With the kids out of school and the weather nice and warm, summer can be the perfect time to travel with the family, but the crowds and price of airfare may make you reconsider. Sure, it can be expensive, but there are some ways to make it much more affordable. Travel writer Jordi Lippe-McGraw has learned a few of them while crisscrossing the globe and visiting over 60 countries, often with a kid in tow.

These are her tips for saving money and your sanity when traveling with your family this summer:

Be a points hacker - It’s a great time to use all those points and miles you’ve built up. According to Lippe-McGraw, the key is to be flexible, act fast and not assume that business class flights are off-limits. She recommends tools like Seats.aero, Points.me and AwardLogic to help with the heavy lifting in planning.
Don’t pay full price on travel gear - You may forget how much stuff babies and toddlers require until you’re trying to pack for a trip with one. But before you buy new things like portable cribs, compact strollers or travel-friendly car seats, consider open-box and overstock gear at sites like REBEL. These items were returned, but never used, and come with discounts as much as 50% off retail.
Try an off-season destination - To really save in the summer, pick a place that’s not all over Instagram in July. You’ll always pay more to go where everyone else is going, but you can find deals in mountain towns, the rocky coast of Maine and even Caribbean islands, like Aruba, that are much more popular for winter getaways. Lower rates and more room at the pool? Yes, please!
Find those free activities - When you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to keep them entertained without breaking the budget and that’s where free events and activities come in handy. Look for urban green spaces, interactive art parks, summer festivals and fairs at your destination - some cities even create calendars with zero-cost options for families.
Think midweek, not peak week - Want to fly on a Friday? So does everybody else, so consider shifting your dates to midweek — especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They’re almost always cheaper for flights and security lines are shorter too, which is always a bonus with kiddos.

Source: Forbes⠀