affordable family travel tips?
Dec 15th, 2006, 03:31 PM
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affordable family travel tips?
Hello,
We are a family of four and have travelled extensively all over the states with our children even before they could walk. I am a teacher, my husband is in tech support, so we don't have loads of money - we've always enjoyed the challenge of travel on a budget, usually mixing camping with free or inexpensive hotel stays and mostly eating out of coolers. Now the kids are teens, our son will be off to college before we know it, and we'd like to have a last big trip -- this time to Europe - probably Great Britain or Ireland (have figured it would be too expensive to do both). We are currently in sticker shock!!!!! I've enjoyed reading the tips on budget travel, but am wondering if rooms for four even exist....and doubling the rooms, then doubling the rate (do to the terrible exchange rate) puts us at our usual lodging cost for several days! Any advice out their for budget family travel - or should we just hang it up and seek a somewhat European experience in Montreal? From what we figure, 14 days would be at the very least 8,000 minimum...figuring roughly 1000 apiece for airfare, and 150-200 per night for all of us, even for the hostels and B & B's. Then adding on car rental, and food.
Does that sound about right?
Thanks a bunch! I'd love to hear from the families who travel out there!
deb
We are a family of four and have travelled extensively all over the states with our children even before they could walk. I am a teacher, my husband is in tech support, so we don't have loads of money - we've always enjoyed the challenge of travel on a budget, usually mixing camping with free or inexpensive hotel stays and mostly eating out of coolers. Now the kids are teens, our son will be off to college before we know it, and we'd like to have a last big trip -- this time to Europe - probably Great Britain or Ireland (have figured it would be too expensive to do both). We are currently in sticker shock!!!!! I've enjoyed reading the tips on budget travel, but am wondering if rooms for four even exist....and doubling the rooms, then doubling the rate (do to the terrible exchange rate) puts us at our usual lodging cost for several days! Any advice out their for budget family travel - or should we just hang it up and seek a somewhat European experience in Montreal? From what we figure, 14 days would be at the very least 8,000 minimum...figuring roughly 1000 apiece for airfare, and 150-200 per night for all of us, even for the hostels and B & B's. Then adding on car rental, and food.
Does that sound about right?
Thanks a bunch! I'd love to hear from the families who travel out there!
deb
Dec 15th, 2006, 03:50 PM
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Hi Deb,
We are a family of three. Our typical 2 week European trip costs about $5,000. In all honesty, there are add-ons (picture processing is the largest add on that comes to mind).
Part of our last trip included England. I risk getting flamed for this but, it was way expensive and no more interesting than most of the other places we have traveled to.
This may lift your spirits. When we were in Rome, we had a huge room near piazza Navona. Four beds for 100 euro per night total. It was an accomodation run by the catholic church. [Curfew, bath down the hall, but clean and safe].
Good luck and ask questions.
We are a family of three. Our typical 2 week European trip costs about $5,000. In all honesty, there are add-ons (picture processing is the largest add on that comes to mind).
Part of our last trip included England. I risk getting flamed for this but, it was way expensive and no more interesting than most of the other places we have traveled to.
This may lift your spirits. When we were in Rome, we had a huge room near piazza Navona. Four beds for 100 euro per night total. It was an accomodation run by the catholic church. [Curfew, bath down the hall, but clean and safe].
Good luck and ask questions.
Dec 15th, 2006, 03:57 PM
#3
First off, you've mentioned two of the more expensive destinations (UK and Ireland). So one thing you could do is consider other less expensive countries.
You could travel by train instead of a rental car (although with 4 perhaps this would not be a savings, I'm not sure).
You can look into renting apartments instead of hotel rooms.
There are various kinds of caravans or camping available in Europe you might research.
You could travel by train instead of a rental car (although with 4 perhaps this would not be a savings, I'm not sure).
You can look into renting apartments instead of hotel rooms.
There are various kinds of caravans or camping available in Europe you might research.
Dec 15th, 2006, 05:44 PM
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I would also suggest that you consider renting an apartment (or small house, outside major cities). You might not cover as much territory, but if you pick the location carefully you should be able to make lots of interesting day trips from wherever you are. There are quite a few posts here that mention self-catering options in both England and Ireland.
Of course, you can break the bank on apartment/house rentals too, but if you look in advance and shop around it can be a very good deal for a family of four, especially when you factor in (1) the potential savings on meals (2) amenities like being able to do laundry (not universal, but often possible) and (3) SO MUCH MORE SPACE!
: )
Is there a special reason you were thinking of those destinations?
Barbara
Of course, you can break the bank on apartment/house rentals too, but if you look in advance and shop around it can be a very good deal for a family of four, especially when you factor in (1) the potential savings on meals (2) amenities like being able to do laundry (not universal, but often possible) and (3) SO MUCH MORE SPACE!
