travel

Campgrounds in Europe: What We Loved, What We Didn’t, and What Actually Mattered

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Before this trip, most of our camping experience had been shaped by the U.S.

We’re used to national park and state park campgrounds — places that prioritize space, privacy, and nature. Campsites are spread out. You might see your neighbors, but you’re not living right on top of them. Amenities are minimal: bathrooms, maybe a picnic table, and not much else.

European campgrounds — at least the ones we stayed at while traveling with a large group — were very different.

Less Privacy, More Shared Space

The first thing we noticed was how close everything was.

European campgrounds don’t prioritize privacy in the same way U.S. campgrounds do. Sites are often right next to each other, with little separation.

Under normal circumstances, that might not be our preference.

But because we were traveling with a large group — and because community was one of the main reasons we chose this trip — the close quarters actually worked in our favor.

Being physically close made it easier to connect, linger, and feel like we were sharing space rather than just camping near each other.

Built Amenities We Weren’t Used To

European campgrounds also offered a level of built amenities that felt very different from what we’re accustomed to.

Across different sites, we encountered things like:

  • Pools — some natural and pond-like, others with slides and play features
  • Saunas
  • Gyms
  • Sports fields
  • Ping pong tables, foosball tables, and trampolines

On paper, it was impressive. And in practice, many of these things were genuinely fun.

Location Still Mattered — Just in a Different Way

In addition to those amenities, many campgrounds were simply located in incredible places.

Some were adjacent to woods where kids could roam freely. Others had trails starting right from camp, following rivers or heading into the mountains. Some were on the shores of lakes or seas, with easy access to swimming and beaches.

That part felt more familiar to us — closer to what we’re used to at U.S. national park campgrounds.

And as it turned out, it mattered more than the amenities themselves.

What the Kids Actually Did

Despite the wide range of features available, the daily rhythm was remarkably consistent.

Kids would roll out of their campervans in the morning, find each other, and disappear.

Sometimes that meant the woods. Sometimes the river. Sometimes a field. Sometimes the beach. Sometimes it meant inventing elaborate games we never fully understood.

Ping pong tables and trampolines were fun. Pools were exciting. Saunas were a novelty.

But what really mattered was simply having space to explore, outdoors, with other kids.

The specific feature almost didn’t matter.

The Cost Question

These campgrounds were not cheap.

We often paid €50-100 per night, which initially felt expensive — especially compared to the kinds of campgrounds we’re used to in the U.S.

To be clear, the campgrounds were lovely. Well-maintained. Thoughtfully designed. Full of things to do.

But here’s the honest reflection we came away with:

I suspect we would have had almost as good an experience anywhere our whole group camped together — with or without most of the amenities.

Community Over Comfort

What made these campgrounds special wasn’t the pools, saunas, or facilities.

It was:

  • being outside
  • being together
  • being in places where kids could roam
  • being close enough that community happened naturally

The lack of privacy — something that might feel like a downside in other contexts — actually helped facilitate connection. That closeness — fewer barriers, fewer transitions, and more shared time — fits naturally with how we prefer to travel as a family.

Was It Nice to Have All the Extras?

Absolutely.

We enjoyed them. We used them. They made the days easy and fun.

But were they essential?

No.

If we did a similar trip again, we’d feel comfortable choosing:

  • simpler campgrounds
  • fewer amenities
  • lower cost

As long as the core elements were there: shared outdoor space, room to explore, and community.

What This Taught Us About Frugality

This experience clarified something important for us.

Frugality isn’t about always choosing the cheapest option. It’s about understanding what actually creates value — and being willing to spend less on the things that don’t.

European campgrounds showed us that:

  • built amenities can be fun
  • but access to nature and people matters more

That insight will shape how we travel in the future.

Choosing the Right Campervan: Why Smaller, Simpler, and Well-Maintained Mattered More Than Space

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Before we ever set foot in Europe, I spent an enormous amount of time researching campervans.

Not because I wanted the “best” one, or the fanciest one — but because I wanted one that would work. One that would be reliable, functional, and aligned with how we actually travel.

That turned out to matter far more than square footage or luxury.

Why the Rental Company Mattered as Much as the Van

One of the first decisions we made had nothing to do with layouts or features.

We wanted to rent from a company that felt honest, fair, and human.

After a lot of searching, I found a very small, essentially single-person operation outside Munich. The reviews were excellent, and more importantly, the communication felt personal and responsive.

That contrast became obvious once we were traveling.

