Any suggestions for saving money on vacation lodging with a family of six?

[St_Francis]

I went to a town where the hotels were all full so someone suggested a commercial campground just a miles out of town–which had cabins for rent They were tiny, but so cute! There was a sleeping loft above rhe kichen and bathroom, and a trundle bed. This cost under $10 more than a hotel room in town, and there was a weekly rate. You could look into that sort if thing near where you want to go.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

I guess it might depend on where you are going (the availability of good rentals for good prices) but when we went to Disney it was much cheaper for us (dh and I, 5 kids plus 4 extra family members) to rent a home very close to Magic Kingdom than it would have been to stay at a hotel (plus it was cheaper for us to go to the grocery store and get food that we could cook at the house and only eat out when we wanted to eat out).

 

[EasterJoy]

Another thing: do not neglect day trip vacations. We were forced to do this one year because there was a forest fire where we had intended to go camping. It was one of the best vacations we ever had. We are lucky to live near Portland, OR, because there is so much to do within an hour or two of where we live, but you might be surprised how much your own area has to offer. It is a relief to have to do such a small fraction of the packing, and you’ll go a long ways to find accommodations as convenient as your own home is every night!

 

[PaulGH]

Thanks very much to everyone for all of these suggestions! There are several things on here that I had not considered, especially renting a house or condo, or finding a cabin in a state park. I will look into those options for our upcoming vacation. (I also learned something new; I didn’t know what a “yurt” was until I did an internet search.)

I think at least a couple of people mentioned getting a place with a kitchen and cooking our own meals. This is a great idea in theory, and we have tried it on past vacations, but it hasn’t worked for us very well. One reason is that when we are on vacation, we spend most of our time out doing things, so we have to eat at least some of our meals out. Another reason is that it just isn’t much fun having to cook and wash dishes on vacation.

 

[Luvz2travel]

When my wife and I first got married, we would stay in cheap motels when we went on vacation, so that we usually would pay in the range of $40 to $70 per night. Now that we have four kids, we are finding that lodging is much more expensive, because we need either two rooms, or a suite with either three beds or two beds plus a sofa bed. This makes vacations quite a bit more expensive. Does anyone have any tips on saving money on motels or other lodging options when vacationing with four kids?

We did consider renting a camper trailer, but the prices I found were at least $80 to $100 per day. So when you include the camp site fee and extra gas for hauling it around, this is probably not much cheaper than getting a motel suite. We also considered a bit more hard-core camping option (i.e., sleeping in a tent), but I’m not sure that we really want to do that.

One tip that I would pass on to other families is the web site sixsuitcasetravel.com/, which is very useful for finding larger hotel rooms for larger families. However, these rooms are not cheap!

YMCA of the Rockies. I love it there. They have room with bunks and you can get as many as six in a room for 109 a night. All the activities are included. A few cost like horseback riding or the chuck wagon diner. Rocky Mountain Nation Forest is just a few minutes away as well as Estes Park. Right now with the flooding I’d give them a year to clear things out and rebuild some of the road but it’s my favorite place to go.

 

[PaulGH]

YMCA of the Rockies. I love it there. They have room with bunks and you can get as many as six in a room for 109 a night. All the activities are included. A few cost like horseback riding or the chuck wagon diner. Rocky Mountain Nation Forest is just a few minutes away as well as Estes Park. Right now with the flooding I’d give them a year to clear things out and rebuild some of the road but it’s my favorite place to go.

We are planning to take a trip to Colorado in the next year or two, so I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.

 

[Christopher_Check]

We happen to have a condo that we list on VRBO, and also generally rent homes or condos when we travel - have for decades. Our place was fully rented all summer to very nice, responsible families who were thrilled to find a spacious place where they could cook for themselves for about $99/night.

VRBO is just one of many sites: Homeaway (they own VRBO) and Flipkey (connected with Trip Advisor, I believe) are others. We plan to use one of the sites when we take a family trip next June. You cannot beat home/condo rentals when trying to accommodate a large family.

Let me be the third voice to recommend VRBO. We have used the site for places in the U.S. and in Rome and have always been very pleased. I frequently recommend this site to large Catholic families. Being able to prepare your own meals is a huge savings on vacation.

 

[NSFrame]

We often stay at Homewood Suites now that we have a child. They give you two full rooms. If you got a room with two queens, four people could sleep in the bedroom and two in the living room on the couch. Even if you get a king, you could fit three small people on that bed and then three in the living room. (yes, I have done three people in a king before on a family vacation, definitely doable for smaller women and kids). We recently stayed at one for $125 a night but they can run as high as about $160 a night. Not uber cheap but not on the high end either. The other bonus is that there’s free dinner on weeknights and free full breakfast every morning, and there’s a small kitchen to prep food for other inexpensive meals.

