Moms Travel TipsTravel Tips and Vacation Ideas for the Whole Family

So are you and your family taking a foreign holiday this year or are you, like many other families, following the staycation trend and staying at home? The downturn in the economy has resulted in a huge fall in demand for holidays abroad, but it has also meant there are some absolute bargains to be had.

Travelling with your partner and children is anything but cheap. And if you are flying abroad, maybe taking advantage of a cheap holiday offer, you’ll have the added expenses that inevitably occur at the airport. If you have ever spent any time at Heathrow you will know all too well how the restaurants and fast food outlets are all intent upon relieving you of your hard-earned pocket money.

The trick is anticipation. Think ahead and you will be able to predict where your expenses are likely to occur. This is easier said than done when travelling with children but there is still a lot you can do.

One key thing you can do is get your money changed before getting to the airport. Generally, the money exchange facilities at airports don’t provide the highest rate of exchange. Also, find out how much it will cost to get cash from your bank while you are on holiday. You may find that it is actually cheaper to take some of those dreaded travellers checks.

One of the biggest drains on your cash resources, while at the airport, is likely to be feeding your children. The thing to do is to take food and refreshments with you. Why not take a few of their favourite things and have a picnic in the departure lounge. They will have fun and you will save a small fortune.

Do the same for your partner and don’t forget yourself. Whatever you do don’t be tempted to buy alcoholic refreshement from the airport bars. Their prices are always extortionate and a couple of drinks will set you back enough to finance a new car.

Taking your family to the airport by public transport can be impossibly expensive. Many people travelling with their families will opt to drive their own cars. This raises the problem of Heathrow Parking limitations. The answer here is to research parking prices in advance and book early. The earlier you can book your space the cheaper it is likely to be.

Another option that can be good if you have an early morning flight, or if you have to travel some distance to the airport, is to book yourself into a Heathrow Airport Hotel for the night before your flight. This may seem like a massive indulgence, but many Heathrow hotels include airport car parking into the price of their hotel rooms. You can often find a Heathrow hotel room with airport car parking for around the same price as car parking alone, without the hotel room.

So, try to anticipate the expenses that you will have to face as you head off on vacation and you will stand a good chance of finding ways to minimise these costs and have a far more enjoyable holiday, not worrying about the expense.