A few years ago, my husband and I decided to go on an incredible vacation to Europe. Unfortunately, we didn't know very much about booking hotels, and so we ended up staying in some pretty "interesting" places. When we weren't scared about the other guests, we were worried about taking home bed bugs, and we were surprised about the pricing! After that experience, we decided to research travel accommodations, so that we weren't ever put in that same situation ever again. This blog is a cumulative report of our findings--which is why this website is chock full of information about travel and lodging. Read on to find out more.
James Butler
Traveling with a large family can often be quite expensive, when you stay in a hotel. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to cut down on the overall cost of your vacation. The following guide walks you through a few ways to make the most of the money you invest in your next family vacation.
Request Separate Accommodations for Infants and Toddlers
When you stay in a hotel, traveling with infants or toddlers can be difficult because you want to make sure that they have a safe place to sleep at night. Bringing a portable crib along allows your child to have somewhere safe to sleep but requires you to pay extra fees, if you are traveling by plane. Allowing your child to sleep in the bed with you in the hotel can be quite dangerous because you could accidentally roll on them throughout the night or they could roll off of the bed and become injured. Many hotels now offer free crib use to guests that travel with small children. This allows you to be sure your child is as safe as possible when traveling without having to pay the high fees the airlines often charge for extra baggage.
Request Cots to Use for Additional Sleepers
Many hotels have cots available that you can rent and add to a room to create additional sleeping space. Each hotel room does have a maximum occupancy available though. You can not sleep more people in the room than the maximum occupancy allows because it could create a dangerous situation for your family. The cots are often very affordable and come with linens to ensure everyone can sleep comfortably throughout the night.
Request a Room with a Pullout Couch
If the hotel you are staying in does not have cots available for you to rent, you can request to stay in a room that has a pullout couch in it. The pullout couch is often large enough for two adults to sleep comfortably. You can request linens for the couch when you check in to get your room. The bed can be folded up when it is not in use so that there is still plenty of space available to move around.
These tips are easy to do and can save you a ton of cash on your next family vacation. To save even more money, consider bringing food with you on the trip to create sandwiches, oatmeal, or cereal to eat during your trip. Also, plan a schedule for free activities to enjoy with your family while you are on vacation. Planning ahead allows you to print out coupons or determine a schedule for when each activity takes place in the area.
When considering where to stay, consider a place such as The Breakers Hotel.