When you’ve got kids, everything has to be planned and organised with military precision. The younger they are, the harder it is. Things like toilet breaks and meal times have to be factored in when all you want to do is get to the store on time. Planning a vacation can be one hundred times worse to work out!
Kids, bless ‘em, can make absolutely everything a challenge. Everything can be substantially more expensive when you need to cater for children too. If they are in school, you have to book your vacation during the semester breaks, and that comes at a premium cost. If they are pre-schoolers, you need to make sure you have family rooms for changing diapers and facilities for warming baby’s bottle. Meals need to come earlier in the day for little ones too.
It can be really hard to book the right holiday for all the family. Financially, you need to make sure there is enough left over after all the booking to cater for kids needing extra drinks and snacks. They will probably want to go on rides and visit expensive, family oriented theme parks too. All of this will eat into your vacation fund. There are a few personal finance software programs that can help lay everything out so you can get a better idea on what you need to have set aside. It’s possible you will need to make some savings on your booking to ensure you have plenty left for everything else.
There are a couple of ways you can search for discounts on hotels. Some places offer a secret hotel service where you are guaranteed a certain city on certain dates, but the actual hotel address isn’t finalized until after booking. This can save a fortune if you are not too bothered about big brand hotels or certain facilities being included. Alternatively, pick a last minute deal. This may leave everything to chance, including your holiday destination! It’s a great way to have an exciting and very cheap vacation. With a young family, this type of booking may not be entirely practical.
When you are packing for a last minute holiday, don’t leave the packing to the last minute! Have an idea of the kind of heat you are generally expecting and pack for that. The finite details may not be too affecting of what you would need to pack. With a family you tend to overpack to cater for every conceivable outcome, so you should be ok. Rushing a last minute packing could lead to disaster if you forget any of the essentials.
Wherever your budget family vacation takes you, it could be you need some shots or immunizations. With children, you cannot risk visiting countries that suggest vaccinations be taken. Check out a list of those that are higher risk so you can choose to eliminate those if necessary. Other last minute booking considerations include currency exchanges and language barriers. Most of us can find apps to help us with the language, but occasionally, we find it difficult to exchange our currency at a favorable rate in time for a last minute vacation. Finally, don’t forget all the passports!
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