Many families in our group rented from much larger companies. Those companies were easy to find online, but once contracts were signed, communication often became difficult. Emails went unanswered. Small issues turned into big frustrations.

We, on the other hand, had our guy’s WhatsApp number. If something came up, we could text him directly and get a real response.

That peace of mind was invaluable.

What We Actually Needed From a Campervan

We were very clear about our requirements — and equally clear about what we didn’t need. That clarity came from our broader approach to frugality — focusing on what actually adds value and letting go of the rest.

Our non-negotiables were simple:

  • Sleeping space for four
  • Seatbelts for four
  • A table where we could sit inside if the weather was bad
  • A small but functional kitchen so we could cook our own food

That was it.

We knew we’d be staying in campgrounds with bathrooms, showers, and communal spaces. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have had a bathroom in the van at all.

But vans without bathrooms that still sleep four are hard to find, so we ended up with one — including a shower we never once used. It became storage instead.

And that was perfectly fine.

Why Smaller Made a Big Difference

Our van was about a meter shorter than many of the other campervans in the group.

That might not sound like much, but in Europe, it mattered constantly.

Driving through narrow streets in ancient towns is already challenging in a six-meter vehicle. Trying to do it in a seven-meter one would have been significantly harder.

Parking, maneuvering, and just feeling comfortable behind the wheel were all easier because the van was compact.

We didn’t want interior space for its own sake. We wanted mobility.

Simple, Functional — and in Better Shape Than Many Larger Vans

Our campervan was small and compact, but space was used efficiently.

It wasn’t luxurious, and that was intentional.

Ironically, it was in better overall condition than many of the larger, more expensive vans rented by others in the group. Some families dealt with refrigerators failing, toilets not flushing, or engines overheating.

We had none of that.

No mechanical issues. No systems failures. No time lost dealing with repairs.

That reliability mattered far more to us than having extra features we didn’t want.

Bells and Whistles We Didn’t Need

Our van actually had some features we never would have chosen — like a TV with a satellite dish.

We didn’t turn it on once.

Those kinds of add-ons didn’t make the experience better for us. They just took up space and added complexity.

What mattered was that the essentials worked, and worked consistently.

Was It Perfect?

No — and that’s okay.

When the bed was pulled out for sleeping, getting out of the van in the morning could be awkward. More than once, I felt a little trapped until everyone else started moving.

But these were small inconveniences, not deal-breakers.

They didn’t meaningfully impact how we felt about the trip.

Would We Do It the Same Way Again?

Probably.

If we do another long campervan trip, we’d look for something very similar:

  • Small
  • Simple
  • Well-maintained
  • Rented from someone we trust

This van fit squarely within how we approach travel in general: frugal and functional.

Not cheap. Not bare-bones. Just intentional — doing what it needed to do without extra complexity for the sake of it.

And for us, that turned out to be exactly right.

Education Through Movement: Why Traveling Slowly Makes Learning Stick

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When people talk about education and travel, they often picture museums — reading placards, walking through exhibits, absorbing information in neat, labeled chunks.

Museums absolutely have their place. But what we’ve found, especially traveling slowly with kids, is that movement itself becomes the teacher.

History, geography, and culture land differently when you experience them where they happened — and when you give yourself time to live inside those places rather than pass through them quickly.

When Music Becomes More Than a Subject

In Salzburg, Mozart wasn’t just a name.

We visited the house where he grew up, now a museum. We saw his handwritten music and some of his instruments. And then, a few days later, we sat in a small concert hall and listened to his music played live on the piano.

Because we were in Salzburg for more than a day, Mozart wasn’t something we were “covering.” He was everywhere. The repetition mattered. The context mattered. The music stopped being abstract and started feeling connected to a real person who had lived in a real place.

That kind of learning doesn’t need worksheets. It happens naturally when you stay long enough.

Walking Through History Instead of Reading About It

There’s a difference between learning that medieval cities had walls — and walking those walls yourself.

In Dubrovnik, we walked the city walls and imagined what it would have been like to stand watch as invading armies approached. In Salzburg, we explored the fortress and looked out over the city from a defensive vantage point.

Suddenly, medieval history wasn’t distant or theoretical. It was physical. Strategic. Human.

We had a similar experience in Slovenia at a castle built directly into the cliff walls. The story of a knight holding out against a siege by the Holy Roman Empire for over a year sounds almost mythic when you hear it secondhand. But walking through the castle — seeing how it was embedded into the rock, discovering the hidden tunnels where food was smuggled in, and understanding just how secure the position was — made the story feel not only possible, but logical. There was one clear vulnerability, a single weak spot where the knight was allegedly killed by a cannonball. Standing there, it became obvious how geography, architecture, and history are inseparable.

