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

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

You havent got to eat out everyday,use the time to go on picnics to explore different places

Picnics or eating where the locals eat. Food aimed at tourists is so expensive

We are very fortunate to have family all over the world, from Europe to the USA. So we stay with family, which not only deducts accommodation costs from our travels but also adds the bonus of built in tour guides! And we of course return the favour when they visit the UK

Leave booking holidays to the last minute, get other family members or friends to come too, as group bookings can be cheaper.

go camping or self catering

We have a caravan, so just pay fuel, site fees and spending money. The kids love it and it means we can go away several times a year, as it's a cheap and cheerful way to holiday.

After Christmas I sell all our clutter, unwanted toys, outgrown clothes and anything else I can find on ebay. Then in the summer do the same on a car boot sale. This gives us extra spending money which we use for eating out and entertainment.

We do self catering holidays, if staying in England. My slow cooker is packed with our luggage and we plan our meals for the week..it's lovely to prepare the food early in the morning, and come home to a lovely meal after a busy day. If we go abroad then we find it cheaper to get an All inclusive deal..my Husband fills his boots and gets more than his moneys worth!

Leave the kids at home - much cheaper! Hahaha

Self catering!

Book in advance / when the sales are on (look for 'kids go free' !)

We usually go half-board so we fill up at breakfast and again at dinner so we don't need much in between (maybe just the odd ice-cream!)

Shop around for travel insurance and for currency - it can make a big difference

Not always an option but 'off-peak' is obviously much cheaper

I only do uk holidays so I would pick self-catering and try to avoid eating out as that gets expensive. I'd also pick a destination with free activities. A beach or some other place to go to that is free will save the cost of admission to venues. Things like ice-creams can be expensive in seaside resorts though. Try and head to a shop/supermarket rather than use the ice-cream shops and you'll get better value, esp if you can buy a multi pack instead of individual.

Just being careful what you spend in the months leading up to holiday - we never have expensive ones so it hasn't been an issue yet.

Go self catering it saves money and you have choice where to eat .

I always use a tour operator as their package prices are such a good deal even if when we get there we rarely spend any time there. What we do is use it as a base to explore and I often book the odd night or two somewhere else whilst we see the sights. We save money by doing our own excursions and using local transport to get around, this saves money and quite often you get to see more of the local area that way too. The kids sometimes moan about it but it's funny how they reminisce about how great it was afterwards!

home made picnics and realistic targets. when we went to the seaside we told the children they could have one fairground ride a day, and one icecream a day. It was made clear on day one, and was never questioned

If you are not going self catering buy lunches, snacks and drinks from local shops/supermarkets rather than the hotel or restaurants.

We used to always stay in hotels, I have found that booking a villa/ apartment/house works out cheaper than a hotel room for 4, with the bonus of having own kitchen, a private pool, more space for the kids to run around.

We go for last minute deals at European water parks. Kids are happy as Larry in the pool all day and as were in the south east we can easily drive to France/Belgium/ Netherlands

we always go self catering even abroad, visit supermarkets and eat in apartment for breakfast and lunch, i have even been known to smuggle food from breakfast buffets into sandwich bags for lunch!

Book as much as you can online before you set off - it often gets you discounts and saves you time queuing once you are actually there. Also those hop on hop off buses are useful for going out in the evening as they often run until 8/9pm at night, so much cheaper than getting a taxi out for dinner

try and take packed lunches whenever possible

We go for self catering holidays and look for less popular places as they tend to be cheaper. I look for money off vouchers online for nearby places and we do lots of walks and bike rides which are free

If staying in the UK look out for 2 for 1 vouchers, money off etc and check the local papers when on holiday for more discounts.

Self catering villas can work out so much cheaper than hotels. Try looking on cash back websites before booking villas or flights because you can sometimes get a bit of money back by going via them.

Make packed lunches for days out - so much cheaper than buying food at attractions! If you're staying B&B/all inclusive and have a breakfast buffet, pick up some extra yoghurts, fruit and bread to take with you.