Table of Contents
With sky high prices and a cost of living crisis to contend with – how do you book a cheap family holiday in 2026? What are the best money saving tips for a cheap family holiday this year?
In this article we will share some top tips and secrets to help you plan that well earned family vacation. Everything from getting cheap flights, getting the best deals on hotels and making some savings without affecting the quality of your holiday. It is still possible to have an awesome experience for your family holiday.
Don’t miss these amazing TOP TIPS for booking a cheap flight – don’t let the airlines scam you – always stay one step ahead! Also you may be interested in our guide to the cheapest countries to travel in southeast Asia
Cheap Family holiday – Tips in brief
1 location is everything – pick an affordable location (flights, food and accommodation)
2 Get your flights early – book months ahead if possible
3 Be as flexible as possible – flexible with dates, routes and plans
4 Search incognito or use a VPN to hide your location
5 Be willing to rough it – bed share, shared bathrooms, budget accommodation
6 Contact hotels directly and negotiate a sweet deal
7 Pack light – aim to travel with only your carry on
8 Book tours and activities locally and where possible – do it yourself
9 Travel overland where possible (bikes, buses, trains)
10 Budget for your airport transfer costs (these can be surprisingly expensive)
11 Enjoy local food
12 Use price filters and tools on comparison websites – be savvy
Before you read on – Keep everything in perspective
The whole aim of a family holiday is to take time to rest, connect and grow as a family. To enjoy each others company and and fun. It is so important to find a balance when you are budgeting. If you go too cheap and too rough and exhaust yourselves and your family – this completely negates all the benefits of taking a family holiday. Some of our money saving tips will actually enhance your experience on holiday. Other tips may just be a step too far. So take the bits that work for you and your family.
You want to come home energised, invigorated and buzzing. No matter how hard you’re budgeting, make sure you plan some nice treats. Whether that is an experience that you will all enjoy. Or whether that is some amazing meals. If you can save the big bucks on flights, accommodation and the hidden extras (transfer, check in baggage) you should then have some money left over to do things that you love as a family.
1 Location is everything
If you want a cheap family holiday you will need to choose an affordable location. Staying in your home country may not be the cheapest way to have a family holiday. If you’re from Europe – consider a holiday in an eastern European country. Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Greece are all great options. Some of these countries may not sound like classic holiday destinations. But each place offers its own unique charm, attractions and culture. You can also find flights to these countries on budget carriers. If you’re hoping for a cheap family holiday further afield, book early to get cheap flights into Bangkok and consider a cheap backpacking holiday in southeast Asia.
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE – what is the cost of a budget trip to Thailand?
TOP TIP: If you’re flying from the UK – try to fly Easy Jet or Wizz Air rather than Ryan Air. It’s false economy to book with a dreadful airline. Easy jet flights are always cheapest when the tickets are first released and then the flights sneak up in price closer to the date of departure.
2 Get your flights early
If you are travelling abroad flights will be one of the main boulders in your budget. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find any good last minute deals on flights. So book up as early as possible. Even if you don’t have time to book your accommodation or figure out your itinerary – we recommend setting up a price alert on sky scanner for your flight dates and book your flights as early as possible. You can sort the rest out later. If you don’t have time to sort accommodation properly, book something that you like the looks of with free cancellation. Snatch it up. Look more later – and if you find something better – then cancel your original booking. This way you won’t loose the best accommodation options.
Watch out for amazing flight deals on Skyscanner
3 Be flexible
Ok, this one depends massively on your personal circumstances. Try to be as flexible as possible. Airlines hike prices at peak times – especially school holidays. Rather than flying out on the first weekend, look out for flights a few days into the holidays (especially after the weekend). Monday and Tuesday are often cheap to fly. Also, watch out for staggered holiday dates around the country. Certain holidays (especially half term) – some Local Authorities may stagger holiday dates. So hunt around. Search for prices across entire months and be as flexible as humanly possible. Oh yeah, you will also need to be flexible and open minded about your flights. Be prepared for a longer layover. You may also need to rough it on some weird flight times. It’s all part of getting the holiday to a good budget.
4 Search incognito
When you are searching for flights use an incognito browser window. This should enable you to search for flights without the websites tracking your browsing history and location. Some websites will increase prices if you have shown a lot of interest in a product (e.g. lots of searching for similar flights). It also tends to cost more to book from certain countries (the UK and USA are more expensive). If you have a VPN – then try searching your flights from different regions to snatch up the best deals. Oh yeah, if possible try to book tickets on a weekday – preferably during the day rather than the evening or weekend. Seriously the airlines will do anything to crank up the fees.
MUST KNOW: It is easy to open an incognito window up on your computer – your web browser should have an option to open up an incognito window.
5 You may need to rough it
Accommodation is another big holiday cost. And there are some pretty savvy ways of getting your accommodation costs down. In general more space more expensive unless you can snap up a good deal on Air BnB – but in many cases Air BnB apartments are more expensive than guest houses and hostels. If your open to sharing smaller spaces – the cheapest option may be staying in a cheaper hostel. When you are doing your first search don’t add any kids onto the search. Just search for two adults to see all the double and twin options. Avoid searching for “family rooms” or “family suites” – these will almost always cost more. Try to find a property with a reasonably spacious double or twin rooms. Then see if the property can add an extra bed or mattress to the room. Sometimes they may have an additional charge for this. Contact the property and they may be able to add it for free. It’s always worth trying.
Need more peace of mind? – search for hotels on Agoda
6 Make a deal with a hotel directly
Here is one of our top tips for saving money on accommodation. As a full time travel family this has saved us loads of money over the years. Step 1: Spend some time searching for hotels that catch your eye. Find places that meet your needs. Consider the location, facilities, price, rooms, beds. Step 2: When you have found a few of the best hotels look them up on Facebook. Many hotels have Facebook pages. Even small guest houses and hostels have Facebook pages. You can normally drop them a direct message. Ask what their best price is for booking directly with them over your preferred dates. Properties are often very willing to offer lower prices for booking directly and may offer other perks such as a free additional mattress or bed in the room if you book directly. The main disadvantage of booking this way is the lack of security and accountability with a direct booking.
7 Pack light
Ok this one is pretty extreme – but it could save you big bucks if you really are on a tight budget. Budget airlines tend to have sky-high fees for adding a check in bag to your booking. This can sometime cost more than an adult ticket! We have seen European budget airlines charging £50 or more for including a 23kg check in bag (one way). That’s £100 or more extra on your holiday. Why not pack light and travel with a carry on alone. In many countries you can buy cheap clothes and toiletries.
Spread your clothing and other products across your carry on bags (you will normally be given at least 7kg per person). If you’re allowed to bring a pram on the flight, stuff the pockets with extras like wet wipes, nappies, snacks or even clothes. Make the most of everything you’re allowed. Wear you heaviest and bulkiest items on to the flight. Pack small light compact clothing. Travelling with only a carry on may also make your trip more enjoyable- as it is easier to travel around your destination country too.
Don’t miss our full guide on how to travel with just a backpack – the ultimate LIGHT packing guide
8 Book your tours and activities locally
It is so tempting to get everything booked up in advance. You can book tours, tickets and activities online. BUT here’s the deal. This will almost always cost more than booking your tours, trips and activities locally. Even better, skip the tours altogether and just go directly to the places that you want to see. Use local transport. Buses, bicycles or cheap motorbike rentals.
9 Travel overland where possible
If you’re wanting to travel around a country, travel overland where possible. Not only is this more eco-friendly, it is also lighter on your wallet. For short local journeys try riding the local bus. This can be a lot of fun and a great way to experience a culture. Most countries also have online taxi apps. Get a cheap sim card with some data and use the local app to get fair local prices for taxis. In southeast Asia Grab, Bolt and Gojek are the big boys – and it is easy to get local taxis for great prices (by the way – it will often be a local with a car who has registered on the app!). One of the best overland options for family is trains – especially if you can find affordable night trains in your destination country. Remember, a night train is both fun AND it also saves you the cost of one night’s accommodation. Win win. Alternatively plan an itinerary that stays around one area in your destination country and just chill out enjoying the area.
10 Budget for your airport transfer costs
Every little bit counts if you really want a cheap family holiday. If you have found an amazing cheap flight – it’s easy to jump on it and forget about the airport transport costs. But remember to factor in the cost of transfer to and from an airport. For example, in the UK, you can often find the cheapest flights from London airports. But if you live in the north, this can take several hours of travel and even on a bus, family tickets may add up to £100 or more each way. This adds a lot to your holiday.
You may be better choosing a slightly more expensive flight to and from a closer airport. This is the same at your destination. Don’t book an airport transfer in advance (as tempting as this is). It will almost always cost two or three times the price to get an airport pick up. Instead, look for public transport options from your airport to your hotel. Or use a cheap local taxi. Many countries now have their own online taxi apps. One massive advantage of this is that you can get fair local prices for taxis.
11 Enjoy local food
Here is another super money saving tip for a cheap family holiday. Enjoy the best of the local food available. Watch out for the really local places that have cheap and tasty food. For example, in Europe make the most of bakeries. Watch out for small cafes frequented by locals. Grab snacks from supermarkets. Find things that are a win for your kids. If you are travelling in Asia, then make the most of the amazing tasty street food. Watch out for small street side stalls and food carts. You can almost always eat amazing food for £1 – £3 if you find good local places. AND with all this serious money saving, make sure you have some well earned treats. Plan some awesome meals to celebrate and enjoy your holiday.
12 Use price filters
It does take time and leg work to book a cheap family holiday. When you’re searching for flights hotels and insurance – remember to click “Show Cheapest First”. On Booking.com and Agoda you can also set your budget range so you are only shown properties in your price range. This makes it a lot easier to search for a property that meet your needs within your price range.