That kind of understanding is hard to achieve from a book alone.

When History Feels Recent — and Real

Some learning moments were quieter, but no less powerful.

In a small town in Croatia, we saw bullet holes still visible in the sides of buildings from the Balkan wars. Standing there — in a place where people now live ordinary lives — made it impossible to think about that conflict as something abstract or distant.

To help the kids make sense of what they were seeing, we supplemented the experience with a kid-friendly podcast about the Balkan wars and why events unfolded the way they did.

First-hand experience, supported by thoughtful context.

That combination has been far more powerful than either approach on its own.

Geography Makes Sense When You Move Through It

Geography is another subject that changes completely when you experience it physically.

Driving slowly through Europe, crossing borders by road, watching landscapes shift — mountains to plains, rivers to coastlines — made geography intuitive rather than memorized.

Venice is a perfect example.

You can read about a city built on water, but when you’re there — when you see how it’s constructed, how goods move, how boats replace roads — it becomes obvious why Venice became such a powerful merchant and seafaring city.

The geography explains the history.

And because we weren’t rushing, there was time to notice those connections.

Language, Currency, and Everyday Learning

Not all learning moments were dramatic.

We navigated different languages, heard accents change, noticed which places still referenced pre-euro currencies, and watched how people interacted in daily life. None of that required formal instruction.

It happened because we were present long enough to notice patterns and ask questions.

That kind of learning is subtle, but it sticks.

Why Slow Travel Changes Everything

What made all of this possible wasn’t just where we were — it was how slowly we moved.

Staying in one place for several days or even a week allowed:

  • ideas to repeat and reinforce themselves
  • conversations to unfold naturally
  • curiosity to deepen instead of scatter

Rather than trying to cram knowledge into a few intense hours, learning spread out over days — woven into walks, meals, and downtime.

We’ve found that we absorb more, remember more, and connect more deeply when we give ourselves that space.

Living History Instead of Studying It

History doesn’t have to be something you study from a distance.

When you travel slowly, it becomes something you live alongside — something you can touch, see, hear, and imagine.

For our family, that’s been one of the most meaningful aspects of travel. Not because it replaces other forms of education, but because it complements them in a way that feels grounded and human.

Movement, context, and time have turned history from a subject into an experience — and that’s something we carry with us long after we leave a place.

Is Campervanning Actually Frugal?

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Campervanning often gets described as a budget-friendly way to travel. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s not.

Like most things in travel, whether campervanning is “frugal” depends less on the headline cost and more on how you value time, flexibility, comfort, and tradeoffs.

For us, campervanning has turned out to be a very good value — even though it wasn’t cheap in an absolute sense.

Owning vs Renting Changes the Equation

A lot of people who swear by campervans already own one. At that point, spending time in it feels like a no-brainer — the big cost is already sunk.

We didn’t own a campervan. We had to rent.

And rental costs vary wildly. You can spend surprisingly little on a very basic (or very junky) van, or you can spend a lot on something much nicer. We aimed for simple but solid: something that would let us sleep, cook, and sit inside if the weather was bad — but nothing fancy beyond that.

The rental wasn’t cheap, but compared to what some others paid for far worse setups, we felt we got good value for what we spent.

Campgrounds in Europe Aren’t Cheap — But They’re Not Just Parking Lots

One of the things that surprised us most was the cost of campgrounds in Europe.

We regularly paid between €40 and €100 per night, which initially felt expensive — especially compared to campgrounds in the U.S.

But European campgrounds often come with amenities that completely change the value proposition:

  • Pools
  • Saunas
  • Gyms
  • Playgrounds
  • Large, communal outdoor spaces

We weren’t just paying for a patch of ground. We were paying for places where our kids could roam, play, swim, and relax — and where we could actually enjoy spending time.

When you factor that in, the cost started to feel much more reasonable.

Comparing the Real Alternatives

To understand whether campervanning was frugal, we had to compare it honestly to the alternatives.

Without a campervan, we would have needed:

  • A rental car
  • Hotels or Airbnbs
  • More meals eaten out
  • More planning around check-in, check-out, and logistics

The campervan bundled many of those costs and decisions into one system.

Being able to drive up to a supermarket, buy groceries, and unload them directly into our kitchen — pantry and refrigerator included — was incredibly freeing.

