Holidays: Budgeting in Alicante

Warm, welcoming and packed with things to see and do, Alicante is an excellent destination for families. However, like many summer holiday destinations, the expenses can soon rack up. If you’ve already bought your Alicante flights, are willing to have a shorter stay and plan to avoid using taxis, you can stay there for a lot less than you think once you’ve flown out.

Images by Suso Sinmiedo, used under CC license

Taking public transport

As mentioned just now, one of the best ways to save money in the city is to use the public transport, which is superb and can take you outside of the more touristy areas. When you arrive at Alicante’s massive El Altet airport, take the SuBus connection (service C6) to the city centre. It should take around 30 minutes and cost around 2 Euros. If you take a taxi, it will cost about 15 Euros.

After you’ve settled in your hotel, stick with the public transport. The buses are very regular, and for the local tram service, while a little slower, you can buy special tickets that allow for up to 30 trips for a set fee. If you really don’t have a lot of money, walking is a very inexpensive alternative!

Where to eat

Some of the cheapest places to eat are the local bars, and some of the ones run by English expats offer deals like an English breakfast for less than 3 Euros. Head there in the morning for a full breakfast that will set you up until lunchtime.

Traditional Spanish bars serve inexpensive tapas, but if you want cheap food in a hurry, the local markets always have cheap cafes, or sell basics like bread, cheese and olives, so you can make up a quick picnic. The Old Town, which is where many of the locals like to eat, serves a three-course menu del día, which can cost less than 10 Euros and often includes a glass of wine!

What to do

The Castillo de Santa Bárbara is a fortification that dates back to the Moorish times, and is home to caverns and courtyards which are occupied by the city museum, MUSA, and cost nothing to visit.

Alternatively, you can visit the Santa Cruz quarter, an ancient district that dates back to the medieval times and is full of lovely little cottages, gardens. The quarter leads to the much newer Parque de la Ereta, a beautiful park that features fountains and sculptures.

Check out what local events are on, as Alicante has some inexpensive music festivals that take place during the year, such as the aptly-named Low Cost Festival, a music festival, which offers tickets from 40 Euros.

Image by Nesimo, used under CC license

Alicante is a beautiful place, but that doesn’t mean it should cost you the earth. So, whether you’re staying for three days or three weeks, make sure that after you’ve booked your Alicante flights, you know how to save yourself some money!

5 helpful hints to cut the cost of your family holiday

Going on a family holiday can be quite an experience, and a world apart from trips you might have made before you had kids. There’ll be a whole lot of laughs, a whole lot of checking up on the little one(s), perhaps a complication or two along the way, and plenty of joy too.

Of course, the added bodies among the travelling party will have one other important impact – the cost of your family holiday will be a good deal higher. It obviously depends how young your children are, and costs for toddlers will be a whole lot less than those for older children. But with things inevitably becoming more expensive, it is all the more important to find ways to get the most bang for your buck, without negatively impacting on the levels of fun and enjoyment.

Here are 5 helpful hints to cut the cost of your family holiday…

Give tours a miss
They’re convenient, they’re all organised for you, and they’re often trumpeted as the ‘only way to see (insert name of destination)’. However, tours like these also tend to have a hefty mark-up on them too, and with an entire family to pay for, it really can get expensive. So rather plan your own trips and excursions. There are even peer-to-peer websites around whereby you can get locals to show you around for a fraction of the price. Chances are, the experience will be more authentic that way too.

Be a proper local
Doing as the locals do is an excellent way to save money, and avoid being caught out by tourist traps. This way you can avoid overpriced eateries, activities and tours, and immerse yourself in local markets and culture too. The best thing to do is to mingle with the locals, make some friends, and find out what the best things to do are. Just put yourself out there – and chances are the whole family will make some great friends along the way too.

