Affordable Vacation Options for Military Families
by Rebecca Alwine - May 18th, 2022
Sometimes military leave for a vacation is planned far in advance. And sometimes, it’s a last minute four-day weekend kind of deal, where you load up the car before you really know where you’re going. One thing military family vacations often have in common is affordability.
Tips for planning vacations for your military family
Military spouse Mylene Hollick, owner of Jet Set Destinations, has a few tips to help mil-families planning their military leave. Hollick knows it can be overwhelming and wants to make sure that military families get the most out of their vacation.
1) Decide what you want to do. Do you want to sit by the pool or explore the town you’re staying in? Choose your accommodations and the location of them accordingly.
2) Consider travel time, A four-day weekend seems like a lot of time until you try to fly somewhere and end up with only two days to do anything.
3) Have a realistic budget. Keep in mind food and entertainment in your budget, and consider an all-inclusive resort or cruise for a great deal.
4) Remember to ask for discounts. Many places offer a military discount, so don’t forget to ask!
Vacation options for military families
Make sure you know what is available to you as a military family. Here are some of the most popular options when taking military leave.
Do a staycation -- The most affordable way to take a vacation is by staying in your own home! Military families have a unique opportunity to explore a new hometown after each PCS move. No matter how small or remote your base is, there are bound to be unique points of interest in the surrounding towns. Gather your family members to discuss their own "bucket list" items near your base, and start checking them off in a relaxing and affordable staycation.
Read more tips about staycations for military families here.
Vacation Rentals – AirBnB and Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) are very popular. Staying in someone else’s home can feel a bit odd, but the freedom it gives you is wonderful. Instead of cramming your family into one hotel room with two beds, you can rent a whole house. This gives you a kitchen, separate bedrooms, more privacy, and probably some outdoor space! You’re no longer stuck with rigid check in/out times or loud neighbors.
DOD Lodging – Staying on an army post during military leave probably doesn’t sound like a fun vacation, but with the great locations of Navy bases and overseas installations, consider staying with DOD lodging. The rates are great. The hotels usually come with a kitchenette, allow pets, and include breakfast. There are standard hotel rooms, suites, cabins, and amazing hotels like Edelweiss in Germany.
Read about 10 overseas DOD lodging locations for military vacations in this article.
Military discounts for your next vacation
Shades of Green at Disney – For active duty or retired military families that love Disney, the Shades of Green resort in Florida is a great option. The standard hotel rooms sleep five and are bigger than normal hotels. Guests love the family atmosphere you find on a military installation, and the pools are wonderful. It’s located on Disney property, and guests can get those “Extra Magic Hours” in the park.
Waves of Honor – When on vacation, sometimes the activities you want to do get cut short due to budget. The Waves of Honor Program helps with that by offering free admission for the active duty service member and three dependents to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Sesame Place.
Armed Forces Vacation Club – AFVClub works similarly to AirBnB as a vacation rental. There are options to book a place for a whole week for $349. You can also view the space-available options at resorts. Membership is free and is open to all active-duty, guard, reserve, and retired military families.
Take your military leave and enjoy!
While this military life may seem like an adventure at every turn, a constant vacation it isn’t. If you can swing taking military leave for a vacation this year, do so! Take advantage of the discounts and great locations available for military family vacations.
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Rebecca Alwine is an Army wife, mother of three and lover of her adorable pirate dog. Over the past 15 years, she’s discovered she enjoys coffee, lifting weights and most of the menial tasks of motherhood. Her days consist of working out in her garage gym, audiobooks and pretending to cook while her Instant Pot and Air Fryer do all the work. Her motto: work smarter, not harder.
