  It’s also smart to have a backup at home in case said lovey gets left anywhere.
• Sippy cups.  I can’t tell you how annoying it is to have spilled drinks everywhere.  Just pack some take n toss cups from Walmart or Target and rinse them out at night or between beverages.  They’re clutch for the airplane or car.
• Lots of snacks.  You can save a bundle by bringing snacks your kids will enjoy and not paying exorbitant prices overseas.
• Portable DVD player and a couple of movies- while you can get around it on an airplane that provides in-flight entertainment, these are great for a road trip or for a rental car.
• Sound machines/ear plugs.  Hotels and tossing/turning kids are noisy.  Whether your kids have their own room or are sharing with you, protect their sleep {and yours!} with a portable sound machine that will block disturbing noises.  I promise you will still hear their needs…you’re just blocking out moans and groans and turn-overs.

I recently talked about how glad we were that we brought one of our portable sound machines on a family holiday to the Lake District in northern England, which got me thinking about traveling as a family in general.  It’s challenging and expensive enough to travel as a family, and since we’ve done it so much the past 5 years, I’d like to share a few tips we’ve learned for traveling as a family with small children on a budget.  I gave a few pointers last post and will continue with part 2 today.

Tips for Traveling as a Family on a Budget

I mentioned planning ahead  last time, focusing on packing.  Planning ahead is actually two-fold, however.  So, for the sake of not giving too much information at once, I’ll do a 3rd part for what should be in your suitcase for almost all trips with small children in a few days.  Today,though, planning ahead will refer to the trip in general and not specific items to bring.

• I briefly mentioned travelling off-season.  By planning ahead, you can usually find cheaper rates months in advance, as long as you aren’t trying to come in the summer.  Air fare and hotels are always more expensive, or at least not discounted, May-September.  They know this is peak travel season and will take advantage of your kids’ summer break to make you spend more money.  Thus, I think a nice way around this is to travel during off-peak breaks, such as Easter, Spring Break, fall break, or Thanksgiving.  It may be that your kids will have to take a little time off school, so make sure to okay it with their teachers and try to get any work done ahead of time.  Just by way of reminder, for the UK and Europe, try Ryanair and Easy Jet for flights and  Travel Lodge for hotel deals.
• I would also advise making a physical budget for the trip that includes air fare/fuel costs, renting a car, bus, metro, etc…, meals, lodging, sightseeing, etc.  This will keep you aware of what costs what and you will be less likely to be over-indulgent in the moment.  Spreadsheets are great, as is Quicken.
• See if your lodging provides meals.  We’ve found Bed & Breakfasts to be cheaper than most hotels, plus they provide a substantial breakfast which will free you up to spend money on 2 meals instead of 3.  Some places provide less expensive meals than you’ll find out.  We often try to eat cheap at lunch so we can spend more for dinner at a nicer place.  We either find local sandwich places or go by a grocery store and pick out stuff we like.  This is nice for picky eaters, too!

Last time, I talked about how glad we were that we brought one of our portable sound machines on a family holiday to the Lake District in northern England so we could all share a room and save money.  It’s expensive enough to travel as a family, factoring in lodging, food, sightseeing, and air fare or fuel costs, without adding in separate rooms.  In this post, I’d like to share a few tips we’ve learned for traveling as a family with small children on a budget.  That’s right- on a budget- it’s possible!

Tips for Traveling as a Family on a Budget

• Plan ahead!  I will sound like a broken record with my previous posts over the past 2 years, but planning ahead is crucial!!!  It might be months, weeks, or even days, but thinking through what you will need for each person at each destination cannot be overstated.  There’s nothing quite like arriving without sippy cups, pacifiers, sleepy items, or toothbrushes.  If you have spares, you can even pack ahead, but it’s usually smartest to make a list over the course of a few days and write down everything you might need for each person.  You and your spouse can divide and conquer, or you can just handle it yourself.  We’ve found that my husband is better at planning the trip, the excursions, the costs, and booking the rooms, while I am better at packing and thinking through kid stuff.
• Look for deals.  We look for cheap air fare {Ryanair and Easy Jet are great for flights in and out of Europe/UK, or you can try looking for deals with a transatlantic provider- the key is to travel off-season} and lodging {we use Travel Lodge a lot because they frequently run super-cheap rates} so we can spend our money on the trip on not getting there or sleeping.  We view our hotel room as a resting place and as long as we can fit and lay down, w’ere good.  No need to spend 4 times as much on a nicer facility when we’re hardly there.
• Share a room.  I will say that sharing a room as a family in the UK is frowned upon  once you have more than 1 child, regardless of whether you’re willing to sleep them on the floor or in bed with you.  It’s usually wise to be up front when booking reservations so that no one is surprised and you’re sneaking in and out of your hotel.  Typically, they’ll either accommodate your room for up to 2 children free or add a small fee.  Either way, it’s worth it to have extra pillows, blankets, pallets, cribs/cots, and towels without the worry of them not honoring your reservation.