The Key to Budget-Friendly Family Vacations

Strapped for cash, I find myself questioning whether a family summer vacation in Europe can be achieved for under £1,500. This budget needs to cover everything — food, lodging, and travel for a family of five, starting from Lichfield, for one week.

To make this happen, my family and I have chosen the a&o Rotterdam City hostel, which recently underwent renovations. The modernized lobby features a bar, a table tennis area, and even babysitting services, distancing itself from the typical hostel image. Ours is a family room with an en suite, costing just £77 per night.

Many families spend upwards of £3,000 for an all-inclusive vacation in Europe, based on insights from Advantage Travel Partnership. Our approach focused on budget-friendly and sustainable travel, avoiding flights and lavish hotels. Instead, we opted for Interrail passes to visit three cities in northern Europe, exploring local museums and markets (adult passes starting at £241, while children under 11 travel for free).

The a&o hostel has carved a niche for itself, repurposing old structures like a former paper mill in Copenhagen and a post office in Leipzig, while aiming to run solely on green energy. By 2025, the German chain plans to become Europe’s first net-zero accommodation provider. Most crucially, its locations are stylish, affordable, and conveniently located near major train stations.

Our vacation began with a ferry ride from Hull to Rotterdam via P&O, where our eight-year-old twins enjoyed arcade games and a cinema before drifting off to sleep, serenaded by live music. The following morning, our six-year-old spotted windmills dotting the Dutch coastline from the ferry (ticket prices start at £118).

To stick with our maritime theme, we booked a quirky harbor tour on Rotterdam’s Pancake Boat (tickets from £21), which uniquely combines a scenic boat ride with an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet, complete with a ball pit for children. It proves to be a hit, allowing parents to relax while kids indulge in pancakes and play together.

On our third day, we savored the hostel’s all-you-can-eat breakfast, bustling with Gen-Z backpackers exchanging travel stories. The usual offerings may be absent, yet the novelty of an automatic pancake-maker entices my kids to create outrageous pancake stacks laden with cheese, honey, lettuce, and chocolate spread. I discreetly prepare salami sandwiches as lunch for our outing later.

At a&o, children under seven stay free, all meals included, with family units comprising about 15% of total guests. Kid-friendly amenities such as games, toys, and interactive screens are standard. Moreover, larger families can comfortably fit up to four kids in a single family room.

For a family outing on day three, we headed to Miniworld Rotterdam, a massive indoor model railway that recreates real city scenes. Our three boys were thrilled to engage with the exhibits, while the venue also encourages neurodiverse children to collaborate in model-making in a calming environment (entry from £12).

Central to Miniworld is Kijk-Kubus, the iconic cube houses, right opposite the expansive Markthal, home to 80 food kiosks such as Uncle Wang’s Dumplings. As a special treat, we allowed the kids to freely choose their meals from interactive screens, landing on Dragon’s Breath balls — crispy corn snacks dipped in liquid nitrogen that produced fog effects while being eaten.

On the fourth day, the twins used our Interrail app to guide us as we journeyed from the Netherlands to Germany’s Rhineland, trading the flat canals for its lush woodlands. We entertained ourselves with a game of hangman, where one sibling cleverly wrote “I Heart Trains,” while the other created a phrase unfit for family publication.

The a&o hostel in Cologne, a steal at £77, impressed us greatly, located in a revitalized security services bureau in the vibrant Neumarkt area, filled with an eclectic mix of street art and local culture, where the kids enjoyed football and pool tables in a spacious lobby while we relaxed with a bottle of local sekt for just £15.

A highlight of our Cologne visit was the Lindt Chocolate Museum, located on an island in the Rhine. The exhibits shared the fascinating history of chocolate, tracing its journey from Mesoamerica to become a global phenomenon. I found it amusing to see a massive chocolate pig and thought about the audacity of someone gifting such a treat to their spouse (family tickets starting at £34).

Dinner that evening was at Peters Brauhaus, renowned for its local specialties and communal dining atmosphere. We savored traditional dishes that would delight any carnivore, such as steak tartare and assorted sausages, while indulging in the local Kölsch beer served in slim glasses.

Day five took us to Aachen, a spa town near the borders with the Netherlands and Belgium, as we hopped on Germany’s sleek ICE train, experiencing a comfortable journey through picturesque landscapes at speeds of 186mph. With the children occupied on their tablets, my wife and I sipped wheat beers in the peace of the Psst quiet carriage.

After a swift journey, we checked into our last a&o hostel of the trip, situated in a repurposed health office (family rooms from £55). Settled in our spacious room on the top floor, the kids feasted on currywurst and fries available from the hostel’s café while watching trains outside.

Aachen is historically significant as the birthplace of the news agency founded by Paul Reuter. One of the city’s must-visit attractions is the world’s only International Newspaper Museum, featuring the first war correspondent and a collection of international front pages, including a notable 2010 edition of The Sun reflecting Germany’s victory over England (£5).

The pièce de résistance in Aachen is the Carolus Thermen thermal spa. Due to its price point, it became a solo treat for me, offering a restful space filled with saunas, pools, and serene areas, serving as an idyllic retreat from our busy travels (entry from £29).

Our day concluded at Aachen’s historic city hall, where I remembered just how to ask, “Wo ist das Rathaus?” the only German phrase I managed to cling to from school days.

We savored regional dishes at the nearby Postwagen, indulging in Himmel & Ääd and Aachen Sauerbraten among ambiance decorated with traditional wooden panels. It’s easy to understand why locals rely on thermal healing after such feasts (main dishes from £10).

Finally, we returned to London via Eurostar, enjoying a smooth four-hour adventure through five countries, paying only for seat reservations thanks to our Interrail pass. Ice cream at St Pancras marked our arrival, totaling just £20. Europe truly felt like a budget-friendly destination.

Did we entirely adhere to our £1,500 budget? Not fully. A different train route back instead of the Hull-Rotterdam ferry and skipping the pancake boat could have worked in our favor. Perhaps next year will bring a more stringent budget adherence.