Children can normally travel more cheaply than adults and it is worth noting what sort of travel deals there are available for them. There are many areas where you could find deals on children’s travel:

• Travel insurance
• Train travel
• Bus travel
• Flights
• Free child places on package deals

Take Advantage

If your child is on local transport then it is likely that they will get a half or reduced fare. Make sure that you state that they are a child when buying tickets to make sure you get the reduction. If they are travelling alone, perhaps to school, then make sure that they ask for a child fare as if they are older, it may be assumed that they are not a child.

Lower Child Costs

It is worth noting that children are generally cheaper when they travel. This includes buses, trains, flights, insurance etc. and therefore it is something that you should expect. So if a gimmick states that children are cheaper, you should not assume this is the best deal as many other places may do the same. In inclusive packages, with food and drink included, they will know that children will consume less and therefore they should be charging less money for them.

Compare Family Prices

Although it can be tempting to compare children’s prices, it makes sense to compare family prices as it is likely that the whole family will be travelling not just the child. This will make a difference because the places with the lowest child rates, may not have the lowest adult rates and as you will be travelling together. You need the cheapest overall cost. You will be unlikely to be able to book similar things from different places and so you will need to book all of your travel together although the exception to this is insurance, where it will not matter if you buy from different places and so you could book that separately to get the best possible price.

Comparison Websites

It can be hard work comparing prices, but it can be really worth it. There are comparison websites which can help as they will look across a lot of other websites and compare the costs, showing you the cheapest deals. This can be done for hotels, flights and package deals which could mean that you will be able to easily see how much you should be prepared to pay. Obviously you may want to pay a bit more in order to get a better service, go with a more well-known brand or a better rated service, but it can still help you to compare. It is worth remembering that not all companies will be on comparison websites though so you should do some research yourself as well. It can be a time saver though and give you a good idea of what to expect with regards to prices.

Children go Free

There are sometimes deals where children go free. This might sound amazing and like it should save you lots of money but it is worth being cautious. Still compare the price of a family with that deal compared to others and look out for hidden costs. For example if you are self-catering you may pay a surcharge if you do not have more than a certain amount of people paying to stay. If the children are free they will not count and so it may end up dearer with the surcharge than paying for the child places. You may also find that children go free but adults pay a lot more, so again, make sure that you compare all prices to see which will be the best for you.

Compare Regularly

It is important to make sure you keep comparing prices and regularly check for the best deals. You may think you have the best deals, but these will change over time. So if you travel again in the future do not assume that you are still picking the cheapest option as it may have changed. If you are just travelling locally it may be less likely to change, but if you are looking for flight or holiday packages then the prices are far more likely to fluctuate and it is worth checking each time you want to purchase just to make sure. It can take time, but the more you do it, the more you will remember exactly what to do and the quicker the process will be.

Get Your Timing Right

It is wise to book at the right time when you are booking in advance. If you book too far in advance or too close to the time that you need the ticket, it will be dearer than if you book somewhere in between. It is thought that booking about 3 months early for flights will make them cheaper and for trains it is about the same. This may be too advanced for you but a bit of planning could mean that you will save a significant amount of money on child travel costs and probably adult ones as well.