What are your best tips for saving money on family holidays? Share to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher, courtesy of Lloyds Bank. NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know that taking the family away can come with a hefty price tag, but in the cold, dark months everyone could do with having a bit of sunshine to look forward to later in the year. Lloyds Bank would like you to share advice on finding a great family getaway that doesn't break the bank.

Here’s what they said: “Holidays with your family can create memories that last a lifetime, however sometimes your finances can overshadow the time away. Whether it’s early, meticulous planning or a spontaneous last minute break, we would love to hear Mumsnetter’s tips for getting the most value from a family holiday" – Lloyds Bank

We know Mumsnetters are a savvy bunch, so what tips do you have for keeping the cost of your holiday down?

Do you venture off the beaten track when it comes to choosing a destination? Would you plan your own holiday package to find the best individual deals and eliminate unnecessary extras? Maybe you go away with other families to share the cost - or go for self-catering options to control your budget?

Whatever your tips, Lloyds Bank would like to hear them for saving when it comes to booking your family holidays: whether at home or abroad.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw and one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ

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Apart from the larger expenses like the day trips you should set an amount per day so you have enough to last you all the time

Stay in relative's big house and go to lots of family meals. That's what we did on a holiday in the USA - had a great time.

I like to save in envelopes for a few things (holidays included!) This years holiday fund was raised by selling all our old baby equipment, clothes, toys etc over a few months.

Research fun things to do before you go and find the best prices :)

Save for the holiday throughout the year and try self-catering it definitely is best for saving cash

We share a huge cottage with another family once a year which brings the price down. We take lots of food and share the cooking. We also research the area for free things to do with the kids

We go in May, so in the school hols, but still cheaper than the summer. We shop around for everything - and I've saved money on airport parking and travel insurance.

Now I'm keeping an eye on the euro exchange rate to save some money.

Camping or self catering, the food and eating out is a major impact

We got a great deal in France last year by booking direct with the holiday park, rather than through anyone else. The people next door paid £650 for the same week as us, whilst we paid £237! The accommodation was identical, as was the fun we had!

We got a great deal on our holiday in France last year by booking direct with the holiday park, rather than through an agent. The people next door paid £650 for identical accommodation, whilst we paid £237. And that was in the school summer holidays!

If you have family or friends abroad you can save a lot by staying with them, if not go self catering to save money, you can always eat out if funds allow, local family run restaurants are often good value. consider a camping or caravan holiday, these are usually very family friendly and have all facilities at a reasonable price. If staying in UK, hunt around for offers and vouchers for free entry to things, there are lots of free things in most areas.

Always book early and take picnics everywhere. There's so many picnic ideas around now x

Try make sure the hotel etc have free wifi, which is free and can save you loads of money and cheaper way of communicating and

Get a health insurance card, to help you decrease your medial expenses.

Try not to over-tip at resteraunts when your away. Sometimes your often charged more when your abroad, and sometimes this is included in the bill and could save yourself 10% on meals out.

Plan your sightseeing and there are some areas you maybe able to work to easily without catching the bus/taxi so saving you spending money on fares.

Make your own food! picnics are a great way of saving money and together have a fantastic family day outing. If the weather is nice, its nice to be outdoors and making the most of it. If your on a UK/abroad holiday, could always have a country walk somewhere with your family or go to the beach which are both free.

Try and enter loads of holiday competitions to increase your chance of winning a free all inclusive holiday :)

go self catering and take picnic lunches on day out, research areas where there are plenty of free activities like walking & the beach. when going to attractions look for discount codes and ways to make the visit cheaper

I remember a great piece of advice a friend gave us about however broke you are, you can always find a way of affording a family holiday.

Albeit you may well need to change the way you do things but it is possible!

One of our cheapest and best holidays was a stay in a Youth Hostel as a family. Most have family rooms and can work out a lot cheaper than a hotel or B&B. Check the facilities as most have a self catering kitchen and some have things like games rooms / tv lounges for entertainment too!

We then used our clubcard vouchers to get tickets to longleat and that was a very cheap holiday!

I totally swear by taking kids out of school in their early years of schooling. Yes the school will tell you that you can't and that you may get a fine etc but if you try to do it with as much cooperation with the school as possible you might find it ok.

It often works out miles more cost effective to just pay the fine but get a cheaper holiday than the elevated costs in school holiday time. Do the maths and work out whether it is worth it for your family.

Go self catering and make a cheap and simple meal for lunch, then splash out a bit in the evenings, you are on holiday after all :)

save a bit of money each month specifically for holidays

Never, ever go for a package holiday. Whether it's abroad or in the UK, you can do it FAR cheaper by booking accommodation through the owner, and if you're going abroad, book your own flights.
For example, 2 years ago we had 10 nights in a beautiful apartment in Portugal, in mid August so peak holiday season, and paid around £1,500 for five of us. Try booking that with the likes of Thomas Cook - You'd be lucky to get any change out of 3 grand! We booked flights as soon as Easyjet released the dates the previous October, and booked the apartment via Owners Direct.
When we've had UK holidays, we've again used owners letting websites to book self catering cottages, last year we paid £750 for a gorgeous farmhouse in Wales for a week.

In my opinion it's just lazy to book a package, plus our way you're free to do what you want, when you want!

we have a set budget for each day but we research before we leave to see restaurants etc so we can plan

Try to save as much coupons, restaurants, attraction vouchers close to where you are going (local magazines and newsletters) as possible before your holidays and don't forget to take them with you!

Give the kids an agreed amount of spending money each day to cover their own treats, buys for home etc and they'll not be constantly wanting everything leading to you being able to budget before you go.

Take your own snacks!

we always do packed lunch and sick to our daily spends

Take packed lunches out rather than going to expensive cafes. If you have small children don't bother with paying for attractions they'll have just as much fun messing about on the beach on in the pool.

find the local supermarket