Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Tips & ideas / Finances / 5 ways to save money on family holidays

5 ways to save money on family holidays

January 20, 2013 by Gretta Schifano 2 Comments

Campfire on national trust working holiday at stackpole, wales

30% of us can’t afford to go on a one-week holiday, according to a UK report  from the Office for National Statistics.

This makes me sad, especially for families with school-age children. The travel industry’s school holiday price hikes combined with the economic downturn and the clampdown on parents taking kids out of school during term time mean that a trip away is out of the question for many. But there are ways to have a holiday without paying out for expensive accommodation – although you still have to get there, obviously. Some of the most enjoyable family travel experiences we’ve had over the years have been some of the cheapest – camping by the beach is the youngest’s all-time favourite trip, closely followed by the time he helped build a campfire on a working holiday in Wales.  Here are some money-saving ideas for family holidays.

Camping

You need a decent sized car for this, but if you have your own tent and equipment (which you can use again and again) all you have to pay for is pitch rental and the cost of getting there. Our favourite site when the kids were younger was Aloha Serignan Plage which is right next to a sandy beach on France’s Mediterranean coast. The site has swimming pools, water slides, tennis, bike hire and even fridge hire when we went.

Working holidays

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms) offers volunteers the chance to work at farms and smallholdings in exchange for food and accommodation. The charity says that some places will take families with children. There’s a joining fee (£20 at the time of writing) which gives you access to details of the host farms involved. We loved taking part in a National Trust family working holiday at the Stackpole Estate in Wales – you can read more about it here.

Kayaking at Stackpole on a National Trust family volunteering holiday. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Kayaking at Stackpole on a National Trust family volunteering holiday. Copyright Gretta Schifano

House swap

There are various house swap websites to help with this, including guardianhomeexchange.co.uk which costs from £35 a year to join. We haven’t tried this, but it sounds like a good way of staying somewhere for free while ensuring your own home isn’t standing empty while you’re away. You can find out more about home swapping in my interview with Kelly Innes of Domestic Goddesque here.

Stay with relatives or friends

There’s truth in the saying that ‘a change is as good as a rest’. Staying with friends or relatives abroad or in a different part of the country can be great for you and the kids. The local parks, swimming pool and walks will be different to yours and you can return the favour for your hosts when they fancy a change of scene.

Youth hostels

Many UK youth hostels offer private family rooms, and some even have en-suite bathrooms. Some hostels have restaurants or you can cook your own food in the hostel kitchen, which is great if your kids are fussy eaters.

How do you save money on family holidays?



SaveSave

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: Finances, Where to stay
Tags: camping, Family travel. parenting, house swaps, saving money, working holidays, youth hostels

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Jennifer Howze says

    February 26, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    It is too bad that holidays during school breaks are so expensive. I love camping although it’s difficult this time of year. It’s good to remember though that even a modest holiday seeing some of the gorgeous countryside and being outdoors is restorative and fun. Great post!

    Reply
    • Gretta says

      February 26, 2013 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you! I have to admit I’m definitely a fair weather camper.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
    Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • 5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
    5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
  • Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
    Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
  • 5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
    5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • 17 places to find the world of Harry Potter in London
    17 places to find the world of Harry Potter in London
  • Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote
    Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote
  • A weekend in Kraków, Poland
    A weekend in Kraków, Poland

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter: