NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Travel

Family travel: How to save money on family holidays

By Alexia Santamaria
NZ Herald·
23 Feb, 2020 02:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

When it's no longer just the two of you on holiday, but a whole brood, costs can start to add up. Photo / Getty Images

When it's no longer just the two of you on holiday, but a whole brood, costs can start to add up. Photo / Getty Images

Just because you have children, it doesn't mean the holiday fun is over, writes Alexia Santamaria

Once you have a family, international travel changes in so many ways. Different food, different accommodation and often, a very different budget to play with.

It's a far cry from when it was just two of you lazing on a beach in Thailand in search of the next sunset and cocktail or having dinner in a swanky restaurant in New York.

READ MORE:
• Premium - Family travel: The best holidays for families of any size
• Family Travel: The best family holiday spots, as picked by Kiwi kids
• Family travel: How to keep the kids healthy on holiday
• Premium - Family travel: Holidays in Japan with kids

It also sometimes means being a bit more canny with your cash as you add one, two, three or more people to the total headcount. Though initially this can seem a bit depressing, it can actually lead to authentic, fun travel as you delve into more local experiences, which can often be more cost-effective.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Here are some of my top tips from travelling with our party of four for more than a decade:

Choose your destination carefully

You may find your money personality prefers an all-inclusive Pacific Island holiday package where you understand all your costs upfront, or you might alternatively like to go somewhere in Asia where the airfares might cost slightly more, but day-to-day expenses like accommodation and food are significantly less.

Go self-catering if you can

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's good to have the option of cooking where you're staying (it's also great for keeping up with the endless laundry children make). If a country has a reputation for being expensive on the hotel/apartment front, try Airbnb or the local equivalent. Often this gives you a much better peek into local life too.

Be breakfast smart

Discover more

Travel

A holiday to fit a family of any size

14 Dec 05:00 PM
Travel

Hey kids, where do you want to go?

14 Dec 10:00 PM
Travel

Tami Neilson's must-have travel items

15 Feb 08:19 PM
Entertainment

The Bachelorette NZ: Lesina's life in travel

17 Feb 04:34 PM

If you are staying in a hotel and can get a good deal including a breakfast buffet, grab it. Load the kids up for the day with bacon, eggs, fruit, pancakes and toast and they often they won't be hungry till later than usual.

Make the most of included hotel breakfasts - or stock up on your own supplies - to save money on family holidays. Photo / Getty Images
Make the most of included hotel breakfasts - or stock up on your own supplies - to save money on family holidays. Photo / Getty Images

If that's not cost-effective, hit up the local supermarket and buy cereal for a DIY job - or even better - go out together in search of a local bakery for a delicious, cheap local breakfast every morning.

Research transport beforehand

Getting around can suck up your budget, so look at your options carefully before you actually need them. For example, Japan has the JR Pass which you can buy before you leave the country (providing unlimited travel for a designated period of time) and other countries will often have tourist transport passes you can buy when you get there. Though taxis can be expensive in New Zealand, they can be much cheaper in other places, so make sure you are informed.

Plan some activities before you go

When we went to London I knew entry fees wouldn't be cheap so each child got to choose two major paid-entry activities (Legoland, Harry Potter Studio Tour, Emirates Flight Simulator, London Eye). Then we looked up all the free or low-cost entry activities and filled the rest of our time with those, plus delightful things we stumbled across spontaneously.

When thinking of activities to keep the kids entertained on holiday, seek out free museums and attractions so you don't break the budget. Photo / Supplied
When thinking of activities to keep the kids entertained on holiday, seek out free museums and attractions so you don't break the budget. Photo / Supplied

Many cities have great free museums, parks and sites you can visit for very little. There are also often multi-day passes for all the well-loved attractions in a city that are well worth looking into.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Stay connected

If you have older kids who are going to want to stay connected, look into all those options before you go (roaming, local SIM cards). Sometimes renting a pocket Wi-Fi unit between you all can be a really cost-efficient solution.

Play with timing

It's often cheaper to purchase airfares earlier rather than closer to the time; also play with departure dates, checking for options that are just before or after the high season. In those times everything will cost a bit less - but the weather will still be pleasant. This is easier when the kids are under 5 and less beholden to school holiday dates, of course.

Scope out local supermarkets and food options
I have found over the years that carrying snacks for kids has saved me a lot of money (I love having a nosey in local supermarket to see what locals eat, anyway). The main advantage of having a muesli bar or rice crackers with you is that it buys you time to find a reasonably priced place to eat when your kids are "staaaaaarving".

Head to the local supermarket when travelling to find cheap eats to fill the kids' tummies. Photo / Supplied
Head to the local supermarket when travelling to find cheap eats to fill the kids' tummies. Photo / Supplied

And of course, eat local when possible. It will often be cheaper and your kids will gain so much more culturally, than from having a burger and fries (unless you're in the States of course).

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Travel

Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast


Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday
Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

From blue milk to blue tongues, Disney treats never fail to surprise.

16 Jul 03:29 AM
Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake
Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

16 Jul 12:53 AM
My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast
Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast

15 Jul 06:00 AM


Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

25 May 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP