Travel is my favorite hobby! Nothing beats exploring a new city, meeting locals, and emerging yourself into the local culture. Whether you're traveling in Canada, Iceland, or France there is always a way to get the most out of your next trip by planning ahead.
Choosing the Perfect Travel Dates for Your Trip
Balancing a family calendar is difficult between school, work, sports, and other commitments but consider traveling during the shoulder season. Think of the beach in July and August, but if you travel in September you save a bundle and avoid the crowds.
Avoid holiday weekends when choosing the perfect travel dates and if you can try booking a trip during the week. Many travelers work the typical Monday-Friday schedule so if you can squeeze a trip in on a few weekdays you can save on flights and accommodations.
Family-Friendly Accommodations
When traveling with your family your accommodations make a huge difference. On your next trip consider using an airbnb management service, not only can you rent out your home and not have to worry about cleaning, check-ins, and guest communications you can rent a home at your destination too!
Taking advantage of the income you'll be receiving while away will offset the cost of accommodations while away. There are many added benefits to renting a home while on vacation including:
- Laundry – packing less on an extended vacation not only saves on checking a bag. Not having to sit in a laundry mat while away saves on wasting time that could be used exploring.
- Kitchen – with a family of four eating out for every meal adds up quickly. With airbnb you'll have access to a full kitchen and cut down on eating out three times a day.
- Space – make the most of family-friendly accomodations by having space to spread out and everyone can have some downtime.
Out Of the Way Destinations for Your Next Trip
Avoiding the high season for travel is a good start to saving on your next trip. My favorite tip is choosing a destination that is out of the way. At tourist-intensive destinations, like Paris, costs may be higher on everything from lodging to food. Consider getting out of the city and exploring a new destination like Bordeaux or Lyon.
There is no argument that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a cultural icon of Europe, but getting out of the city has its benefits. Bordeaux is steeped in history and wine!! La Cite du Vine cultural center is a celebration of all things wine and is an impressive museum featuring the history of wine and how it's made around the world. Lyon is an impressive World Heritage Site with roman ruins, historical districts, and also happens to be the world's culinary capital.
Don't Procrastinate
Planning your next trip well in advance will ensure more affordable options and time to research your destination. There is something magical about how a trip falls together from choosing the perfect travel dates, picking family-friendly accommodations, and finding an out of the way destination to explore.
I hope these tips will help you get the most of your next trip!
