You know the show “20 and Counting” makes big family life look so easy. The reality, however, is that having a big family takes a lot of planning, time, money, and energy. Most places are made to accommodate a family of four, so when you walk in with nine or more, things can get a little difficult. So, when it comes to travelling with a big family, many people think it’s completely out of the question.
However, as a mum who likes to travel, too, I have found some great tips on how to travel with a big family. So, here they are in a nutshell.
Stay Away from Hotels
Once you have a family larger than four people, you will find that hotels do not want to accommodate all of you in one room. However, the great thing about living in the digital age is that you have a lot more options. Instead of hotels consider the following:
● Rent an entire house with Airbnb
● Stay in a cabin
● Check out Cottages
● Lots of Villas can now accommodate larger families
If you absolutely have to get a hotel room, ask for “connecting rooms” because these rooms share a door between them whereas adjoining rooms do not.
Travel During Off Season
Let’s face it; travelling period is expensive. Even a family of four is going to pay a life savings just to travel for a week during summer. So, instead, travel during the off season. Not only are there less people to navigate your herd through, but the prices are much more reasonable. Consider travelling during the following months:
● April
● August
● September
● October
● After January 1st
Consider Alternative Places to Stay
If you are looking for the cheapest way to holiday, then you might want to consider camping or caravanning, there are some amazing sites that can cater for the larger family, initially you may have to pay out for equipment, there are a huge range of caravan accessories available to purchase, the same with camping, but many of them are not necessary, its just working out what you need to ensure the holiday is enjoyable, but affordable.
Drive Instead of Fly
If you are travelling not very far from home, you may want to consider driving instead of flying. Flight tickets can be atrocious. And, buying more than four is going to cost you more than 2K. Even renting a 15 cargo passenger van and paying for petrol is much cheaper.
Always Bring Your Own Food
If you have a long trip ahead, ensure you pack enough food for the journey because ,motorway service stations or large food chains can get pretty expensive when they are lots of you!
Another thing we like to do is ensure our holiday accommodation has cooking facilities.
When it comes to having a big family, you have to learn to do things opposite of everyone else. But, travelling with my big family is one of the best experiences we can have together.
What tips do you have for travelling with a big family? Share them in the comments below!
this is a collaborative post
We are travelling as a family of 14 in the Summer and it was difficult trying to find a cottage suitable for us all, but we have and we can’t wait.
So many useful tips, we have a van and often fill it with just two children. We always say its the best thing we ever bought for when our family gets bigger x
Great tips Mandi! It can’t always be easy travelling as such a big family, I think Airbnb’s and cabin holidays are the way forward.
We are only 5 and everything is harder….family tickets are starting to get a little better recognising three children but hotel rooms are a general no no, and we aren’t even 9!
These are really great ideas. We love how versatile Air Bnb is, with some really unique places to stay.
I always take food, even on a day out. It’s super expensive but there is the real fear my children might eat each other if not fed snacks on a regular basis!
We’re only a family of 3 but we’re already starting to realise that we can’t stay in hotels as often any more due to it not being well-suited to us now.
As much as flying is convenient – driving is so much more fun , especially when everyone can take turns in driving – this is one excellent guide
Loads of great tips there. We just have the 1, but I do love staying in cottages and lodges. They offer so much freedom! Absolutely second brining your own food when travelling if possible.
There are some really good tips here. Off season travel is a good idea for sure and going self catering too xx
It’s tricky travelling off season once the kids start school, especially if you want to go anywhere longer than a week. I find Autumn best for travel, but the kids only get one week off school in October. I’d rather have shorter summer holidays and the rest spread out better across the year.