Why Cooking for Ourselves Matters to Us

We like to cook when we travel.

That’s not true for everyone, and that’s okay. For some people, restaurants are a central part of the travel experience.

For us, cooking:

  • Lets us eat the food we want
  • Keeps things simpler
  • Feels healthier
  • Saves money

The campervan made this easy. We weren’t dependent on what was nearby or what was open. We could eat well without constantly planning around meals.

That tradeoff — saving on food so we can spend more in other areas — fits how we define frugal travel.

Small Spaces, Big Freedom

We absolutely could have had more space in an Airbnb.

But we didn’t want it.

We’ve learned that our family actually likes smaller, cozier spaces when we’re traveling — as long as we plan to be out most of the day. The campervan was our base, not our destination.

And there’s something powerful about having your home travel with you.

When you finish a hike or an adventure and your kitchen, dry clothes, and dinner are waiting for you right there — it changes how the day feels.

Time and Flexibility Are the Real Currency

This is where campervanning really shines for us.

Frugality isn’t just about money. It’s about what you’re optimizing for.

This way of thinking — where frugal means intentional rather than cheap — underpins how we make travel decisions as a family.

Campervanning gave us:

  • Flexibility to change plans
  • Freedom from fixed check-in times
  • Less daily decision-making
  • Fewer logistical transitions

That saved time and mental energy — which is incredibly valuable, especially when traveling with kids.

We’re happy to spend a bit more money if it means protecting time and reducing friction.

Where We Saved — and Where We Didn’t

Campervanning saved us money on:

  • Lodging alternatives
  • Restaurant meals
  • Transportation between lodging and activities

We didn’t save money on:

  • The campervan rental itself
  • Fuel
  • Larger campgrounds with amenities

And that’s okay.

Frugal travel doesn’t require saving money in every category. It requires making intentional tradeoffs.

Is Campervanning for Everyone?

Definitely not.

There are real tradeoffs:

  • Smaller living space
  • Larger vehicles to drive
  • More setup and teardown
  • Less privacy

But for us, the benefits have far outweighed the downsides.

We loved it — and we’re actively planning to seek out this style of travel again.

So… Is Campervanning Actually Frugal?

For us, yes — not because it was cheap, but because it delivered a lot of value in the areas we care about most.

It supported slower travel, simpler days, and more time together. And when we measure frugality by those standards, campervanning fits beautifully.

Traveling With a Village: What Living and Moving With Other Families Taught Us

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We found The Traveling Village online while looking for ways to travel that felt less isolating and more human.

They organize trips where families co-live and travel together — usually 15–20 families at a time — with the goal of creating something that feels more like a village than a tour group. Their second-ever trip was a multi-week campervan journey through Europe, and it immediately caught our attention.

It felt unconventional. Slightly risky. And deeply intriguing.

Why This Idea Appealed to Us (and Why We Hesitated)

Jesse was drawn to the idea almost immediately. I was more hesitant.

We’re both somewhat introverted, and the idea of being around 15 other families for nearly two months raised real questions. Would it be overwhelming? Would there be enough space? What if we didn’t click with the group?

Ultimately, what made it feel doable was knowing we’d have our own campervan. Worst case, we could retreat into our own space when we needed quiet or downtime.

That made the experiment feel worth trying.

What People at Home Thought (and Why We Ignored It)

More than a few friends back home thought we were a little crazy.

There was a sense that a group like this would attract “weird” people, or that voluntarily spending that much time with other families sounded exhausting rather than enriching.

But we’ve learned to trust our instincts — especially when they lead us slightly outside the norm.

And it didn’t take long to realize that these were very much our people.

Finding People Who Share the Same Values

Pretty quickly, it became clear that this group wasn’t random at all.

These were families who had made similar choices — people who had intentionally structured their lives around being with their kids, often close to 24/7. Many had moved beyond simply talking about financial independence or alternative lifestyles and had actually put those ideas into practice.

We’re used to hearing, “That sounds nice, but I could never be around my kids that much.”

It was deeply gratifying to instead be surrounded by people who wanted exactly that — and had built their lives accordingly.

Why the “Village” Aspect Made Travel Easier

One of the biggest benefits of traveling this way was how much lighter everything felt.

Instead of one family carrying the full burden of planning — where to go, where to stay, how long to linger — that work was shared across many families. Ideas, research, and perspectives flowed constantly.

There were differences of opinion, of course. Some families wished we’d stayed longer in certain places; others would have moved faster. That’s inevitable in a group this size.

