How We Save Money Traveling as a Family of 5: Our Favorite Budget Travel Hacks

Traveling as a family of five can feel overwhelming—especially when we’re factoring in airfare, accommodations, rental cars, and food for five people. But here’s the good news: with the right tools, strategies, and mindset, family travel on a budget is not only possible—it’s enjoyable.

Over the years, we’ve learned how to travel affordably as a family without missing out on memorable experiences. In this guide, we’re sharing our top budget travel tips for families, including smart planning, rewards strategies, and our favorite money-saving tools.

1. Start Planning Early and Use the Right Booking Tools

One of the best ways to save money on family vacations is to start planning early—ideally 6 to 12 months in advance, especially for international trips or peak seasons.

Best Tools to Book Cheap Flights for Families:

• Thrifty Traveler Premium – Get alerts for discounted fares, award deals, and flash sales—an awesome resource for scoring flight deals! Use this link to get $20 off your first year of Thrifty Traveler Premium.
• Google Flights – Offers a flexible calendar view to find the cheapest travel dates across multiple airlines. We love the “Anywhere” search
• Hopper – Tracks flight prices and advises you when to “book now” or wait for a better deal.

Pro Tip: Use Thrifty Traveler Premium to get the alerts on flight deals—often before they hit the search engines. The best deals are the ones with 🔥🔥🔥 in the email! Then cross-check prices with Google Flights to find the best dates and compare options.

2. Be Flexible With When and Where You Travel

Flexibility is key when it comes to budget-friendly family travel. If you can, aim to travel during shoulder seasons—like late April, early May, September, or early November—when crowds are thinner and prices are lower.

It’s definitely trickier now that our kids are in school, but we’ve still managed to find great deals by planning around fall and winter breaks, especially in October and January/February.

Bonus Tips for Disney Fans:

One of the smartest ways we’ve saved money on Disney accommodations is by renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. It has allowed us to book rooms at Deluxe Resorts at significantly reduced rates. If you’re considering a DVC resort for your next trip, this option is absolutely worth exploring. Read our full experience here.

Also, if you’re planning a Disney World vacation or setting sail with Disney Cruise Line, keep an eye out for bounce-back offers. These limited-time deals often give you early access to discounts on a future trip when you book before you leave the current one.

And if you’re cruising with Disney, don’t forget—you can put down a refundable placeholder reservation before you depart the cruise to lock in a discounted fare (10% off!) on your next cruise that is good for two years!. It’s an easy way to save if you’re already dreaming about your next adventure at sea.

Choose Budget-Friendly Destinations:

• Look for places with a favorable exchange rate
• Target destinations where the cost of living is lower
• Look for destinations that are both family-friendly and budget-friendly. We’ve found that countries like Croatia, Poland, and the Czechia offer great value—beautiful sights, rich history, and kid-friendly activities without the high price tag.

This approach helps us stretch our travel budget while still enjoying memorable experiences.

Traveling in Croatia

3. Maximize Travel Rewards and Credit Card Points

We’re not extreme travel hackers, but using travel rewards credit cards smartly has saved our family thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and rental cars—especially when traveling with kids.

Real-Life Example: Booking 5 Flights to Europe with Points

A great example of how this works for families? We booked five round-trip flights to Munich, Germany for a summer vacation using miles—saving our family well over $3,000.

Here’s how we did it:

• My wife and I each opened a Capital One Venture Rewards credit card.
• She applied using my referral link, which gave me extra bonus miles once she was approved.
• We each earned a generous sign-up bonus, and then transferred all our miles to the KLM/Air France Flying Blue program.
• Flying Blue allows families to combine points through a household account, so I was able to pool all our miles into one account.
• From there, I booked all five tickets on the same flight through KLM/Air France.

It definitely took a bit of research and coordination, but it was completely worth it for the amount we saved—and the adventure it unlocked.

Best Travel Credit Cards for Families

These are the top travel credit cards we use as a family of five to earn points, save money, and maximize rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred – One of the most popular family travel credit cards—and for good reason.

• Earn points on travel and dining
• Transfer points to partners like KLM/Air France, JetBlue, United, Southwest and more
• Great sign-up bonus and strong long-term value
• Get Bonus Points during select time periods for transferring miles to qualified partners (see picture below)

Note: Chase follows the 5/24 rule—if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards across any bank in the past 24 months, you’re unlikely to be approved. We recommend applying for Chase cards early in your credit card strategy.

Capital One Venture Rewards – This card is super beginner-friendly and flexible:

• Use miles to “erase” almost any travel purchase (flights, hotels, car rentals)
• Transfer miles to KLM/Air France, Air Canada, Virgin, British Airways and more
• Simple redemption system, great for families on the go

American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum – If your family flies Delta, this card delivers great perks:

• Annual companion certificate (buy one ticket, get one free, minus taxes/fees)
• Free checked bags for your whole family
• Helps earn Silver Medallion Status, which unlocks benefits like priority check-in and boarding. This has saved us so much time in line at the airport!

Pro Tip: You and your partner can each apply for the same card individually to earn the sign-up bonus twice. Just be sure not to add your partner as an authorized user if your goal is to maximize the bonuses.

As always, only use this strategy if you can pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest and truly benefit from the rewards.

4. Book Rental Cars Through Costco Travel

Renting a car for a family of five—especially a minivan or SUV—can be expensive. That’s why we almost always use Costco Travel for car rentals.

Note: You do need to be a Costco member to use Costco Travel, but the savings often make the membership worth it.

Why We Love Costco Travel:

• Free second driver
• No hidden fees
• Free cancellation
• Lower prices than major booking sites
• Can book rentals in the United States as well as select countries in Europe

Savings Tip: Check your reservation a few days before departure—prices often drop, and rebooking is easy.

Comparing prices using same search parameters on Costco Travel (left) and Booking.com (right)

5. Stay in Airbnbs or Vacation Rentals

Hotels rarely cater well to families of five or larger. Instead, we book Airbnbs or family-friendly vacation rentals to get:

• More space to spread out
• Kitchens (so we can cook and save on dining out)
• Laundry facilities (which helps us pack lighter)

Tips for Booking Smart:

• Look for Superhosts
• Use filters like “family-friendly” or “entire place”
• Always read recent reviews

Bonus Savings: Cooking even one meal a day can save your family hundreds over a week-long trip.

Picture from different Airbnbs/VRBOs that we have stayed at: Glacier National Park (upper left), Strasbourg in France (upper right), and Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland (bottom)

6. Travel Slowly and Spend Intentionally

Slower travel isn’t just more relaxing—it’s also more budget-friendly.

How We Travel Smarter:

• Spend more time in fewer places
• Avoid expensive, touristy day trips
• Focus on free or low-cost activities: parks, beaches, hikes, free museum days, and local events

Intentional travel helps us enjoy deeper experiences—and spend less doing it.

Final Thoughts: Family Travel on a Budget Is Possible

Saving money while traveling as a family of five isn’t about missing out—it’s about spending smarter. By planning ahead, staying flexible, using the right tools, and leveraging rewards, you can enjoy meaningful adventures without breaking the bank.

With a little strategy, you really can have both: affordability and unforgettable experiences.

Got a favorite money-saving travel tip? Drop it in the comments—we’d love to hear it!