Budget Travel: Family Vacation on a Shoestring

Many people think in order to fuel a travel addiction it must mean you've got loads of disposable income.  But that's not really true.  Trekaroo's Superoos definitely have the travelbug, but many of them are just really smart about finding deals and making those fun dollars stretch. 

Recently, I asked our Superoos for some of their secrets to making every dollar count.  I was blown away by the fantastic tips they shared and here are some of the best suggestions they came up with.

Photo by: Flickr/plind

Travel Off Season

 
Traveling off season doesn’t mean that you can’t travel during the summer.  Consider ski resort towns for the summer months.  Many ski resorts have rooms they still need to fill during the summer months that they offer at over half off peak prices.

“The snow might be gone, but so are the high room rates! Most ski resorts need guests to keep their expensive operations running through the year, and will reward families with generous room rates, package deals, and great summer activities such as mountain biking, horseback riding, zip-lining, and white water rafting. Our favorites: Big Sky Resort in Montana (right near Yellowstone as an added bonus) and Northstar-at-Tahoe in California.”

-    Superoo, Superoo Pitstopsforkids

Take Advantage of Shoulder Seasons

A shoulder season is a time between the main seasons.  If you have young kids who aren’t in school yet, take advantage of traveling during the shoulder season recommends Superoo akeisel.  For summer travel, that’s usually May into the two weeks of June and in September and October. During these shoulder seasons, you can sometimes score some of the best deals on flights, lodgings and packages.  Enjoy the warm weather before the summer crowds hit or after they head back to school.  September is a really good time to visit a Disney Resort.

” Book off season especially for Disney travel. If you are willing to pull your kids out of school for a few days, this can be a big money saver!”

–    Superoo Whiteglovetravel, who is also a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel.

For winter destinations, early in the season and late in the season offer some of the best deals and fewer crowds. 

Book airline travel for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. 

Usually the best rates are during midweek.  Fortunately, many airline booking sites allow you to see rates on other days of the week close to your selected dates – if you indicate that your travel dates are flexible.  Minimize checked bags and find out whether it costs more to pay overweight charges for a very large bag or to pay to check multiple bags.  Each person has a bag allowance, so pack accordingly.

Reaping rewards diligently

Don’t let any of your travel rewards go to waste.  Sign up for frequent flyer miles on airlines, loyalty programs with hotel chains, and make sure that your credit card is giving you cash or point rewards that can be redeemed for travel.  You’re spending money anyway, make sure you’re getting something back for it. 

“You can get a credit card for a specific hotel or airline and get free hotel stays and airline flights. I have a Hilton card and have enough points to stay a long time in Hilton properties for free, just for charging those everyday products that we all buy anyways.”

 - Superoo arial

Exploring From Home In A Grand Way

The idea of staying at home and exploring nearby can be a lot of fun if you intentionally make it a vacation.  Make a pact with the family that you’re not going to squeeze in errands.  Plan an entire week of fun outings. Poll your friends or families on Trekaroo about off the beaten path places you should visit within an hour or two drive from home.  You'll be surprised at some of the fun places you might uncover.  To make yourself feel like you're truly on vacation, eat out if you don't feel like cooking and even hire someone to clean your house while you’re out doing something fun.   

More on Budget Travel: Family Vacation on a Shoestring

• Budget Travel: Tips for Saving on Lodging
• Budget Travel: Tips for Saving on Attractions and Activiites
• Budget Travel: Tips for Saving on Meals

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LiLing Pang (TravelPangs) is co-founder and contributing author on Trekaroo - - a reviews website dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA