8 Ways To Save Money On A 2022 Family Vacation

In 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic turned our lives upside down. Local lockdowns, school and business closures and new health and safety sanctions took a toll on all of us. However, nowhere was this felt more than in the travel and tourism industry, with lots of countries closing their borders and governments implementing travel bans across the globe. 

But as things slowly begin to return to some sort of normal, travel is resuming, and families are understandably desperate to get away in the near future. 

While many are still remaining cautious this year and the government’s traffic light system means some nations are still out of bounds, plenty of people are already thinking about their 2022 family vacation. 

Unfortunately, as travel organizations try to make up for lost time, the prices of vacations are on the rise in lots of places. The good news is, we’re here to tell you how to combat this with our top tips for saving money on next year’s getaway. 

1. Get started early 

Unfortunately, costs will always fluctuate, so one of the best ways to ensure that you’re prepared is to get started early. This means beginning your hunt for a getaway as soon as you’ve made the decision to go. This way, you stand a better chance of bagging a deal for booking far enough in advance. 

The same also applies to saving up for your trip and grabbing bargains when and where you can . For example, saving your change in a money box (this quickly adds up) or buying your vacation clothes at the end of summer sale. 

Right now, preparation, planning and starting early are the keys to successful trip. 

 

2. Be flexible 

The more flexible you can be with your dates, the cheaper you’ll find your family vacation. This is because peak seasons tend to be more expensive - and though this can be hard when you have young children who are in school, going slightly off-peak can be just enough to save you some cash. 

You should also carefully consider the day and time you choose to travel. Weekends can be more expensive, as can mid-day travel. Whereas if you’re more flexible, even though it might mean travelling at slightly less convenient times, it could be worth it to cut the costs of your trip. 

Luckily, lots of travel sites like Airbnb and SkyScanner, and Google Flights allow you to search for the cheapest options, showing you what times, days, and months work out most budget-friendly, so this is always a good place to start. 

 

3. Compare like crazy 

We’ve briefly mentioned SkyScanner above and there are plenty of other comparison websites out there that can help you to save money on your next trip. 

Whether you’re looking for hotels, flights, self-catering accommodation, travel insurance or even excursions, there are comparison sites out there to help you find what you need. Some examples of great comparison sites include: 

• Travel Supermarket
• Trivago
• Last Minute   
• Deal Checker 
• Kayak 
• Money Saving Expert 
• On The Beach 

Alternatively, if you’d rather speak to a travel agent, you can ask them to run some comparisons on prices and packages for you - though this may limit you somewhat.

 

4. Choose self-catering over hotels 

Depending on where you’re going, it can often be a lot more cost-effective to choose a self-catering accommodation rather than a hotel. Not only do these often work out cheaper per night, but you also have the option to make your own meals in your apartment rather than having to dine out at restaurants every night - another great way to save money. 

You can also find great places to stay through VRBO, and Airbnb. These sites can save you a ton of money. Sometimes you can find nice hotels or a resort stay on Airbnb from people who are renting out their timeshare. This is a great way to get all the amenities without the high cost of it if you were to book through directly on their website.

 

5. Be prepared before you get to the airport

When preparing for your holiday, it’s best to withdraw money and change it at a bureau before you go. This is because changing up money overseas can be a lot more expensive as it comes with additional charges. 

You can also compare exchange rates online and even buy your currency online if you get a better price. And remember, never ever exchange currency at the airport! This is one of the most costly places to change up money, so avoid this at all costs.

Another important way to ensure you don’t come up against hidden costs whilst traveling is to make sure you find the perfect size luggage and be careful not to go overweight. Otherwise, you could find yourself overpaying for airline baggage. 

6. Make the most of reward schemes 

Using frequent flyer miles, credit card points or any other money-saving schemes and platforms can really help to cut the costs of your trip. So, if you’re lucky enough to earn rewards, don’t be tempted to spend them too soon and certainly don’t let them go to waste. 

For example, credit cards like Capital One offer flexible points, which is convenient in the current climate with lots of plans having to be cancelled or re-arranged. Some credit cards offer cash-back rewards, so you could redeem these before booking your trip. 

Either way, you should always be on the lookout for money-saving schemes and rewards platforms, as these can really add up over time to help you save on your trip. 

 

7. Understand the costs associated with COVID-19

The recent pandemic saw the travel industry grind to a halt, but as things pick back up and travel resumes, there are still lots of additional health and safety measures in place you didn’t need to consider before. 

And these look set to continue long into the future. 

The problem is that depending on your vacation location these measures come with extra costs. For example, you might have to pay for COVID-19 tests to be taken 48 hours before you travel. 

What’s more, some locations require visitors to stay in a hotel for 10 days after their trip, so if you choose one of these locations, you would be required to book a place in the relevant hotels in order to make your trip. These hotel packages can be very pricey, so it might be best to choose somewhere with fewer COVID-19 restrictions to cut costs. 

 

8. Don’t break the bank when you arrive 

Finally, the savings don’t have to end once you’ve booked your holiday. Savvy travelers can save money while away and keep the costs down. As we said earlier, self-catering can be one of the most cost-effective places for you to stay as you don’t have to eat out for every meal. 

Not only this, but by looking for free or budget-friendly activities to do while you’re there, you can save money whilst still having a great time and making memories. For example, spending days at the beach, going to free museums or landmarks and exploring national parks. 

 

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