Family Travel and School Holidays: Destinations and Points Strategies

Family travel during school breaks and holidays can be complex and expensive, especially when holiday periods are fixed. Some parents may choose to let their children miss school to travel for less or extend their trips, while others prefer not to take this approach.

However, with careful planning and the strategic use of rewards programs, it is possible to travel without it costing too much. Even better, some parents achieve this without their children missing any school.

This article offers a selection of destinations, organised by school break periods in Canada, to help maximise family fun while respecting academic requirements.

Planning a family vacation during school holidays in Canada requires a good understanding of the school calendar, which varies slightly depending on the type of school your children attend. While some periods are common to all schools, others may differ, notably between different provinces or between public and private establishments.

Travelling as a family during school holidays in Canada requires careful planning, especially if you want to use your rewards points to save money. Whether it’s for busy periods like Christmas or school breaks, or for more spontaneous getaways, some strategies remain effective throughout the year.

The key to a successful trip starts with good planning. For high-demand periods, it’s advisable to book between 9 and 12 months in advance, especially if you want to use loyalty points (e.g. Aeroplan). This guarantees better availability and lower fares. Indeed, some airlines, like Air Canada, adopt dynamic pricing, while others follow fixed prices, but with very limited space.

For more flexible families, it’s also possible to take advantage of last-minute offers. By subscribing to alerts on platforms like Roame or using dynamic search tools, you can seize interesting opportunities, often at reduced prices.

Flexibility is a major asset. Sometimes, shifting your departure by a day or two – for example, leaving on a Thursday instead of a Saturday – can significantly reduce costs and improve ticket availability.

Before you make any plans, check with your child’s teacher to find out about important dates that can’t be missed, such as exams or unmissable school activities. For example, my sister recently told me that her daughter had exams until mid-June, but that the last week of school was rather quiet. Translation: it might be possible to leave a few days before school officially ends. This kind of adjustment can make all the difference, both in terms of price and availability.

Likewise, open yourself up to several destinations or combine itineraries. For example, landing in a major city like Paris, then taking a flight on a low-cost airline to your final destination may be more economical.

Among the various options available, the American Express Membership Rewards program stands out as the most versatile and advantageous for families with school schedules. It allows points to be transferred to several airline programs (such as Aeroplan, Avios, or Flying Blue) or hotel programs (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors), often offering far greater value than the price paid in cash.

These programs sometimes also offer useful features for families, such as Aeroplan Family Sharing, fixed-rate award tickets for little ones, and the 25% discount for children with Flying Blue, among others.

For example, it is sometimes possible to book a night at a Marriott or Hilton hotel for a very favourable number of points, even when the cash rate would be prohibitive during that period. You can also find attractive flight rewards, even during peak periods such as the holidays or spring break.

But what makes this program even more interesting is its ultimate flexibility: if you find a good cash price (flight, hotel, car rental, etc.), you can simply use your points as statement credit against any purchase made with your card. This feature acts as a safety net, preventing you from getting stuck in a single points ecosystem. Finally, if you decide not to travel, you can use these points towards any purchase, such as groceries, to simply ease your everyday budget.

This approach allows you to always maximize the value of your points, regardless of price fluctuations or availability, while retaining great freedom in planning your family vacation.

Finally, Membership Rewards points are among the easiest to accumulate, whether on a daily basis with the American Express Cobalt^® Card or through generous welcome bonuses. Indeed, on cards like the American Express Platinum Card^® or the Business Platinum Card^® from American Express the offers are very high.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card you can earn up to 5 points per dollar on all your grocery and restaurant expenses. The balance can add up fast!

Even short breaks can become wonderful opportunities for a family getaway. Long weekends, PD days, or well-timed school holidays are perfect for planning a trip without having to travel far or take extended time off.

For example, when I was in high school, we often had one or two PD days added to the Easter break. This meant we ended up with five or six consecutive days off. Many students took advantage of this to travel with their families, whether it was to the United States, down south, or even to Europe. These types of windows are great for minimising the impact on the school calendar.

Choosing the right credit card isn’t just a question of points: it’s a powerful tool for enhancing your family travel experience during school holidays. Some credit cards offer comprehensive travel insurance (cancellation and interruption of stay, emergency medical care, flight delay, lost luggage, etc.), which is ideal for travelling with peace of mind when you have children.

What’s more, free access to airport lounges means you can wait in comfort, with snacks, Wi-Fi and a quiet environment – a valuable asset for families, which I personally appreciate when travelling with our young children. Many cards also include annual credits to cover baggage fees, NEXUS membership and more.

