Find deals on international flights

As I have mentioned before, I grew up in France and have always loved to travel and discover new places.  I lived 30 minutes from the Spanish border so that was always an easy destination and we visited Rome once as children. I also lived 2 years in Mexico City when I was a high schooler and have lived in several states in the US. While it is harder on your budget to travel as a family, it is still possible! Here are the steps I follow to find a good deal on airplane flights and have a reasonable budget for the trip.

Choose your destination

I typically choose a destination where I know people which will save me money on lodging. If you do not have friends abroad, I would recommend your first trip to be closer to home (maybe Canada) or choose a country that you have researched as affordable. Eastern European countries are beautiful and a lot cheaper than France for example!

Choose when to go

It is definitely easier to find cheaper airfares if you are going off season. Summertime fares are more expensive starting in May. One year, we took the boys out of school one week early to take advantage of airfares while another year, we extended our fall break. As your children get older, you may not be able to do that. My oldest son is now in 7th grade with finals at the end of May and takes high school credit classes, so we are unable to have those kind of absences for school. So this year, we are leaving a few days after school is out, but I was still able to find an awesome airfare for us!

Use a flights search engine or app

My brother mentioned kayak.com to me several times and while searching for flights online I came accross the Hopper app. You can receive deal alerts for your destinations and dates. Have in mind how much you are willing to spend and do a little research on what is a good deal on an airplane flight for your destination. I knew I wanted to spend less than $900 per person and hopefully more like $800. I started looking in October for a May flight and I had 2 options, Paris (France) or Barcelona (Spain). I also chose several possible dates. These apps and website will let you know whether you should wait to buy your ticket or should jump on a deal. One day I was alerted to a $650 flight to Barcelona and I jumped on it!

Don’t forget to start your search early

You may find last minute deals but that is not a sure thing. If you are able to, start your search 7-9 month before your international trip (at least for Europe).

Hope these tips help you decide that yes, traveling abroad as a family is possible!

A  bientôt!

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