10 Tips for an Affordable Family Vacation

Keep costs under control -- and still have lots of fun

HOLIDAYS, it is already here before you. So it is time to kick your vacation planning into high gear -- especially if there are kids in the equation. That’s because you have to find a locale that offers not just what you want but what your children will find fun and interesting, too. On top of that, it has to be affordable. And that can be tough when you’re buying multiple plane tickets, staying in hotels, dining out and shelling out cash left and right for rounds of mini-golf, and kids’ souvenirs.

Don’t despair. It’s actually a great time to find a good travel deal. Every place has something special these days. All that you need to do is to identify the specials in each of those places. The following will be some great ideas to plan your family vacation during this season.

1. Use the Web to find the best 
bargains in air travel and the 
cheapest rates for car rentals,
hotel rooms and vacation
packages, whether you travel
in the U.S. or internationally.
Many travel sites and web
pages will help you get great
deals. You can try our portal wwwsholatours.com with special packages tailored to your taste. Also check sites that specialize in family travel. Some of them list promotions each month, as well as deal with major resorts, and has loads of vacation ideas and tips. also is a good place to find a big list of bargains.

2. Visit off-the-beaten-path destinations. You can save up to 70% -- and avoid the crowds -- by picking a vacation spot that isn’t a tourist mecca. Check out these spots from our website www.sholatours.com where we organize tourist car operators or friends to explore places by themselves.

3. Do Disney on the cheap. Okay, so maybe you really want to travel to a major tourist destination, perhaps even one of the most popular family-vacation spots: Disney World and many other theme parks are round the corner. But you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to spend your holiday with Mickey Mouse, right? Not necessarily. There are neighbouring tourist spots which are recreated to make them look like the popular and costly dream destination for tourists. You can take the family there and still get a feel of being in the Disney World.

 4. Travel after peak season. This might not be an option if you have school-age children. But families with infants and toddlers can take advantage of discounted rates by traveling after the peak season. If you want to head south of India- be it Ooty or Kodaikanal or to the other side of India – be it Darjeeling or Sikkim, off-season comes conveniently during the
summer months. You will
do well to enjoy the scenic
beauties without having to
hurry up from place to place.
You will have all the time
in the world when you travel after the peak season. The cost of travel and room rents are also relatively cheaper during the off-season.

5. Be flexible. You can save money by letting the avail- able deals on flights and lodging determine where and when you’ll go rather than picking a location and timeframe then trying to find affordable flights and lodging there. Many web sites let you see the best airfares departing from your city, and you can sign up for e-mail notifications for deals from the airport nearest to you. Some sites also predict whether fares will go up or down, have a flexible search option that let you see a range of prices for flying on different dates and from dif- ferent airports. Enter your itinerary and the site will say whether you should buy your ticket now -- or if an even better fare is probably on the way.

6. Don’t fear flying with infants. Gone are the days when airlines offered discounted
rates for all children. But
 most airlines still let you hold a child younger than 2 yrs 
on your lap for no charge -
- or pay a discounted infant
fare for a seat for your tot. Attending to a baby is not
all that difficult, which in
fact will help you kill time better and enjoy your journey with the new expressions of your baby.

7. Pick spots within driving distance. Driving is a good way to save money. But it can be as expensive as flying if you drive a gas- guzzling vehicle and have to pay for a hotel room on the way to your destination. So the key is to pick a destination that’s just a few hours’ drive away. In addition to saving money, you’ll minimize the times you’ll hear that inevitable question coming from the back seat: “Are we there yet?”

8. Consider camping. If you’re really 
pinching pennies -- or just want 
to keep your kids away from a
 computer screen for a week -- pitch
 a tent rather than book a room.
It’s a great way to experience the 
national parks. You may even 
want to send the whole family to a summer camp, which can be a great value vacation. Look out for the advertisements in the big malls to find a camp that’s right for your family.

9. Don’t write off all-inclusives as too expensive. If you head south, you can score big deals at hotels and resorts that offer everything -- food, drinks, transportation and a room -- as part of the package. Sometimes the deal even includes airfare. Within Europe people have said the air fare can be very cheap if you book early. This also saves time for you and give you more time for amusement.

10. Don’t be afraid of luxury locales. So may be you want to treat yourself to a luxurious vacation but you’re worried that your children won’t be welcome. “Even luxury places are welcoming kids. Over the past ten years there is a trend toward accommodating families at hotels and resorts that once were the domain of adults only. It’s hard now to find a place that doesn’t cater to families. But, remember, many hotels don’t refund your money if you cancel.