5 Cheap Family Vacation Ideas For 2021

5 Unique Cheap Family Vacation Ideas That Your Family Will Love

Looking for fun cheap family vacation ideas that won’t bust your budget?

Here are 5 great ideas to plan an amazing cheap family vacation that is unique to your family. Each of these can be tailored to your family so that you can create lasting meaningful memories on a small budget.

1. Take a Visit to Your Alma Matter

This a a trip that both kids and parents will love. If you are like my husband and I, you are always telling your kids stories about your college days. Kids will love to see the town where you spent your college years, and you will love getting to visit your old favorites.

Activity ideas include taking them for a drive around campus, walk around the town square/downtown and grab some ice cream, and take them on your favorite hike or bike trail. You can also attend a sporting event, or community festival.

Keep in mind that you can usually score amazing deals on hotels or rentals during “off season”. Any time school isn’t in session or weekends away from your school’s main sport season are great times to go! Summer is always a great season, and a plus is that it will also be less crowded.

If you are lucky you may just make a great impression and have your kids planning out their future at your alma matter!

2. Explore the History of Your State

If you are looking for cheap family vacation that will be both fun and educational, look into exploring the history of your home state.

There are soooo many options of how to plan a trip around state history! You can spend a few days in a major city and explore historical sites. Or find a region you haven’t previously spent much time and spend just a day each in several small towns seeing all they have to offer.

A great place to start is by looking up free or cheap activities such as history centers and public sites. Many outdoor historical sites are free, or a nominal fee. See if there are any state parks in the area, many times they will offer walks or tours that are full of historical information. If there are museums or cultural centers you would like to visit check ahead of time to see if there are any “free days” or a particular day of the week when tickets are discounted. A little preparation ahead of the trip will reward you with savings for your next family adventure.

Examples of how to spend that day are visiting a historical site, then packing a picnic lunch along with information you have researched and brought along about the site. Spend time as a family discussing what you learned that day, then spend the afternoon at a local park or on a hike.

3. Take Your Kid(s) to the Town in Which They Were Born

There is nothing a kid loves more than being told stories about when they were a baby. They love hearing how cute they were, how everyone came to meet them for the first time, how they loved to be strolled along at the local park. If your child was born in a different location, they will love to see where all these things took place.

If your child was born while you were living in a city other than the one you are currently in, this is an amazing meaningful, and budget friendly trip.

This trip isn’t about showing them the literal hospital they were born at (although you could drive by and show them if that’s what they are interested in). It is about connecting them to the city in which they were born. Show them all the city has to offer and what makes it unique. Visit their children’s museum or zoo. Visit tourist or historical sites. Go for a walk out in nature or visit a local lake and see plants and wildlife that are unique to the area. If they have any memories of the town, take them to a favorite park or restaurant.

4. Explore a New State Together

There is something about sharing a new experience together as a family that is so special. Find a state that no one in your family has been to and just start planning a trip! Easy as that.

You can choose how much or little you want to spend. Choose a state close by so you can travel by car, or look for discount flights and plan from there! With a whole state to see you can be open to wherever you are able to find cheap lodging or free activities. If you currently have a membership to a local museum or science center, look to see if they participate in a reciprocal or passport program which will allow you to enter other museums free of charge.

You can build your itinerary to fit any budget!

Use this as an cheap family vacation as an opportunity to travel somewhere your family never previously considered and you might find yourself on an amazing adventure!

5. Explore Your Children’s Interests

This is a cheap family vacation that will make you a hero in your family for years to come, and at a price that won’t make you squirm. Brainstorm what are your you kid’s current interests and make a list. Then look at what vacations can be build around these on a budget.

Ideas include

• Princesses and castles- Find a grand estate, you would be surprised how many “castles” you can find right here in the U.S.
• Outdoors- Explore a weekend of fishing at different locations in an area of your state away from the normal tourist locations
• Vehicles- Find a flight or space museum, travel by train to whatever location you can find the cheapest fare
• Dinosaurs- Look for former dig sites and state/national parks where they feature former excavation sites

The options really are endless, and again you can pick something close by or far away. This cheap family vacation even makes a great day trip so lodging costs will be zero!

Time to Start Planning

Don’t let a small budget stop you from having amazing adventures in 2021. Use this list of cheap family vacation ideas to plan your family trip today!

And once you have your trip planned make sure to get your free printable vacation countdown calendar here!