Calgary mom Caitlin Dillman says finding out she was pregnant with her third baby was a good surprise, but finding out how much it would now cost them to travel was shocking.
“If it was a family of four, it was in like the $3,500 price range and then all the sudden, prices range from like $5,600 and more,” said Dillman.
She was looking into all-inclusive vacations for her husband and three sons. Wren, the youngest, will be two next year, marking the end of free flights.
“I can’t imagine how much food a two-year-old eats or how much space they take up,” she said.
Dillman admits it will likely deter future vacations and may force them to travel separately.
“My sister’s in British Columbia, and my dad and mom are in Ontario. I’m going to be flying with one kid to Ontario or be driving with two kids to B.C. It’s going to be more complicated, for sure,” Dillman added.
Travel expert Claire Newell estimates families with three or more kids pay about 25 per cent more than families with two kids. For destinations in Europe, the price tag could jump by as much as 50 per cent.
“In certain European cities, they will only allow two, maybe three maximum, in a room. We have to get them two rooms,” said Newell. “More often than not, there aren’t connecting rooms or large family suites that they can even purchase so you’ve got to split up the mom and dad and then the kids.
“It becomes a very expensive and cumbersome type of travel.”
On the Family Matters podcast, Newell offers up some tips for travelling as a family of five.
On the podcast, we also check in with Stephanie and David Eliuk. They are nearing the end of a six-month vacation with their three kids. They’ve been to Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Dubai, Lebanon, Morocco, Spain and France. Did they get homesick? And what were the biggest costs they didn’t predict while planning?
Connect with host Kim Smith:
Email: Kim.Smith@globalnews.ca
Twitter: @Kim_SmithTV
Facebook: facebook.com/kim.smith.765
Connect with producer Christine Meadows:
Email: Christine.Meadows@globalnews.ca
Twitter: @CMeadowsGlobal
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