 

[PaulGH]

We often stay at Homewood Suites now that we have a child. They give you two full rooms. If you got a room with two queens, four people could sleep in the bedroom and two in the living room on the couch. Even if you get a king, you could fit three small people on that bed and then three in the living room. (yes, I have done three people in a king before on a family vacation, definitely doable for smaller women and kids). We recently stayed at one for $125 a night but they can run as high as about $160 a night. Not uber cheap but not on the high end either. The other bonus is that there’s free dinner on weeknights and free full breakfast every morning, and there’s a small kitchen to prep food for other inexpensive meals.

$125 to $160 per night is pushing pretty far toward the high end for us. That sounds like the typical price range that we encounter for hotel suites, which I am trying to avoid.

However, free breakfast **and **dinner is quite a plus, if we could manage to get back every night in time for the free dinner. How good is the free dinner? Is there a good variety of food? Do they have things that kids tend to like (e.g., hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, chicken nuggets, etc.)?

 

[PaulGH]

Let me be the third voice to recommend VRBO. We have used the site for places in the U.S. and in Rome and have always been very pleased. I frequently recommend this site to large Catholic families. Being able to prepare your own meals is a huge savings on vacation.

Thanks. I already checked VRBO based on the earlier recommendations, and I found a nice-looking three-bedroom house near our vacation destination, for $100 per night mid-week (which is when we plan to travel). We will definitely consider that as an option.

 

[Musician]

We have four grown married children, plus soon to be seven grands. I started renting houses for our brood long ago. It ranges from $600 and (way) up depending on who is going. We take turns cooking and cleaning. It is nice to have a whole house, also, to spread out in. VRBO is your best bet for this although I have also used others.
God bless!

 

[maryjk]

I think at least a couple of people mentioned getting a place with a kitchen and cooking our own meals. This is a great idea in theory, and we have tried it on past vacations, but it hasn’t worked for us very well. One reason is that when we are on vacation, we spend most of our time out doing things, so we have to eat at least some of our meals out. Another reason is that it just isn’t much fun having to cook and wash dishes on vacation.

One word, well, maybe two words.

Crock pot.

And no it isn’t fun to cook and clean everyday while on vacation. But if you do a crock pot meal every other day, it makes it a little cheaper and you get some days off.

I have a food issue that makes eating out difficult. So sometimes when we travel, I cook every day. The crock pot is my friend.

 

[NSFrame]

$125 to $160 per night is pushing pretty far toward the high end for us. That sounds like the typical price range that we encounter for hotel suites, which I am trying to avoid.

However, free breakfast **and **dinner is quite a plus, if we could manage to get back every night in time for the free dinner. How good is the free dinner? Is there a good variety of food? Do they have things that kids tend to like (e.g., hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, chicken nuggets, etc.)?

They only have it Mon-Thurs night, that’s the biggest downside. But it’s generally pretty family-friendly. Not haute cuisine and not a big buffet spread or anything, more like spaghetti and meatballs or baked fish, with a side or two like garlic bread and iceberg salad.

The breakfast is also better than your average hotel free breakfast, with a hot entree plus bacon/sausage and/or potatoes and lots of cereals, breads, etc.

I agree that the suites are more expensive, but they are still less than say $200+ a night for a standard Marriott or Hilton room, which I stay at for work frequently and really is no better. And I think that the extra space and having the kitchenette really are worth it with kids. You can store a gallon of milk, for example, or leftovers from a restaurant dinner that you can then eat for lunch the next day.

 

[bluerose]

When we camp, we take along a few prepared meals like chili, stew, spaghetti sauce, sausage gravy, etc. We freeze them in gallon size freezer bags (they then serve as ice packs in the cooler on the trip) and then we either heat them in a crock pot or on a camp stove. Saves time and money!

 

[CradleJourney]

When we camp, we take along a few prepared meals like chili, stew, spaghetti sauce, sausage gravy, etc. We freeze them in gallon size freezer bags (they then serve as ice packs in the cooler on the trip) and then we either heat them in a crock pot or on a camp stove. Saves time and money!

Great idea! I’ve taken frozen hamburger patties before, but hadn’t thought of actually prepping and freezing meals - thanks for the suggestion

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

Thanks very much to everyone for all of these suggestions! There are several things on here that I had not considered, especially renting a house or condo, or finding a cabin in a state park. I will look into those options for our upcoming vacation. (I also learned something new; I didn’t know what a “yurt” was until I did an internet search.)

I think at least a couple of people mentioned getting a place with a kitchen and cooking our own meals. This is a great idea in theory, and we have tried it on past vacations, but it hasn’t worked for us very well. One reason is that when we are on vacation, we spend most of our time out doing things, so we have to eat at least some of our meals out. Another reason is that it just isn’t much fun having to cook and wash dishes on vacation.

