The third child ‘tax’ when it comes to holidays

“How much?!”, I ask incredulously when the nice man at the hotel reception quotes me an additional £285 after I tell him that, actually, we have three children, rather than the standard two. And that’s just for one night.

I should be used to it by now. Ever since we had our third child, who is now nearly 10, I realised that pretty much everything – from hotel rooms, to villas, rental cars and tourist attractions – are geared towards families of four.

I remember the first time we tried to book a holiday in the UK at a well-known family resort after our youngest was born. She had just turned three and had grown out of her cot. We were told that, as she was over two years old, we would have to book a three-bedroom property which was twice as much as a two-bedroom lodge.

We had, up until then, gone to my late mother’s house in France and I had, rather foolishly, taken the space and separate bedrooms there for granted. We took advantage of the fact that we didn’t need to pay for an extra seat on the plane, at least, for those first two years flying out there. They couldn’t charge us for putting our daughter on one of our laps.

The car hire situation was far from ideal though – having three under-fives made it tricky to find a vehicle that could accommodate two child seats and a booster seat for our eldest. So we always ended up paying considerably more or one of us would have to squeeze in uncomfortably between two car seats in the back while our eldest sat, pillion style, at the front.

Now the children are older (15, 12 and nine), we still always look to hire a seven-seater, Kardashian-style car to minimise sibling squabbles on long journeys. Then there’s the dog to factor in too.

Last year, we even bought a second-hand Discovery Sport with our summer holiday trip to Ireland in mind. The fold-down seats at the back can accommodate a small child and a dog crate. Win-win. So you could say our holiday cost an extra £17,000 in total, and that’s not to mention the Dublin Airbnb we splashed out on or the four-bedroom lodge at Center Parcs Ireland which set us back £450 a night.

So how can you save money if you have a bigger than average family like ours?

Jacqui Cleaver, an expert from BH14 Travel company, says many hotels will try to make you book at least two bedrooms or more if you have more than two children.

“However, there are many resorts and hotels that offer family suites, interconnecting rooms or one-bedroom family suites,” she says. “And although the word ‘suite’ tends to make travellers think it will be super-expensive, that’s really not always the case.”

There are also a number of countries, including Spain, Portugal and Abu Dhabi, where children under 12 often go free and many hotels offer dining upgrades of half-board options.

“You might not consider yourself to be an ‘all-inclusive’ family but, if there is an offer of an upgrade or the option of half board for just £100 a head you will absolutely save money, even if you want to explore the local area,” says Cleaver.

When it comes to booking tickets for family days out, it pays to always book in advance too, she advises: “Booking on the day is always more expensive. If you are exploring a city, try to book city passes as they are always cheaper.”

And if you thought cruises were just for retired boomers, think again, says Cleaver: “Cruises are still typically seen as an ‘older traveller’ option but this simply is not the case anymore, and it’s a wonderful way to see multiple places as a family. Some cruise ships, especially those run by NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line), MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) and Royal Caribbean are brilliant for families. There are family cabins that will take five but they are limited so booking in advance is a must.”

Consumer travel expert Jane Hawkes, a money-saving blogger at Lady Janey, says house swaps can also be a great way of saving money if you have a large family. “You can get your holiday accommodation for free by choosing to house swap in a wide range of places, both in the UK and abroad,” she says. “And house-swapping also gives you the chance to get tips and advice from your local home swap partners as to where is best to go for less.”

If you have a pet or two at home, you can cut kennel or cattery fees too by doing a holiday swap with another family.

And if all else fails, haggle, says Hawkes: “If you don’t ask, you definitely don’t get. Negotiate with your tour operator or agent about the price per person, not the total cost, so the discounts appear smaller. See if a deal can be price matched if not beaten. With some wheeling and dealing you could get a nice discount, upgrade or another perk.”