Get clever with accommodation
It isn’t a universal truth, but hotels really aren’t likely to be the best way to go as a family. True, there are some good package and all-inclusive deals out there, but booking through Airbnb, or similar websites can save you a truck load compared to booking two hotel rooms. It also tends to be more conducive for family activities and eating too. With a kitchen facility of your own, you can eat what you want and when you want; and you’ll probably get some great inside information about the city or town from your host too.

Get familiar with your destination
The last thing you want is to regularly end up lost in a destination city with no idea where you are, and where to go. The kids will get restless, the stress levels will rise, and invariably an expensive taxi ride will be the default method of getting you from A to B. So put in a bit of time beforehand to familiarise yourself with where you’re going, and download some navigational apps like Pocket Earth to your phone. Getting around by public transport and/or walking really can save a chunk of budget.

Budget carefully
Again, you don’t want to scrutinise every penny to the point that you no longer even enjoy your family holiday. It’s a break you all no doubt need, and it’s important to make the most of it. But plan ahead with a daily budget, taking into account all planned an unplanned excursions, and try stick to it.

5 helpful hints to cut the cost of your family holiday

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Travel: Essential family holiday packing & travel tips

A straw poll of my friends tells me that most of them will be taking a family holiday this year. During the winter months, I can’t think of a better time of the year to jet off for a winter sun break; warm your bones and enjoy some time away from the hectic festivities. A summer family holiday can come in all shapes and sizes. We like to hire a cottage in Cornwall for a few weeks, or hop on a plane for some guaranteed sunshine.

Sadly, I often think that trying to grab a break away with the family can feel like more trouble than it’s worth. By the time I’ve done all the washing and sorted out all the things you need to pack, I’m almost entirely fed up with the idea of going away.

Travel: Packing & travel tips for your family holiday

Whether you’re going near or far, here are my top tips for packing and also keeping your kids entertained on planes, trains and automobiles.

Packing for your family holiday –

1. Keep a packing list on your computer, the things you always need to take, clothes, underwear, hairbrush etc. print it off and use it each time you go away as a check-list.

2. Travel light, or as light as you can. If there is a washing machine available you can plan to do a wash or two while you’re away. Yes it’s a domestic chore but I’d rather wash than pack half of my wardrobe.

3. Check the weather forecast before you go, it won’t be 100% accurate, but you’ll have an idea of what kind of weather to expect and consequently what kind of clothes you’ll need to pack.

4. Wherever you go in the world they will most likely have shops there. So it’s not the end of the world if you forget to pack toothpaste!

5. Don’t forget to bring a few of your child’s favourite things to help them settle. A book, a toy, a puzzle and their favourite snuggly for bedtime!

Entertaining kids on a journey –

If you’re in your own car then it’s often easier. You have your own space and you don’t have to worry so much about disturbing other passengers. We’re big fans of audiobooks and CDs for the car so we can have a family sing along. Planning a “spotting game” is always good. Ticking off when you see a bus, a lorry, a smoking chimney, that kind of thing. When all of your efforts are exhausted, we break out the portable DVD player. Nearly 2 hours of battery life and a pair of headphones are enough to restore tranquillity to the car.

Trains and planes are good for quiet games, such as the Shopping List game from Orchard Toys, Dobble or even Snap! If the kids are old enough some quiet time reading their favourite book can be good.

Whilst we do try and generally limit screentime; playing a game on a tablet, smartphone or hand-held gaming device could be a good way to wile away a bit of a long journey. Plus it will give you a break from endless games of I-Spy and Snap!

Travel is always a great learning experience for children no matter what age they are. Talking to them about where you are going and why, as well as what you might see or do there.

Getting the kids involved and invested in the planning of day trips and things to do whilst you are there is a great idea. It can help minimise whining if they’ve had to plan it. Showing them pictures of the famous landmarks in the area and maps of where you are going is good fun. Talking about currency and what the exchange rate is are all fantastic things to do. These not only get them prepared for their holiday but can also help to develop a whole range of skills and knowledge for later on.

Travel: Packing & travel tips for your family holiday

Are you going away this year? What are your plans? What are your family holiday packing essentials?