But those differences often turned into a strength. With so much input, decisions were usually well-considered — and in the end, people were happy with where we landed.

What This Was Like for the Kids

As meaningful as this experience was for us as adults, it was arguably even more powerful for the kids.

Each morning, our kids would roll out of the campervan and immediately find their friends. There were close to 30 kids in the village, ranging in age from about one to fourteen.

What they did each day depended on where we were — forests in Austria, farms in Italy, rivers in Slovenia, beaches in Croatia (and soccer pitches everywhere) — but the core experience stayed the same.

They played. They explored. They figured things out together.

They were with kids from different countries, different backgrounds, and different languages, and they learned how to get along, negotiate, invent games, and take care of one another.

They would disappear for hours and come back happy and exhausted.

It wasn’t always perfect, of course — but it was magical.

Unstructured Time + Community = Real Learning

One of the most striking things was how much unstructured time the kids had.

There were some organized activities, but most of the learning happened organically. Kids started little businesses. They sold cookies, tea, stickers. They offered to take trash to faraway dumpsters. They played soccer, learned rugby, swam, hiked, and created art.

What made this possible wasn’t a curriculum — it was time, and it was other kids.

This kind of learning — grounded in experience, relationships, and time — is a big part of why travel plays such a central role in how our kids learn.

That combination is surprisingly rare in modern life. School is structured. After-school time is often scheduled. The opportunity to simply be with peers and let imagination lead is limited.

This village created space for that — and the growth we saw was incredible.

What This Gave the Adults

While the kids were off adventuring, the adults had space too.

We talked — about education, finances, family dynamics, favorite places in the world, and the beauty around us. Conversations weren’t rushed or superficial. Community formed naturally.

The six core weeks of the trip went by far too quickly. Saying goodbye was genuinely hard.

What We Took Away From the Experience

This trip reinforced something we already believed, but hadn’t experienced quite like this:

True community is priceless.

Seeing new places is wonderful. But experiencing them with people who truly understand you — and whom you understand in return — changes everything.

Travel becomes richer. Easier. More meaningful.

What We’ll Be Writing About Next

This post is just the starting point.

We’ll be sharing more about:

Each of those deserves its own space.

But at the heart of all of it was the village — and the reminder that community makes travel infinitely better.

What Our Greece Catamaran Trip Taught Us About Group Travel, Splurging Intentionally, and Doing It at the Right Time

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We don’t usually think in terms of “bucket list” travel. We’re much more interested in experiences that fit naturally into our lives and values.

But every once in a while, something really does live up to the hype.

Our week sailing in Greece with two other families was more expensive than most of our trips — and very intentionally so. It was a splurge, no question about it. And it was also one of those rare experiences that felt completely worth what we paid for it.

Why We Chose This Trip (Even Though It Was a Splurge)

This wasn’t the cheapest way to travel, and we knew that going in.

What made it appealing was the combination of:

  • A truly special place
  • Time slowed down by the rhythm of sailing
  • Traveling with close friends
  • A format that let us be present rather than constantly managing logistics

We weren’t trying to check something off a list. We were choosing a week that felt meaningful — one that centered connection, shared experience, and being fully in the moment.

In that sense, this trip fit our definition of frugal travel: not cheap, but intentional and values-driven.

The Timing Made a Huge Difference

One of the biggest factors in making this trip feel reasonable was when we went.

We traveled slightly off peak, just before prices jumped for the high season. Traveling even a week or two later would have nearly doubled the total cost.

The tradeoff was cooler water — but that didn’t bother us at all. We’re used to swimming in colder conditions, and the quieter experience more than made up for it.

This is something we’ve seen over and over again: when you’re flexible with timing, you can often access experiences that would otherwise feel out of reach.

What the Trip Looked Like in Practice

We spent the week sailing between islands on a catamaran, traveling with two other families and living aboard together.

The pace was naturally slow. Days revolved around weather, swimming, meals, and time together rather than schedules or checklists.

There was space for both shared time and quiet moments — reading, floating in the water, watching the coastline drift by.

That rhythm was a big part of what made the trip feel special.

A Thoughtful Splurge: Having a Cook Onboard

One of the biggest reasons this trip felt so restorative was having a cook onboard.

Was it costly? Yes.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Not having to plan, shop for, or prepare meals freed up an enormous amount of mental and physical energy. Instead of defaulting into logistics mode — which often happens on trips — we were able to actually experience where we were.

This is a good example of how we think about splurges. We don’t spend more just to spend more, but we’re willing to pay for things that meaningfully change how a trip feels.

