Family Holiday on A Budget Keeping Kids Happy

We all know that holidays don’t come cheap. However, they are even pricier when taken out of school term time. And it gets even more expensive if you have to travel during the term breaks with kids. Those are extra mouths to feed and imaginations to satisfy. If you are planning on taking your large family on holiday but are tight on funds, you might be wondering what you can do to ensure that you keep your kids happy on Lake District holidays. Below, we have provided a few tips to help make your upcoming holiday a fun and memorable one. With some careful planning and creativity, all is possible.

Keeping Your Kids Happy On A Budget Holiday

The traveling part is among the most challenging and expensive parts of a holiday. However, you don’t always have to travel by plane. Consider the feasibility of driving and riding ferries to get across seas and channels. You can traverse the country using interstate railways or euro rail at a significantly lower cost than flight tickets. Note that most airlines charge all kinds of taxes and additional fees on top of the advertised price. We had an amazing experience on the Eurostar and it was surprisingly cheap.

Accommodation

You’ll find that many hotels only have rooms to accommodate a maximum of two adults and two children. In case you have a big family with more than two children, you most certainly don’t want the others in a separate room. Maintaining close supervision of your kids is important, especially when in a foreign country that you are not familiar with and use a different language. Rather than booking a hotel, you can consider a family-sized villa. Not only is this less expensive than booking separate rooms, but it allows you to keep all the kids under your close supervision. Also, there are many options for self-catering apartments and lodges.

Food

Dining out every evening can quickly drain your wallet. Remember, most restaurants in popular tourist areas charge extra for their menu items. When you get to where you will be staying, find out whether there is a local supermarket and buy all the basic products you will need. If where you are staying isn’t all-inclusive, you can minimize costs by having toast and a cup of orange juice in the morning rather than heading out for breakfast at a local restaurant.

Be Careful

The last thing you need is your kids getting injured or sick while on holiday. Use bottled water and stay away from any foods that may have been prepared using impure water, such as pasta, salad, or rice. Ensure that your kids are well-hydrated. Any meat that you didn’t prepare yourself should be well cooked through. Before leaving, ensure that you and your family are fully insured to protect your health and finances in case of a medical emergency.

Travel

Travelling to and from holidays can be a strain on families. Parents and children confined in a small space for long periods of time can cause friction. So, ensure there are toys, books and charged tablets at hand. Car cleanliness is also an issue, so ensure there’s rules regarding rubbish and things are kept clean and tidy with the availability of rubbish bags and car mats are covered in case of spills and other issues. If brining animals, ensure you have boot liners.

Arrange Days Out To Keep Kids Happy

It is important that you find out about local attractions beforehand when booking your holiday. This will help you to figure out the amount needed to ensure that you have enough to ensure that you all get to go once you get there. Instead of paying for overpriced food and drink items at the attractions, consider taking a picnic or packing up some snacks to keep everyone filled up through the day. You can then get your kids a gift or a little souvenir from the amount saved. You don’t have to go all out on your holiday. It is not a must that you go out every day for you to have a good time. Set aside some days to rest, as this is also important.