If you are like most families you like to get away and relax but affordable family vacations can be harder to plan in this tight economy.  Everyone likes to relax and get away with the ones they love whether it is trip to Disney, vacation house rental, resorts, theme parks, camping, week at the beach, trip to the mountains, or just taking a family holiday it can be just what you need to feel renewed and recharged.

The good news is that by finding a good affordable family vacation deal you may be able to go on more than one a year.  If you would like to take two a year but still want to save money you may want to consider a “staycation” where you spend your vacation time at home but relax and treat yourself like a tourist in your hometown discovering and enjoying things in your city that you might not otherwise do.  To help with ideas visit several hotels in the area and go to the lobby for brochure racks of local attractions and leisure activities in your area.  You will probably also find some discount coupons too that will help you save money on admission tickets, theme park passes, and provide special savings.

Of course the best way to save money is by planning ahead this will give you more time to watch for deals that may come up for the particular type of travel or vacation you are planning.  To start, think about and select the location or area where you would like to go.  Also consider the time of year too because of the weather and tourist seasons you may get a great deal if you go on the off season remember that timing is everything and relates directly to price when it comes to travel.  For cheaper rates try to avoid the holidays as this can be a more expensive time to travel.

When you decide on a location start thinking about friends or extended family you have in that area.  You may be able to double up on savings by staying with them for part of your trip and also it will give you a chance to visit with them.  Plus since they are local they will be able to give some good travel tips for the area that may also help you to save more money.

A few additional ideas to think about are to go offseason.  Check out ski resorts in the summer they usually offer many other fun family outdoor activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, fishing, golfing, most have a nice spa, and many offer great cheap rates in the summer offseason.

You could consider going to the tropics or the Caribbean in the summer time.  You can usually get great discounted tickets, airfare and cheap hotel rates if you shop around and have enough time to plan in advance.

Don’t forget about camping.  For young kids sleeping in a tent  or sitting around  a campfire provides fond memories of fun family vacations.  Camping can be one of the cheapest and most fun types of family vacations.  If you are thinking about this you should also check into RV rentals.  If you are worried about the price and expense of gas you can always get a rental and drive it to a nearby campground to save money.