In this case, outsourcing meals gave us back time, presence, and ease — and that felt like money well spent.

Why Traveling With Other Families Still Mattered

Even with the onboard support, traveling with other families was a huge part of what made the trip work.

Sharing costs across families made a high-end experience more accessible, and sharing the experience itself made it richer. Kids had built-in community. Adults had conversation and connection without effort.

It didn’t feel like a group tour or a logistical exercise — it felt like a shared adventure.

What Our Kids Took Away From the Experience

Learning happened naturally, without us needing to manufacture it.

Sailing made geography real. Weather influenced decisions. Cooperation mattered. Living in close quarters required awareness of others.

More than anything, our kids experienced what it looks like to move through the world slowly, attentively, and together.

Would We Do This Again?

Yes — but not all the time.

This isn’t how we want to travel every trip. It was special because it was different from our usual approach. The splurge made sense in this context, at this moment, with these people.

It’s the kind of experience we’d happily repeat occasionally — when the timing, the people, and the intention all line up.

How This Trip Fits Into How We Travel Overall

This trip reinforced something important for us: frugal travel doesn’t mean avoiding expensive experiences altogether.

It means being selective.
It means choosing when to spend more.
And it means doing so in ways that genuinely enhance time together.

This week in Greece was a reminder that sometimes, a thoughtfully chosen splurge can be just as aligned with our values as the most budget-friendly trip.

How We Find Flights That Are Worth the Cost (and Skip the Ones That Aren’t)

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Flights are often the biggest single expense in our travel budget — and one of the easiest places to either save money or make travel miserable.

For us, finding flights isn’t about chasing the absolute cheapest option. It’s about finding flights that strike the right balance between cost, time, energy, and flexibility, especially when traveling as a family.

Flexibility Is the Biggest Money Saver We Have

One of the biggest advantages we have is time flexibility.

Because we aren’t bound to a traditional school calendar, we don’t need to travel during the same narrow windows as most families. That opens up enormous savings.

We’ve repeatedly seen the exact same flights drop dramatically in price simply by shifting our departure or return dates by three or four days. Sometimes the difference is hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars.

When you’re not limited to a one-week or two-week break, flight prices start to look very different.

Why We Use Google Flights

We use Google Flights almost exclusively because it’s incredibly powerful for flexible travelers.

Instead of starting with:

“We’re going to X on these exact dates”

We often start with:

“Where could we go around this time that’s reasonably priced?”

We’ll search broad destinations, flexible date ranges, and multiple departure airports. Sometimes the flight prices themselves shape the trip — not the other way around.

More than once, we’ve chosen a destination because the flights were unusually affordable for a specific window.

Cheap Isn’t Always Worth It

We rarely book the very cheapest flight.

In our experience, those flights often come with tradeoffs that aren’t worth it for us:

  • Extra connections
  • Very long layovers
  • Red-eye flights that leave everyone exhausted

Saving a bit of money doesn’t feel frugal if it makes the first few days of a trip miserable.

Instead, we look for good value — flights that are reasonably priced and reasonable to take.

How We Think About Budget Airlines

We don’t automatically avoid budget airlines, but we also don’t pretend they’re cheap in the way the headline price suggests.

When flying budget carriers, we assume:

  • Everything costs extra
  • We’ll pay for carry-on bags
  • Seat selection may cost more

We factor those costs in from the beginning so there are no surprises.

Some add-ons are worth paying for right away. Others we skip.

For example, we almost always add carry-on bags upfront. But we rarely pay for seat assignments — many airlines have policies that allow kids under a certain age to sit with a parent, and that’s usually sufficient for us.

The key is knowing what you’re getting into before clicking “buy.”

Why We Don’t Over-Optimize Flights

It’s easy to turn flight booking into an optimization problem: cheapest fare, perfect timing, best airline, ideal seat.

We’ve found that over-optimizing usually leads to stress.

Instead, we aim for:

  • Fewer connections
  • Reasonable departure and arrival times
  • Flights that don’t wipe everyone out

Flights are just the beginning of a trip. We’d rather arrive feeling functional than save a small amount of money at the cost of exhaustion.

Letting Flights Shape the Trip (Not the Other Way Around)

Some of our favorite trips started with a flight search.

By staying open to different destinations and timelines, we’ve been able to plan trips that might not have made sense otherwise — financially or logistically.

This approach only works because we prioritize flexibility, but it’s been one of the most effective ways we’ve found to make long-term family travel sustainable.