I understand your thoughts! For us, it was nice to be able to have breakfast at home, the type of breakfast we liked (my family liked cereal with milk and oatmeal, both easy to make at home, and easy to buy the exact kind we liked) and other family members liked eggs and bacon (they would make it). We had little kiddos so it was so much easier to eat at home, in PJ’s in case they spilled and then change into the clothes for the day… instead of having to get them dressed to eat at the hotel lobby or at a restaurant. In our case, we would eat out once that day while out and about, maybe even a nice meal, and then at night we could have a lighter meal at the house (sandwiches, yogurt, etc) or we did buy some easy to make food/ convenience food that was cheaper than a restaurant and we would just make it quickly when we got home and ate it (and all the dishes etc went to the dish washer). We also bought snacks and froze drinks so that we could have them when we were out, instead of having to stop to buy $1+ drinks for each person every time we got thirsty. Same with snacks, it was nice to have space to store food and then be able to take some with us when we went around. Finally space in general… it was much more comfortable to be in a house with various rooms vs a hotel room.

 

[manualman]

Our solution was to BUY a popup camper. They are expensive new, but can be reasonable used. A new one well cared for will last 20 years (not maintenance free, mind you!).

For four kids (maybe 5 in a pinch), a Coleman Sun Valley (aka Tacoma or Mesa) will fit everybody, offers furnace, portapotti storage, small fridge, dual king beds, a single bed/couch, mini kitchen and dinette. For family camping, it’s everything that’s good about tent camping and eliminates about 80% of what stinks about tent camping. If you pack light, it can be pulled by a minivan (lavishly modified with hitch, brake controller, trans cooler and weight distributing hitch). Practical budget used is $5,000 plus $500 in van upgrades (parts prices, double that if paying somebody to install them).

Sounds expensive until you see all the ways you save. The fridge plus an extra cooler make eating out optional. As noted, that’s a huge savings over hoteling it!

State or national park campsites are usually under $30 night. Often cheaper for sites with no electric hookup (use a $80 deep cycle battery to run furnace and sink pump).

Our minivan freeway mileage drops from 26mpg to 18.5. Not terrible at all.

Makes it possible to travel to places where other lodging is unaffordable. Check out hotel prices near Glacier National Park sometime - yikes! And of course the setting is incomparable.

All in all, you can start from scratch for about the price of ONE deluxe Disney vacation. Then you have it for many years. We’ve been to Glacier, Rocky Mtn, Telluride, Black Hills, Land Btwn the Lakes, the Smokies and dozens of places closer to home. It makes even long weekends into dirt cheap minivacation opportunities close to home.

As with any sort of camping, there’s a learning curve. Best to go with experienced friends a few times to learn the ropes. Web search “Popup Explorer” for a great forum on the topic. Or feel free to PM me for advice. I’ve been at it since I was 12 (a LONG time ago…)

 

[PaulGH]

Our solution was to BUY a popup camper. They are expensive new, but can be reasonable used. A new one well cared for will last 20 years (not maintenance free, mind you!).

For four kids (maybe 5 in a pinch), a Coleman Sun Valley (aka Tacoma or Mesa) will fit everybody, offers furnace, portapotti storage, small fridge, dual king beds, a single bed/couch, mini kitchen and dinette. For family camping, it’s everything that’s good about tent camping and eliminates about 80% of what stinks about tent camping. If you pack light, it can be pulled by a minivan (lavishly modified with hitch, brake controller, trans cooler and weight distributing hitch). Practical budget used is $5,000 plus $500 in van upgrades (parts prices, double that if paying somebody to install them).

Sounds expensive until you see all the ways you save. The fridge plus an extra cooler make eating out optional. As noted, that’s a huge savings over hoteling it!

State or national park campsites are usually under $30 night. Often cheaper for sites with no electric hookup (use a $80 deep cycle battery to run furnace and sink pump).

Our minivan freeway mileage drops from 26mpg to 18.5. Not terrible at all.

Makes it possible to travel to places where other lodging is unaffordable. Check out hotel prices near Glacier National Park sometime - yikes! And of course the setting is incomparable.

All in all, you can start from scratch for about the price of ONE deluxe Disney vacation. Then you have it for many years. We’ve been to Glacier, Rocky Mtn, Telluride, Black Hills, Land Btwn the Lakes, the Smokies and dozens of places closer to home. It makes even long weekends into dirt cheap minivacation opportunities close to home.

As with any sort of camping, there’s a learning curve. Best to go with experienced friends a few times to learn the ropes. Web search “Popup Explorer” for a great forum on the topic. Or feel free to PM me for advice. I’ve been at it since I was 12 (a LONG time ago…)

Thanks very much for the idea. I don’t see us getting our money’s worth out of one of those at this point, because I just don’t think we would use it often enough. (And I have no idea where we would park it.) However, I really want to make a long trip (3 or 4 weeks minimum) across the western U.S. some day. If we ever find the time to do that, I will give this idea some serious consideration.