Are you dreading the bill for your summer family vacation? Different tricks allow you to have fun without breaking the bank. The Press asked Martin Soucy, President and CEO of the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec, for some advice on reducing the costs associated with activities, but also with food, transportation and accommodation.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
Shop packages
The websites of each of the tourist regions offer packages that include a few activities and save on the total bill. “We’re not used to consuming by contract in Quebec,” says Martin Soucy, who nevertheless asserts that it’s worth it.
Get some fresh air
Admission to national parks, both those of SEPAQ and Parks Canada, is very affordable for adults and free for children under 18. The rental of equipment for young people is also on the side of the provincial network. “Often, there are discovery activities with guides that are offered free of charge on site,” adds Martin Soucy. Quebec also has 175 regional parks accessible at little cost. Great reasons to go play outside.
Visit economuseums
Throughout Quebec, some 300 artisans welcome tourists to introduce them to the way they work and their products. Free or low-cost visits are “very rewarding”, argues Martin Soucy.
picnic
Instead of multiplying the outings to the restaurant, we picnic. The meal will be even better with local food bought directly from the producers crossed on our route.
Book directly with the hotel
If you want to rent a hotel room, it is better to do so directly with the establishment in question, says Martin Soucy. “Often, these are the best prices. »
Use public transport
Even on vacation, you can opt for public transport, whether to walk around town or to get to your destination. For example, nature shuttles departing from Montreal will take you inexpensively to various national parks. Planning a cycling vacation is also a great way to save on gas.
How to juggle between the desires of children and a limited budget?
As soon as you arrive at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, your child sees the cable car: “Mom, I want to take a ride! Then, later, he sees the zip line: “Can we try it, dad?” To spare your budget, you hadn’t planned to add these two activities to the schedule, but you don’t want to disappoint your child. What to do ?
“When we know that we are going to a place where there may be additional activities with costs, we must define our budget in advance,” advises psychologist Nathalie Parent.
According to her, it is good to explain to your son or daughter the financial limits that you impose on yourself. “For younger children, games can be used to illustrate this. For example, we take sweets to represent the budget we have set and others to symbolize the wishes of the child. Do we have enough candy to satisfy all of his wishes?
Once there, your child is still disappointed? “It’s normal,” believes the author of many books on children’s emotions. We take the time to listen to him and tell him that we understand him, she suggests. However, this mood should not color the rest of the day.
If the child is sulking, we can talk to him about how we feel as a parent, suggests the psychologist. Tell him, for example, why we think he will enjoy hiking. We can also involve him so that he finds solutions so that the whole family has a good day despite this disappointment.
Nathalie Parent recalls that not giving everything to her child will serve her in the long run. “In life, sooner or later, he will see that he cannot have everything. »