A Frugal Choice That Protects Our Energy

Finding the “right” flight isn’t just about saving money. It’s about protecting our energy, our time, and our ability to enjoy the trip once we get there.

For us, frugal travel means choosing flights that support the experience — not undermine it.

Why We Buy Travel Insurance (Even When It Feels Optional)

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Travel insurance isn’t something we buy automatically for every trip — and it’s not something we think about as a way to “get our money back.”

For us, travel insurance is about risk management and peace of mind, especially as parents. It’s one of those places where frugality shows up not as spending as little as possible, but as spending intentionally to protect against the things that would matter most if something truly went wrong.

The Coverage We Care About Most: Medical and Evacuation

The primary reason we buy travel insurance is medical coverage, especially medical evacuation.

When we travel internationally — particularly in places where access to high-quality medical care may be limited — we want to know that if a serious emergency happened, we wouldn’t be making decisions based on cost or logistics alone.

Evacuation coverage matters to us because:

  • It can cover transport to appropriate medical care
  • It can help get us home if needed
  • It removes uncertainty during already stressful situations

This becomes especially important on trips to places like Central America or South America, where medical infrastructure can vary widely depending on location. On trips within Europe, we sometimes feel less urgency about this coverage — but we still think carefully about it.

As parents, that peace of mind is worth a lot. Knowing we have a plan in place lets us travel with less background anxiety and more presence.

Would We Think About This Differently Without Kids?

Probably.

Or maybe not entirely — it’s hard to say.

But having kids absolutely raises the stakes. When more people are involved, and when those people depend on you, the cost of uncertainty is higher. Travel insurance helps reduce that uncertainty.

It’s not about assuming something bad will happen. It’s about acknowledging that if something did, we’d want support immediately — not a financial problem to solve first.

Cancellation Coverage: A Hedge, Not a Guarantee

We do like having some cancellation coverage, but we’re realistic about what it’s for.

We don’t try to insure every dollar of a trip. Instead, we think about cancellation coverage as a hedge — especially for:

  • Large, non-refundable expenses
  • Trips booked far in advance
  • Experiences that would be difficult to rebook or reschedule

We don’t expect travel insurance to make us whole in every scenario. That’s not how we use it, and that expectation would push us toward buying more coverage than we actually need.

For us, the goal is to soften the impact of major disruptions, not eliminate all risk.

Why This Fits Our Definition of Frugal Travel

Buying travel insurance is a good example of how we think about frugality.

Frugal doesn’t mean:

  • Gambling on best-case scenarios
  • Ignoring low-probability, high-impact risks
  • Optimizing every dollar at the expense of peace of mind

For us, frugal means:

  • Thinking through consequences
  • Spending a little to avoid catastrophic costs
  • Making choices that support sustainable travel over time

Travel insurance helps us travel more confidently and more calmly — and that has real value.

When We Might Skip Travel Insurance

We don’t buy travel insurance automatically.

For example, we might skip it for:

  • Short domestic trips
  • Trips with fully refundable bookings
  • Low-cost travel where the financial risk is minimal

Like most travel decisions, this isn’t all-or-nothing. It’s contextual.

A Quiet Form of Preparation

Travel insurance isn’t the most exciting part of trip planning, and it’s not something we think about once we’re actually traveling.

But that’s kind of the point.

Having it in place allows us to focus on the experience itself — exploring, learning, and being together — rather than worrying about what-ifs.

And for our family, that peace of mind is well worth the cost.

Why We Put So Much Thought Into Our Family’s Luggage

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Luggage doesn’t usually feel like an important decision — until you’re traveling as a family and everything you own has to move with you.

For us, choosing luggage wasn’t about finding the “best” bag or the trendiest brand. It was about reducing friction. We wanted travel days to be manageable, predictable, and calm enough that the trip itself didn’t start with stress.

That made luggage a surprisingly important part of how we travel.

Frugal Doesn’t Mean Cheap — It Means Intentional

We think about frugality as a way to protect what matters most to us: time together, flexibility, and energy.

That means we’re willing to spend money on things that:

  • Make travel more sustainable over time
  • Reduce stress and decision fatigue
  • Help us avoid ongoing costs later

Luggage fits squarely into that category. A bag that makes travel harder ends up costing more in other ways — baggage fees, delays, physical strain, or just exhaustion.

The Problems We Were Trying to Solve

Before buying new bags, we were clear about what wasn’t working.