: )
Is there a special reason you were thinking of those destinations?
Barbara
Dec 16th, 2006, 11:59 AM
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OK - I am going to break the trend towards encouraging renting cottages etc (only because I think if confines you for a week at a time in one area. If you were going to be there for a couple of months, my advice would be different.
You CAN travel on a budget in the U.K. staying at B&Bs and youth hostels
MANY B&Bs have 'family rooms' and youth hostels can be especially a good deal for families. Also if you stay for two or three nights some B&Bs will give you a discount.
A few tips - assuming you rent a car (which will be expensive BUT well- worth it for the flexibility it gives you):
Stay at B&Bs in the countryside - in my experience they were nearly always cheaper than the ones in town. Farmhousse B&Bs are often an excellent value.
Consider B&B's where you share a bathroom (MUCH cheaper than having your own and I have yet to encounter one that was not kept very clean). In a lot of cases you will only be sharing a bathroom with one other room - be sure to ask.
Take advantage of the usually enormous breakfast offered at B&Bs and skip lunch (just buy some fruit to snack on).
Your hosts at B&B's can often be VERY helpful about letting you know about reasonable places to eat at. We found pubs were often very reasonable. Consider take-away food.
Do research and go on some of the websites that advetise B&Bs - this will give you a good idea about costs and availability of the type of rooms you need in the areas you are interested in.
I have found this site to be useful:
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/shs.html
Good Luck!
You CAN travel on a budget in the U.K. staying at B&Bs and youth hostels
MANY B&Bs have 'family rooms' and youth hostels can be especially a good deal for families. Also if you stay for two or three nights some B&Bs will give you a discount.
A few tips - assuming you rent a car (which will be expensive BUT well- worth it for the flexibility it gives you):
Stay at B&Bs in the countryside - in my experience they were nearly always cheaper than the ones in town. Farmhousse B&Bs are often an excellent value.
Consider B&B's where you share a bathroom (MUCH cheaper than having your own and I have yet to encounter one that was not kept very clean). In a lot of cases you will only be sharing a bathroom with one other room - be sure to ask.
Take advantage of the usually enormous breakfast offered at B&Bs and skip lunch (just buy some fruit to snack on).
Your hosts at B&B's can often be VERY helpful about letting you know about reasonable places to eat at. We found pubs were often very reasonable. Consider take-away food.
Do research and go on some of the websites that advetise B&Bs - this will give you a good idea about costs and availability of the type of rooms you need in the areas you are interested in.
I have found this site to be useful:
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/shs.html
Good Luck!
Dec 16th, 2006, 12:01 PM
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Also - check out the accomodation section of the British Tourist Authority site:
http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-CA/index.aspx
http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-CA/index.aspx
Dec 16th, 2006, 05:12 PM
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You will be delighted to go to Spain where everything is less expensive, the food is a million times better too. THere are so many fantastic places to visit, and hotels two stars are really accesible. Just a though.
Dec 16th, 2006, 07:36 PM
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In England in 1999 we stayed in 3 places in the 'family room' - double bed and two twins. Cheaper than 2 rooms but not tremendously so, especially since some places (B&B's) charge per person. We also rented a cottage for a week in Scotland. That is the way to go for the saturday to saturday period. Staying in one place is not a problem at all if you have a car. Not only is the accomodation cheaper, you really can save on food.
On another trip with a friend in 2000, we stayed in one place (air force base) for 6 days and did day trips - not confining at all.
I would choose England over Ireland as I think there is alot more to see there (I do like ireland tho)
You also might consider France (rent a Gite) or Germany where I am going next. I have found many inexpensive apartments to rent. Just stay in smaller towns or outside towns on farms. For Germany, you can usually go to www.(town name).de to get the town's offical website. There is usually a list of places to stay with links to the individual sites. There are several regions in both Germany and France where you can be centrally located for a week and do day trips. Pay close attention to airfare and you can probably do better thatn $1000 apiece, depending of course on where you live and where you are going.
On another trip with a friend in 2000, we stayed in one place (air force base) for 6 days and did day trips - not confining at all.
I would choose England over Ireland as I think there is alot more to see there (I do like ireland tho)
You also might consider France (rent a Gite) or Germany where I am going next. I have found many inexpensive apartments to rent. Just stay in smaller towns or outside towns on farms. For Germany, you can usually go to www.(town name).de to get the town's offical website. There is usually a list of places to stay with links to the individual sites. There are several regions in both Germany and France where you can be centrally located for a week and do day trips. Pay close attention to airfare and you can probably do better thatn $1000 apiece, depending of course on where you live and where you are going.