Some also offer generous welcome bonuses in points, sometimes enough to cover several plane tickets or hotel nights. By optimizing the benefits of your cards, you can travel more often, in better conditions, and at lower cost.

The Christmas holidays, with a two-week break, are an excellent opportunity for families to get away together, despite rising prices and the popularity of destinations at this time of year. By booking early (ideally 9 to 12 months in advance) and making smart use of your Aeroplan points or travel points, it’s entirely possible to treat yourself to a memorable stay.

For those in search of warmth, the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica and Florida are undeniable classics. There are also more original options, such as Sri Lanka, Thailand or southern Africa, where the climate is dry and pleasant, perfect for alternating between safari adventures and relaxing by the sea.

If you’re more drawn to a winter atmosphere, the Christmas markets in Central Europe (in Vienna, Prague, or Strasbourg) are an excellent choice and can even be combined with a ski holiday in the Alps. This season is also ideal for discovering Japan or South Korea from a different perspective, with winter festivals and ski resorts that are growing in popularity.

Between mid-February and mid-March, many Canadian families look forward to Spring Break. As it’s a relatively short holiday, it’s best to choose destinations that are easily accessible, with direct flights or just one stopover.

All-inclusive resorts in the South (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico) are convenient, especially with young children. By using your points, you can often offset the cost of the package, either by paying partially or entirely with travel points.

Winter sports enthusiasts can also consider the Canadian Rockies or the French Alps. However, a higher budget is required, especially for accommodation and ski lifts. Booking flights on points, even in economy class, remains a winning strategy for reducing the bill.

If your children have a break during Easter, which is sometimes the case in private schools, you can combine up to ten days off with statutory holidays and weekends. This window is ideal for more ambitious trips, especially to Asia or Europe.

Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are stunning at this time of year, especially because of the cherry blossom season. This breathtaking natural spectacle is well worth the trip, even for a week-long holiday, particularly for families on the West Coast. With careful planning of your flights using Aeroplan, it is often possible to find appealing routes with only one stopover, even during peak season.

In Europe, spring is mild in southern France, Spain, Portugal and southern Italy. These regions offer a fine balance of culture, gastronomy and pleasant weather, with fewer crowds than in summer.

With two months of school holidays, summer is the perfect season for longer or more ambitious family trips. However, you need to contend with higher prices in popular destinations. To avoid crowds and sweltering heat, it is often recommended to skip Southern Europe or the Caribbean in favour of more temperate regions. Of course, this depends on your personal preferences.

Northern Europe, the Baltic States and Central Asia, such as Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, offer spectacular scenery and an ideal climate. The midnight sun in Scandinavia, hiking in the Alps, or nights in a yurt on the Mongolian steppes create unforgettable memories for everyone.

For the budget-conscious traveller, we’ve compiled a selection of affordable destinations to travel to without breaking the bank, focusing on opportunities to maximize travel rewards and practical tips for cutting costs without sacrificing quality.

Another winning option: road trips in North America. Take a look at our comprehensive guide to the best road trips in Canada to find accessible and inspiring itineraries, whether for a long summer trip or a weekend getaway. These itinerary ideas will help you make the most of your journey by optimising your routes and maximising the use of your points.

For those lucky enough to have one, fall break (in October or November, depending on the private school) is an ideal time to travel at a lower cost. Fewer tourists, more availability for flights using points, and affordable accommodation make it the perfect opportunity for a trip without breaking the budget.

East Coast cities such as Boston, New York and Philadelphia glow in autumn colors, as do the Canadian Rockies. On the sunny side, the Middle East (Jordan, Egypt) and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia) offer perfect temperatures for visiting without suffocating. Southern Europe also remains a safe bet: a stay in Portugal at the end of October, for example, can be very pleasant, far from the summer crowds.

Respecting the school calendar while exploring the world with your children is a challenge… but far from impossible. With good organization, a well-honed points strategy and a touch of flexibility, it’s entirely possible to enjoy enriching, exotic and affordable experiences, without compromising your children’s education.

Whether you are escaping the Canadian winter, taking advantage of the long summer holidays, or making the most of less busy breaks like Easter or autumn, every season offers unique opportunities to discover the world as a family. Reward programs such as Aeroplan, travel points, or Marriott Bonvoy become valuable tools to help you travel more often, farther, and at a lower cost.

After all, travelling with children is much more than just a break in the school year. It’s an opportunity to learn differently, create lasting memories, and strengthen family bonds. With the right tools and a little creativity, every vacation becomes a new adventure.