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The title of this post should really be Stuff You Need when Traveling Long Distances with Kids on a Budget in a Van and Heading to the Mountains and Maybe the Beach and Stuff.
Our recent trip out west came up suddenly. We took advantage of unexpected free time but this meant planning in a HURRY! What we gained in time from my unexpected job loss, we lost in budget. We had to get creative with our funds to make our trip happen.
Several of you asked about tips for travel and I’d love to share what we found helpful when traveling last minute, with kids and on a budget. The trifecta of travel planning fun!
How to Travel for Less:
Accomodations
- Due to last minute planning, the reasonable accomodations (especially in national parks) were booked. My advice- check websites like Booking or Trip Advisor to get a lay of the land. Once you know what you’re dealing with, call the hotel directly because they often offer the best deal. If you don’t care about room configuration (king vs. queen beds, etc.) use Priceline or Expedia to get even better discounts. As for national parks, their website is awful and your best bet is to call and talk to an agent who can see the entire park’s availability at once. Best best bet is to not wait until the eleventh hour as I did. But what fun is that?
- Buy an AAA membership. Not only did we get maps and travel insight, we saved 10-15% on our hotels because the lowest rate is normally AAA or military. The money we saved nearly covered our membership fee. Plus we had peace of mind if we needed towing services from Timbuktu. (If you’re in Southern Indiana Tri-State area, call Dorian at (812) 474-2844. I don’t know him personally but he was professional, helpful and got us the lowest rate possible. I know these reps rely on word of mouth. So, consider this my WOM to call Dorian!)
- If possible, book hotels that offer free breakfast. ( Hyatt is our personal fav with amazing breakfast.) This was invaluable not only for budget but time. Heading straight to our first activity without stopping for food was a major timesaver. On the mornings this wasn’t possible, we had granola bars and Pop Tarts, which are solely vacation food and the kids think are basically magic.
Analyze Your Perk Points
- Are you a loyalist for hotel brands? Now is the time to use those points to cover a night for FREE. You might have sensed my love for Hyatt. If not, I. Love. Hyatt. But all the brands have nice programs so take advantage if you can.
- Aside from being a member of a specific hotel’s program, many credit cards allow rewards points to be used for hotels or airfare. Our Capitol One Venture points covered every night except one on our trip, a HUGE boost to our budget. They offer points to be redeemed on airfare or cash, as well. It’s our favorite credit card ever. EVER. Referral link here if you’d like to see their bonus program. I hadn’t thought to use the points for our trip until my mom suggested it. Thanks, Mom!
- Along the loyalty points line, don’t forget about restaurant rewards. I scan my Chic-Fil-A app but don’t think much more about it. Turns out we had enough points to cover everyone’s breakfast during our recent trip. It’s not free airfare but meals for six people start to add up quickly. Free is free. And free is good in my book.
Several of the following items are from Amazon. Keep an eye out for their Prime Days on July 15-16th when they’ll have some sweet deals. Click on images for further details. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Food/Entertainment
Invest in a nice cooler (we love to use this Ozark which keeps ice cold for two days but way cheaper than a Yeti) and a sturdy bin/basket. We had PB&J ready the entire trip. No one’s favorite but tastes glorious when you’re hungry and in the middle of nowhere. Fruit, chips, trail mix and fifty boxes of cookies rounded out our food arsenal. We stocked up on deli meat and colby jack at multiple stores. $7/family van picnic versus $30 for subpar fast food adds up quickly.
These paper trays were compliments of my husband and I found them rather odd at first. As usual, he proves his ideas are superior. These trays kept food from flying everywhere as I doled out meals while we careened our way throughout the US. Not earth friendly but much better than washing out plates in gas station sinks every three hours. Gag.
We kept gallons of water in our van to save space while keeping hydrated. (Super important if increasing elevation. We jumped from 300 to 14,000 feet on day 2. Rough even when hydrated.) We each had a Kleen Kanteen, which have been family favorites for nearly a decade. You might be tempted to stick with water bottles. Don’t. They will leak and get flimsy and will absolutely be used as noise making devices for miles on end. Just. Trust. Me. The Kleen Kanteens are stainless steel and not prone to producing the Plastic Bottle Crushing musical my kids so love.
What I lack, my husband makes up for in tech savvy. He purchased this little doodad (AV Lightning Apple Adaptor) that converts anything from your phone screen onto your vehicle’s TV screen. I call that magic! We downloaded educational shows from Netflix/Amazon Prime to feel better about the insane amount of screen time our kids would be getting. 4,200 miles, people. No judgement. The adaptor isn’t cheap but neither is your sanity. Plus you’ll have the opportunity to forcefeed the history behind your upcoming sites as you drive. Win-win.
Miscellaneous Must Haves
I once knew a lady who teased her husband for bringing this giant LED work light. Until they pulled into the pitch black parking lot of their mountain lodge. At midnight. In bear country. Marriage- it takes two.
If the pseudo title spoke to you because you are traveling long distances with kids in a van heading to the mountains or beach or somewhere, you likely have a solid backpack. Take it. Make the strongest member of the family (not me) carry it with all the heavy stuff in it on hikes. Thanks, Matt.
Couple things. If you’re doing actual climby things, go to a reputable site becuase my climbing knowledge rivals my youngest child. That’s a lie. He’s a way better climber. These are amazing for attaching the previously mentioned Kleen Kanteen bottles to the previously mentioned backpack. See how this is all coming full circle?! Sometimes I have a fluid thought and sometimes…..
We are a family prone to ratty hair. Driving long distances leaves the girls with squirrel nest hair. We keep these mini Wet Brushes in the glove box and side doors with rubber bands wrapped around the handle. Quick access for quick comb throughs. Otherwise we’d have to sheer the kids like sheep at the end of the trip.
If you think oils are super weirdo, hippie stuff, hang with me. This Digize essential oil is for tummies and works wonders. We have used it for every barfy, gaggy, belchy issue that one family of six could think of over thousands of miles over the last three years. If you need oil education, I’d love to help. If you would like to place an order, I’d love to help. Ordering info here.
Arid mountain air and sunny beaches are hard on lips. Don’t forget to throw a few tubes of lip balm in your bags. Matt said he would’ve passed on water before lip balm in Colorado. Delicate lips, that man. This Young Living grapefruit is my favorite. Yummy flavor and only natural ingredients.
I’ll add more items as my brain starts working again post travel overload. If only Amazon offered three weeks of rest.
Happy trails, friends!
Emily
P.S. If you find yourself on a cross country adventure, grab one of these adorable Scratch Your Travels Map from Jane. (Click image for details.)
Scratch Your Travels USA Map
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