Traveling with kids or grandkids can create priceless memories, but lodging and travel expenses add up fast. Here’s how to travel with family on a budget.

Book early. Work through schedule conflicts and complications well in advance and pick dates you can lock in. Darley Newman, host of the podcast Travels With Darley, recommends booking at least three to six months in advance for larger parties to lock in your preferred dates and get the best possible rate. Carriers often release their bulk-fare pricing early, but it’s limited.

Look beyond hotels. For groups, renting a large house or villa with multiple bedrooms and pullout couches or space for air mattresses for kids often costs less per person per night than booking several hotel rooms, says Lisa Niver, author of Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. Such accommodations can include perks like free parking, free Wi-Fi and a kitchen. Plus, they provide private, communal living spaces where your family can socialize.

Ask ahead for a group rate. Theme parks, museums and tour operators may offer a discounted rate for larger groups, although you often have to book in advance to get the deal. At Madame Tussauds in Orlando, for example, groups get on average 25 percent off, while some groups at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City pay about 15 percent less for their tickets.

Work with a travel adviser. Their services are often free for the traveler (they get paid by the hotel, cruise line or tour operator), and they may have access to discounts for large groups. Let them handle the logistics of arrivals and transfers.

Get a van. If you’re staying somewhere that requires driving, renting one large vehicle rather than multiple smaller cars can lower your total fuel, toll and parking costs.

Schedule free activities. Mix in a few no-cost pursuits the family can enjoy between expensive excursions. Beach days, nature hikes and game nights all foster intergenerational connections without a huge price tag.

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