Guest Post: Family Holidays on a budget.

Last minute family holidays on a budget

Taking the entire family on holiday can be quite expensive, not only do you have to pay for hotels and flights, but also food and drink and day excursions, which can cost hundreds if not thousands of pounds. Many families struggle to be able to afford this and have to save for months if not a year or two, making last minute family holidays almost out of the question…or does it.

Though the standard holiday abroad is typically expensive, there are other kinds of holidays you could take your family on, that don’t have to cost as much but can still be just as much fun.    Here are some of the many ways you can take your family on holiday on a budget:

 

A Motorhome Holiday: This is an ideal holiday for anyone who owns their own motorhome, not does it provide the owner with the benefit of almost unlimited holidays, but it also allows you to travel to any destination within driving distance, which includes Europe.  For those that don’t own their own motorhome, this is still a much cheaper holiday solution as there are many companies offering motorhome rental and hire at very affordable prices.  There are motorhomes that are big enough to sleep an entire family, with up to 6 berth motorhomes available, meaning you can take other people with you, or have others join you during your holiday.   When selecting a motorhome holiday it is important to do some planning ahead, this will help you to avoid any disappointments on your holiday, do this by making a "motorhome holiday checklist”.  This checklist will include things like booking your pitch at your preferred site, for a more detailed checklist, click here.   This being said, there is much more freedom with a motorhome holiday than with other holidays, you can literally pack up and go with only a day or two of planning.  Motorhomes also come with their own kitchen, this allows you to cook all of your own meals and save lots of money in eating out at restaurants every night.  Unlike when you travel on a plane, you can pack whatever you like in your luggage when you go on a motorhome holiday and you can even take your pet along too.

A Camping Holiday:  This has all the benefits of a motorhome holiday, except you and your family will be sleeping in a tent instead of a motorhome. This is perfect for large families, such as siblings who now have children and all want to holiday together.  Of course there are less luxuries to sleeping in a tent to a motorhome, you won’t have a bed, rather you’ll have an airbed mattress or a camping bed, and you won’t have a kitchen.  Though this might be a little luxurious, it is often a little more fun, especially for the kids.  

Book a Cottage:  There are lots of companies offering cottages in a range of locations all over the UK and Europe, these cottages can be booked for a weekend, a week or even longer.  They are available in a range of sizes, accommodating as many as twenty people, and even allowing pets such as cats and dogs.   These cottages allow you the freedom of going where you want and being able to cook your own meals in the kitchen provided, while enjoying the comfort of beds and the home essentials you might miss out on when camping, for instance. 

A Holiday Park: Such as Butlins or Haven holiday, is a great money saving choice as they often have vouchers and discounts for money off and sometimes have last minute deals available.   You can choose from staying in a caravan or chalet and have onsite entertainment for the whole family, including shops to buy your essentials. 

Last minute deals:  Watching for any last minute deals or cancellations is always a good idea, you could snap a real bargain holiday for your family, saving hundreds of pounds.  It does, however, make planning your holiday much more difficult, you might have to be prepared, for example, to fly from any airport, and already have the injections necessary, to travel safely to your desired location.  If you’d like to find out more about finding last minute holidays check this guide.