How We Decide Where to Spend vs Save on Family Trips

Figuring out where to spend vs save on family trips has honestly been one of the biggest things that has helped us travel more without making trips feel more stressful.

We’re not trying to travel as cheaply as possible, but we’re also not splurging on everything just because we can. Some trips cost more in certain areas, and other times we’re happy to save. A lot of it depends on the destination, our kids’ ages, and how much energy we want to spend once we’re there.

For us, budgeting comes down to making choices that help the trip feel easier and more enjoyable, not more complicated or stressful.

You can also browse all of our family travel tips and planning posts if you’re trying to make family travel feel more manageable overall.

Our Core Rule: Spend Where It Makes the Trip Easier

If there’s one thing that guides most of our travel spending, it’s this: we’re more likely to spend when it makes the trip feel easier.

Travel already has a lot of moving parts, especially with kids. Long days, connections that feel tight, figuring out transportation once you land; all of that adds up quickly. We’ve learned that spending a little more in the right places can save a lot of frustration later.

That usually shows up in things like choosing direct flights when we can or staying somewhere that makes it easier to get around. When we don’t have to think as much about logistics, the trip just feels better overall. For arrivals in unfamiliar cities, we sometimes choose private airport transfers instead of figuring out taxis or public transportation, especially after long travel days.

We think about points the same way we think about money. Just because we can splurge doesn’t mean we always should. We plan trips with future travel in mind, and making smarter choices on one trip usually means we have more flexibility for the next one. There are plenty of different ways families approach travel budgeting, and resources like NerdWallet’s guide on how to budget for travel helped us think through priorities early on.

This same mindset carries into how we plan our trips from start to finish, which I break down step by step in how we plan family trips.

I talk more about how we weigh these longer-term choices when it comes to missing school for family travel.

We’re also more likely to spend when something feels like a true one-time experience. If it’s a place we may never visit again, or something that would be hard to replicate, we’re more comfortable paying extra to do it well. For example, hiring a private guide at the Vatican allowed us to actually understand what we were seeing instead of rushing through it, which I shared more about in our Vatican with tweens and teens guide. For guided experiences like this, we usually book through platforms like Viator or GetYourGuide so we can compare options and choose what works best for our family.

Where We Spend vs Save

These are the areas where we’re usually okay spending a little more because we know they’ll make a real difference once the trip starts.

Direct flights (when possible)
If we can avoid connections, we usually do. Fewer flights means fewer chances for delays, missed connections, or long travel days that leave everyone exhausted before the trip even begins. It’s not always possible, but when it is, it’s often worth it for us.

Location
We’re willing to pay more to stay in a spot that makes getting around easier. Staying farther outside a city can look cheaper at first, but once you add up Ubers, public transportation, and the time spent commuting, it doesn’t always save money. We’d rather be closer to where we plan to spend most of our time. When we’re comparing locations, we usually look at a range of hotel options to see what fits our needs without overpaying.

We learned this quickly while planning city trips like visiting Rome with kids, where location played a huge role in how much time we spent commuting versus actually enjoying the city.

Food and drinks
We don’t go all out on every meal, but we don’t skimp either. Vacation for us very rarely has included cooking. On top of that, I’m gluten-free, which makes grabbing quick street food or a cheap slice of pizza harder than it is for some people. Planning to spend a bit more on food helps avoid stress and makes meals something we actually look forward to.

Activities that matter most to us
We don’t try to do everything. We pick the activities that feel most important for that trip and budget for those. If something feels central to why we chose a destination, we’re more likely to spend there and skip other things.

Occasional upgrades that add comfort
Once in a while, we’ll splurge on something like Club Level, concierge access, or a room upgrade. Most of the time, we don’t. If an upgrade clearly adds comfort or makes the stay easier, we’ll consider it. Otherwise, we’re usually happy with something comfortable that doesn’t push the budget.

Travel insurance, especially for medical coverage abroad

For international trips, we always budget for travel insurance, and medical coverage is the biggest reason. Knowing we’re covered if someone gets sick or injured in another country gives us peace of mind and makes it easier to fully enjoy the trip. That mindset came from real travel experiences over time, which I shared more about in these smart travel tips we learned the hard way.

Deciding where to spend vs save on family trips usually comes down to comfort, convenience, and how much energy we’ll have once we arrive.

Where We’re Comfortable Saving

Just as important as where we spend is where we’re happy to save. These are the areas that don’t tend to impact the overall trip much for us.

Souvenirs
As our kids have gotten older, we’ve stopped feeling the need to bring something home from every trip. I enjoy shopping at home, but on vacation, I don’t spend a lot of time in stores. If we buy anything, it’s usually a small item we can’t easily get at home. Most of the time, we skip it and don’t miss it.

Room categories
We usually choose a room that’s comfortable and fits our needs, but we don’t automatically book the top category. Unless we’re planning to spend a lot of time in the room, we’d rather put that money toward other parts of the trip.

Rental car upgrades
If we need a car, we’re fine with something basic that gets us from place to place. As long as it fits everyone and our bags, we don’t feel the need to upgrade.

Overpacking activities
Some of our favorite moments on trips come from just exploring and wandering around, taking in the culture, seeing how daily life looks in a new place, and letting the day unfold a bit. We don’t try to fill every day with paid activities. Leaving space for unplanned time keeps the trip from feeling rushed and helps balance the budget too.

Shopping in general
Beyond a few specific items, shopping just isn’t a big part of our travel style. We’d rather use our time exploring, relaxing, or just being together than hopping from store to store.

Being clear about where to spend vs save on family trips helps us avoid overbooking and overspending. Once we’ve made those decisions, the last piece is getting everything organized before we leave, which I walk through in our family pre-trip routine.

Final Thoughts on Where We Spend vs Save on Family Trips

There’s no perfect way to budget family travel. What works for one family might not work for another, and that’s okay. For us, deciding where to spend and where to save comes down to what actually makes a trip feel easier and more enjoyable once we’re there.

We don’t try to do everything or upgrade everything. We make choices that fit our family and the kind of trip we want to have, knowing that being thoughtful now makes it easier to plan the trips that come next.

Our family travel photography © Stack the Miles. All family and attraction photos were captured during our vacations. Select scenic and landmark images courtesy of trusted stock sources and tourism archives.

Sharing is caring!