Smart Booking for Affordable Family Holidays
Traveling can be an expensive hobby, especially when you’re traveling with school-age children. Despite the costs, many families, including ours, manage to embark on multiple trips each year during school holidays. This doesn’t mean we have a money tree growing in our backyard. It simply means we make smart choices and allocate a significant portion of our savings towards travel. So, how do we manage to do this? Here, we share some of our best tips to help you plan affordable holidays with your kids.
Affordable Family Holidays: Tips and Tricks
Let’s clarify something right off the bat: “cheap” is a relative term. What might be affordable for some may be expensive for others, and vice versa. However, the tips we’re about to share will undoubtedly help you save money on your next family holiday. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
Unlocking Affordable Travel with Skyscanner’s “Everywhere” Feature
Confused by the term “Everywhere”? Don’t be! When you visit Skyscanner, you’ll find an option to select your departure city, such as Amsterdam, and your destination. Here’s where the magic happens: instead of choosing a specific destination, select the “Everywhere” option.
Next, enter your travel dates. We recommend inputting multiple school holiday dates for maximum flexibility. Once you hit “search tickets,” you’ll be presented with a list of the cheapest flights, sorted by country. Click on each country to see the exact destinations available.
Using this method, we were able to book our tickets to the Seychelles in May for only €460 per person! So, why not give it a try? You might just score your next affordable family holiday.
Optimizing Your Skyscanner Experience
For the best results when booking tickets through Skyscanner, consider scanning multiple airports for your arrival and departure. Occasionally, booking two separate tickets can be cheaper than purchasing a single return ticket. Skyscanner automatically finds these options for you, making your travel planning easier and potentially more cost-effective.
Choosing a Hotel with Free Cancellation
I’m a big fan of Booking.com. As soon as I’ve found a good flight deal, I make hotel reservations through Booking.com. However, I always opt for hotels that offer ‘free cancellation’. Booking early often results in lower prices. Sometimes, I find an even better deal on Booking.com or another site, so I cancel my initial booking and secure the best deal. Booking.com also has a loyalty program: frequent bookings earn you a ‘genius’ discount, which is usually 10% but can sometimes be more.
Utilizing the “Hopper” App
Have you heard of the Hopper app? It’s incredibly useful! You simply input your destination, select your preferred flight dates, and voila! Hopper advises whether you should book now or wait for a better deal. It even estimates how much money you could save by waiting. Isn’t that fantastic? This makes budget-friendly travel a breeze!
Essential Travel Companion: The American Express Flying Blue Card
When it comes to travel, the American Express Flying Blue card is an indispensable tool. This card offers a range of benefits that can make your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable. Whether you’re booking flights, reserving hotel rooms, or renting a car, the American Express Flying Blue card can help you save money and earn rewards.
Maximize Your Travel with the American Express Flying Blue Card
Did you know that the American Express Flying Blue card can help you accumulate miles for every euro you spend? I discovered this when a friend shared how she had purchased tickets to Barcelona using her Flying Blue miles. Intriguing, right? Especially considering she doesn’t fly that often.
The secret lies in the AMEX Flying Blue card. This credit card allows you to earn miles that can be redeemed for KLM, Air France, or Transavia flights, upgrades, free luggage storage, reserved seats, meals, and more. If you acquire the credit card now, you’ll receive a bonus of 20,000 miles, equivalent to two return tickets to Barcelona!
I’ve linked the card to my Bol.com, Booking.com, and Paypal accounts, and since September, I’ve accumulated 26,000 miles. You can even connect it to your grocery shopping at Jumbo and start earning miles in no time. Remember, the best way to travel is not just cheaply, but for free!
Save More on Family Holidays
With these tips for affordable family holidays, you’re sure to save a significant amount when booking your next trip. Do you have any money-saving tips for travel? I’d love to hear them!