Traveling as a family means:

  • Everyone needs to manage their own bag, at least some of the time
  • Airports involve long walks, stairs, and uneven surfaces
  • Not every kid wants to carry a backpack all day
  • Checking bags adds cost and complexity we’d rather avoid

We wanted luggage that supported independence without making travel days harder than they needed to be.

Why Carry-On Size Matters for Us

We’ve found that keeping everything carry-on sized changes the entire feel of a trip.

It:

  • Avoids checked baggage fees
  • Reduces time spent waiting in airports
  • Makes transfers and connections easier
  • Forces us to pack intentionally

Packing less isn’t about deprivation — it’s about simplicity. When everything fits with us, travel feels lighter and more flexible.

Why Rolling Backpacks Made Sense for Our Family

We chose carry-on–size bags that can both roll and be worn as backpacks.

That flexibility matters more than we expected.

Rolling works well in airports and smooth spaces. Backpack mode matters for stairs, cobblestones, and uneven terrain. Having both options means no one is stuck struggling when conditions change.

For kids especially, this has made a big difference. They can roll their bags when it’s easy and switch when it’s not — without needing constant help.

What We Didn’t Optimize For

We didn’t try to:

  • Find the lightest bag on the market
  • Chase the cheapest possible option
  • Choose something that would only work for one type of trip

We were more interested in durability, versatility, and long-term use than in saving a little money upfront.

That tradeoff feels very aligned with how we approach travel in general.

Who This Setup Works Well For (and Who It Might Not)

This luggage setup works well for:

  • Families trying to avoid checked bags
  • Trips with lots of transitions
  • Slow or long-term travel
  • Kids who can manage their own bags part of the time

It may not be ideal if:

  • You pack heavy or bulky gear
  • You prefer checked luggage
  • You’re doing very short, single-location trips

Like most things in travel, it’s about fit — not finding a universal “best.”

A Small Choice That Makes a Big Difference

Choosing luggage won’t make or break a trip. But for us, making this decision thoughtfully has removed a surprising amount of friction from travel days.

When logistics are smoother, we have more energy for what we actually care about — being together, exploring, and learning as we go.

And that’s a tradeoff we’re happy to make.

How We Travel Slowly as a Family

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For a long time, travel felt like something we were doing to our kids instead of with them.

We planned trips packed with highlights, landmarks, and “must-see” moments — and then wondered why everyone was exhausted, cranky, and overwhelmed by day three. The trips looked great on paper, but they didn’t always feel great while we were living them.

That’s when we started traveling more slowly.

What Slow Travel Means to Us

Slow travel isn’t about moving as little as possible or staying in one place forever. For our family, it means less rushing, fewer transitions, and more room for real life.

We stay longer in one place.
We plan fewer activities.
We leave space for rest, boredom, and spontaneity.

Instead of asking, “What can we fit into this trip?” we ask, “What would make this place feel livable for a while?”

Traveling With Kids Changed Everything

Traveling with kids makes it very clear when a plan isn’t working.

Kids don’t care how famous a sight is if they’re tired, hungry, or overstimulated. They care about pools, animals, snacks, playgrounds, and having time to just be kids.

Slow travel lets us honor that.

When we’re not bouncing between hotels every night or racing to the next activity, everyone is calmer. Mornings are easier. Afternoons don’t feel like a battle. And we actually enjoy being together — which, honestly, feels like the whole point.

What Our Trips Look Like Now

A typical slow travel trip for us might include:

  • One base for several days (or weeks)
  • A mix of planned activities and totally free days
  • Familiar routines alongside new experiences
  • Time to return to favorite spots instead of always moving on

Some days we explore.
Some days we do almost nothing.
Both are valuable.

And some of our favorite memories come from the “in-between” moments — chatting with locals, revisiting the same beach, or letting the kids lead the plan for the day.

We’ve also found that this slower pace makes learning feel more natural — history, geography, and culture tend to stick when kids experience them over time rather than in short, rushed bursts.

Why We Keep Choosing Slow Travel

Slow travel helps us:

  • Connect more deeply with a place
  • Reduce stress and burnout
  • Travel in a way that actually works for our family
  • Come home feeling restored instead of needing a vacation from our vacation

It’s not about doing travel “right.”
It’s about doing travel in a way that feels good for us.

Why I’m Sharing This Here

I’m starting this blog to document how we travel as a family — what works, what doesn’t, and what we’ve learned along the way. I want to share honest experiences, not perfect itineraries.

If you’re craving travel that feels more spacious, more human, and more doable with kids, you’re in the right place.