Dec 16th, 2006, 10:56 PM
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Hi debbl,
Maybe a few more tips for making the trip more affordable...
What time of the year are you travelling? Late July and August are obviously the most expensive time of the year. If your teaching schedule doesn't allow much flexibility, would you consider either Easter break, spring break, or even first week of July or early September isn't that bad.
Any particular reasons you're thinking of UK and Ireland? As others posted, there are less expensive part of Europe. (UK costs are notorious, partially because of GBP exchange rate). Aside from Spain, Portugal, you might want to check non-Euro countries like Croatia, Czech, or Hungary.
Also, what activities are you interested in? If you're more into outdoor activities, you can stay out of major cities. Surprisingly Switzerland or French Alps can be affordable if you mainly stay at campsite/gites. On the other hand, if you're planning to visit London or Edinburgh or Dublin, accomodation will be more expensive (though you definitely will NOT need a car).
Maybe a few more tips for making the trip more affordable...
What time of the year are you travelling? Late July and August are obviously the most expensive time of the year. If your teaching schedule doesn't allow much flexibility, would you consider either Easter break, spring break, or even first week of July or early September isn't that bad.
Any particular reasons you're thinking of UK and Ireland? As others posted, there are less expensive part of Europe. (UK costs are notorious, partially because of GBP exchange rate). Aside from Spain, Portugal, you might want to check non-Euro countries like Croatia, Czech, or Hungary.
Also, what activities are you interested in? If you're more into outdoor activities, you can stay out of major cities. Surprisingly Switzerland or French Alps can be affordable if you mainly stay at campsite/gites. On the other hand, if you're planning to visit London or Edinburgh or Dublin, accomodation will be more expensive (though you definitely will NOT need a car).
Dec 17th, 2006, 04:30 AM
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Bigred,
What was the name of the place you stayed at in Rome. We are going in March and 100 euros a night sounds pretty good. We're travelling with our kids so a curfew is beside the point.... Thanks
What was the name of the place you stayed at in Rome. We are going in March and 100 euros a night sounds pretty good. We're travelling with our kids so a curfew is beside the point.... Thanks
Dec 17th, 2006, 05:01 AM
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Hi Debbi,
I applaud your desire to do a major family trip in Europe. Our family has traveled extensively in Europe (our daughter is now 13), including a 14-month family sabbatical in 2004/2005. That trip included 11 weeks in the UK.
We love England-- though we also love France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy.... Other than the driving (which you get used to), England is a very easy country to travel in. And I think you can be very economical there. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Choose destinations that are outside the most popular/most expensive tourist areas
- Time your stays to avoid the highest "in season" rates
- Rent apartments or cottages instead of staying in hotels. There are losts of choices in the UK. You'll have more space to spread out, which is good for a family on an extended trip.
- Rent directly from owners instead of through agencies. We have normally found this considerably cheaper.
- Consider stays longer than a week. You can sometimes get a price break for renting multiple weeks. You'll see fewer places, but you'll get to know them much more intensely. You can do day trips from these bases.
- Since you have a kitchen, cook all your breakfasts and dinners at your rental. You will save enormously on food for a family of four, and it is fun to shop in the wonderful British supermarkets.
- Take picnic lunches when you are out or look for take-away sandwiches or inexpensive pubs for lunches.
- Buy a National Trust family membership (or perhaps English Heritage, though we did National Trust) which will then give you free admission to many wonderful places. Plan a big part of your touring around these destinations.
- Rent a car-- the smallest that can possibly hold your family and your luggage. (Minimize your luggage.) You really will want a car to give you maximimum flexibility to explore the beautiful countryside.
- If you stay in London, consider staying outside the main city center and taking the Underground in using an off-peak pass of some sort. You can explore much of London for free. Or if you have any sort of hotel points or Am Exp points, use these to spring on a great London hotel.
To give you a few examples, here are two places we rented during our summer stay in England in 2004:
Gants Mill in South Somerset: http://www.gantsmill.co.uk/index2.htm
Dovecote at Birstwith Hall: http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/stayat/dovecote/index.htm
Woodlands Cottage near Edinburgh: http://www.woodlandcottages.co.uk/
We paid less than $700 US for a week at each of these accommodations in July/August 2004. We could easily have enjoyed two weeks at any of these places.
You can read more about our family's "Grand Tour" trip at www.slowtrav.com/blog/kaydee. I can give you suggestions about other countries as well, if you are interested!
Kathy
I applaud your desire to do a major family trip in Europe. Our family has traveled extensively in Europe (our daughter is now 13), including a 14-month family sabbatical in 2004/2005. That trip included 11 weeks in the UK.
