Top tips for school holiday and Easter travel

Even though it seems like the kids have only just gone back to school, school holidays and Easter holidays will come up very quickly.

Expedia has put together these tips to make holidays much smoother:

Book early for school holiday travel – Peak travel season means only one thing – book early! Availability in popular destinations is often limited so if you see a deal, nab it while you can. Signing up to travel provider newsletters is a great way to receive special offers that might not be available to the general public.
Be flexible – Being flexible with travel dates during school holiday periods can save you money. Check prices a couple of days either side of your planned departure day as prices fluctuate. For instance, hotel prices tend to be cheaper on a Sunday than a Saturday night.
Pick a destination that suits everyone in the family – Take some time to research your travel destination to ensure there are plenty of activities nearby for the whole family to enjoy. Also, research the area and what activities you intent to do ahead of time and choose your accommodation around that – there’s no point choosing cheaper accommodation if it’s miles out of town.
Find family-friendly accommodation – Travel websites like Expedia let you search for hotels and resorts based on family-friendly criteria, such as on-site babysitting services, free breakfast, all-inclusive meals, and children’s clubs. Checking out independent traveller reviews, like Expedia’s verified reviews, is also a great way to understand if the hotel is going to be suitable for your family.
Bundle to save – Our top tip to save big is to book your hotel, flights and/or car rental together – the savings on popular destinations like Fiji, Bali and Hawaii especially can be huge. Bundling your hotel and flights together means you’ll also have some extra cash to put towards extra activities or meals.
Say no to fees – Why pay a flight booking fee and other unnecessary charges when you don’t have to?

Kelly Cull, travel expert from Expedia.com.au, comments: “Travelling with your family during school holidays doesn’t need to be expensive. If you plan ahead, keep an eye out for good deals and are flexible with your travel dates, your holiday budget can stretch a lot further.”

Have you started planning the next school holidays or an Easter holiday? Do you plan early or leave it until the last minute?

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34 Comments

- - mom101628 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    4:42 pm
Next stop the August break – put these tips into practice then since you’ve missed Easter now.

- - mom165081 said
  - 03 Feb 2016
    3:59 am
Staying on top of the locations you will be visiting is an invaluable tip. It costs more for accommodation but saves in so many other ways. Proximity makes for highly enjoyable holidays.

- - mom81879 said
  - 18 Nov 2015
    9:20 pm
I would love to book a family holiday every year, unfortunately we just don’t have the cash. We make our own fun at home

- - dannsbuild said
  - 08 Sep 2015
    4:50 pm
Really good tips for your travels!

- - smiles said
  - 07 Apr 2015
    11:29 am
I am a planner so our holidays this easter were booked over 11 months ago!

- - bubble6369 said
  - 31 Mar 2015
    4:38 am
We decide not to go away this Easter just stay home and relax we got super cheap fare to Melbourne in May instead

- - mom93821 said
  - 18 Mar 2015
    4:56 am
Do check reviews; however make sure you check a few review sites to get an accurate picture of a destination or accommodation option. I have stayed at places with good and bad reviews and had quite different experiences; it does depend upon your individual needs and expectations.

- - mom93821 said
  - 15 Mar 2015
    4:44 pm
I love researching and planning holidays and finding very different and special places to visit and stay.

- - mom113055 said
  - 10 Mar 2015
    2:15 pm
sounds awesome and looks great

- - mom113055 said
  - 09 Mar 2015
    8:41 pm
looks great

- - ella12 said
  - 03 Mar 2015
    4:30 pm
We have planned a few weeks ago to go to Adelaide this Easter.

- - rovermum said
  - 02 Mar 2015
    9:52 am
We do try and be organised, where we can, to take advantage of benefits such as cheaper flights and accommodation.

- - K13 said
  - 01 Mar 2015
    9:41 pm
i try to avoid travelling with the kids unless its in our car. if one of the kids has a melt down, its not right to subject strangers to my kids

- - eviejude said
  - 01 Mar 2015
    4:12 pm
I’d agree with booking early and being flexible with dates. We’re holidaying just after Easter with a Groupon voucher, booked a long way ahead.

- - mom64736 said
  - 28 Feb 2015
    10:47 pm
No we often leave it until later on to book. It can be very hard to get accommodation then. lol.

- - rachkap said
  - 28 Feb 2015
    2:35 am
WHat great tips – thanks for sharing

- - mom94378 said
  - 27 Feb 2015
    9:09 pm
Saying no to added fees is good in theory but unfort doesn’t always work. Guess its worth a try tho.
- mom94125 replied
  
  18 Oct 2015 , 5:30 pm
  yeah have to be realistic about it hey
- - mom59036 said
  - 27 Feb 2015
    2:32 pm
Very useful for this coming holiday and thanks for a good content

- - mom109229 said
  - 27 Feb 2015
    1:54 pm
These are all great tips! Thanks for the interesting article.

- - mom90758 said
  - 27 Feb 2015
    1:00 pm
I like to plan a lot in advance. It makes more relaxed.