Traveling with a large family is expensive and stressful. However, there are things you can do to minimize your costs and make the experience more memorable and enjoyable. Take a look at these four tips to help you do that.
Plan Ahead But Be Flexible
Kids have a hard time on trips if they don’t know what to expect. That’s why it’s important to make a plan and stick to it when you’re traveling with a large family. However, too much structure can also be stressful, so make sure there’s plenty of time to rest and relax. For instance, if you’re traveling with small children that usually take naps, some downtime in the afternoon is beneficial to help them keep some of their everyday routine.
Dress Alike
If you’re going to an amusement park or some other place with large crowds, wear matching t-shirts to keep track of your family. It makes head counts a lot easier. Plus, it eliminates the hassle of deciding what to wear for the day. There’s also the added bonus that scrapbook pages come out looking awesome because nobody is wearing clashing colors. Of course, this idea is a lot easier to pull off when you have young kids since teenagers might put up a fight for their individuality.
Save Money With a Rental Car
It’s almost always cheaper to drive than fly when you have a large family. Of course, long hours on the road are a nightmare, too. You can make the experience a lot more enjoyable for your family by renting a large vehicle with all the bells and whistles. Your kids will love having a built-in entertainment system for the drive. Plus, you’ll love that you don’t have to worry about your vehicle breaking down.
If you do fly to your destination, you’ll still want to rent a car. It’s nearly impossible to find a taxi cab that can seat your entire family, which makes it cheaper to rent a car than having to pay two taxi fares everywhere you go. Yes, you’ll have to deal with parking, but the cost savings are worth the hassle.
Pack Some Food for the Trip
Feeding a large family while traveling is expensive because it costs two to three times more to eat out as it does to prepare food at home. You can save money by bringing food with you or shopping for groceries once you get to your destination. Of course, this is hard to do if you don’t have a refrigerator in your hotel, so try to plan. Vacation rentals are often a better option than hotels because they have kitchens to help you keep your food costs down. If you don’t have access to a refrigerator, still bring snacks to hold your family over between meals to keep the grumpiness to a minimum.
These are just a few tips to make traveling with a large family easier and more affordable. Do you have any other suggestions from your own experience? Leave a comment below.
Author Bio:
Abigail Clark is an up-and-coming freelance writer. She graduated from The University of South Florida with a bachelors in marketing, minoring in journalism. When she isn’t up to her neck in coupons she is enjoying the outdoors fishing. She loves doing reviews for technology, home products and beauty products. If you would like her to do a review for you look her up on twitter @downtownabby17.
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