We love England-- though we also love France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy.... Other than the driving (which you get used to), England is a very easy country to travel in. And I think you can be very economical there. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- Choose destinations that are outside the most popular/most expensive tourist areas
- Time your stays to avoid the highest "in season" rates
- Rent apartments or cottages instead of staying in hotels. There are losts of choices in the UK. You'll have more space to spread out, which is good for a family on an extended trip.
- Rent directly from owners instead of through agencies. We have normally found this considerably cheaper.
- Consider stays longer than a week. You can sometimes get a price break for renting multiple weeks. You'll see fewer places, but you'll get to know them much more intensely. You can do day trips from these bases.
- Since you have a kitchen, cook all your breakfasts and dinners at your rental. You will save enormously on food for a family of four, and it is fun to shop in the wonderful British supermarkets.
- Take picnic lunches when you are out or look for take-away sandwiches or inexpensive pubs for lunches.
- Buy a National Trust family membership (or perhaps English Heritage, though we did National Trust) which will then give you free admission to many wonderful places. Plan a big part of your touring around these destinations.
- Rent a car-- the smallest that can possibly hold your family and your luggage. (Minimize your luggage.) You really will want a car to give you maximimum flexibility to explore the beautiful countryside.
- If you stay in London, consider staying outside the main city center and taking the Underground in using an off-peak pass of some sort. You can explore much of London for free. Or if you have any sort of hotel points or Am Exp points, use these to spring on a great London hotel.
To give you a few examples, here are two places we rented during our summer stay in England in 2004:
Gants Mill in South Somerset: http://www.gantsmill.co.uk/index2.htm
Dovecote at Birstwith Hall: http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/stayat/dovecote/index.htm
Woodlands Cottage near Edinburgh: http://www.woodlandcottages.co.uk/
We paid less than $700 US for a week at each of these accommodations in July/August 2004. We could easily have enjoyed two weeks at any of these places.
You can read more about our family's "Grand Tour" trip at www.slowtrav.com/blog/kaydee. I can give you suggestions about other countries as well, if you are interested!
Kathy
Dec 17th, 2006, 05:55 AM
#12
form debbl's other threads is appears they have decided on the British Isles.
debbl: A couple of "counter thoughts" to some of the good info above -- Instead of getting the English Heritage (or Historic Scotland) pass or joining either National Trust, I would get Great British Heritage Passes. They do cost more than EH or HS - but they cover all EH, all HS, and MANY privately owned properties - more than 600 in all. The privately owned places tend to be the budget breakers - places like Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Chatsworth, Castle Howard and so on can cost 10-15 GBP each so the savings add up fast.
And as for staying in the center of London or outside (assuming at least some time in London) you really won't save that much money staying in the far reaches of the home counties and will waste a lot of probably very limited time commuting in and out each day. Plus you lose the opportunity to pop back into the flat in the middle of the day to clean up, rest, drop off shopping or change clothes/dry off. All important considerations for a family. You would basically have to know everything you were going to do that day and take everything w/ you. Otherwise you could have a 45+ minute trip each way to your suburban B&B.
If you rent a flat in London (Check out Scala House as just one example) you will pay less than a hotel and be in the very center of things.
debbl: A couple of "counter thoughts" to some of the good info above -- Instead of getting the English Heritage (or Historic Scotland) pass or joining either National Trust, I would get Great British Heritage Passes. They do cost more than EH or HS - but they cover all EH, all HS, and MANY privately owned properties - more than 600 in all. The privately owned places tend to be the budget breakers - places like Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, Chatsworth, Castle Howard and so on can cost 10-15 GBP each so the savings add up fast.
And as for staying in the center of London or outside (assuming at least some time in London) you really won't save that much money staying in the far reaches of the home counties and will waste a lot of probably very limited time commuting in and out each day. Plus you lose the opportunity to pop back into the flat in the middle of the day to clean up, rest, drop off shopping or change clothes/dry off. All important considerations for a family. You would basically have to know everything you were going to do that day and take everything w/ you. Otherwise you could have a 45+ minute trip each way to your suburban B&B.
If you rent a flat in London (Check out Scala House as just one example) you will pay less than a hotel and be in the very center of things.
Dec 17th, 2006, 12:44 PM
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For Rome, I am going to cut and paste a response from SusanP. She included the e-mail address.
Author: SusanP
Date: 11/28/2005, 02:49 pm
I also stayed at Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri in Rome. You can't beat the location and I doubt you can beat that price for the location with an elevator. Great place to stay. You can email them at [email protected].
You could also do a search here for Rome Convents and get a lot more information.
Author: SusanP
Date: 11/28/2005, 02:49 pm
I also stayed at Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri in Rome. You can't beat the location and I doubt you can beat that price for the location with an elevator. Great place to stay. You can email them at [email protected].
You could also do a search here for Rome Convents and get a lot more information.
