In 2016, UK residents spent £178bn on holidays. More specifically, the “average UK spend per head on holidays” that year was £3,418.While traveling the world with your family is a wonderful way to create shared memories, the costs can quickly add up.
This is especially true for larger families. Going on holiday with a big group can also present challenges not experienced by smaller family sizes, which can deter many from venturing far from home.
Rather than foregoing your family’s holiday, there are dozens of ways to make travel affordable and enjoyable for everyone. Discover some of the top strategies for keeping travel with your large family stress-free.
Use smart organisation strategies
Organising your trip prior to departure is key to low-stress travel. When you are the sole person managing the plane tickets, passports, reservations, and other important documents for your entire family, travel can quickly become a burden.
One incredibly useful strategy is to organise everyone’s individual documents into separate, clear bags. This way, you can easily see if you are missing anything essential prior to leaving.
Next, work with each one of your children individually to pack their luggage. Once they each approve of what has been packed, take their luggage and store it away until it is time to leave. Following this strategy removes the temptation that they may have to remove items prior to leaving.
Be creative with your accommodations
Have 4, 5, or more children? If so, you already know that finding the right accommodations requires advanced planning and research. Because the average hotel room does not accommodate large families, and renting more than one room is not an option for those with young children, it pays to get creative.
Rather than searching for standard hotels, explore deals on rental homes and properties in the area in which you are traveling. This way, you can ensure all of the comforts of home wherever you are. When you stay in a “home-like” environment, it is easier to relax and enjoy your time away from your real home. Many times, the cost of rentals like these are similar to that of many standard hotels.
Find activities that offer free admission
Even inexpensive activities can quickly turn unaffordable with a large family. To reduce the stress of an unplanned, expensive day out, find things to do that do not require admission fees. Research to see which museums, parks, and other public areas have free admission days, or which don’t have any fee at all. Take the money you would normally spend on admission and put it into a fun treat for lunch or dinner instead.
Although it requires planning and some effort, traveling with a large family is a rewarding experience. To keep your next holiday as stress-free as possible, use smart, pre-trip organisation strategies, get creative with your accommodations, and find fun activities that offer free admission.You can also opt for charter bus rental services to go the extra mile to provide you an enjoyable experience with every booking."