Planning trips home without exhausting the family

Key rules

• School dates: Each region and school sets its own calendar every year, so check yours before booking.
• Peak fares: July, August, Christmas and Easter are the dearest times to fly, and peak fares can be double the off-peak fare.
• Booking window: Book two to four months ahead for Europe and three to six months ahead for long-haul.
• Jet lag: Allow roughly one day to adjust per time zone crossed, and more when flying east.

Start with the school calendar, then the flights

Plan trips around the school calendar first, because it fixes your dates. Then look for the cheapest flights inside those dates. Finally, build in rest time for the children.

When the school breaks fall

Each region sets its own calendar every year, so check your school's calendar before you book anything. The usual pattern in state-funded, concertada and most private schools:

• Christmas: about two weeks, from around 22-23 December to 6-7 January.
• Easter (Semana Santa): one week to ten days around Holy Week, in March or April. Some regions add Easter Monday.
• Summer: about 11-12 weeks, from late June to early or mid September.
• Single days off: national holidays such as 12 October, 1 November, 6 December and 8 December. Regions and towns add their own, such as Carnival days and patron saint days.

International schools may follow a different calendar. Regions differ slightly on start and end dates, usually within a few days of each other.

How often to go

Many expat families make one to three trips home a year. Families from Europe and Latin America often go twice, for example in summer and at Christmas. Families from North America, Asia or Australia usually manage one trip a year or fewer, because of cost and flight time.

Your limits are the cost for the whole family, the school dates, your annual leave and the jet lag. Many families alternate. One year you go home, and the next year relatives visit you in Spain. Grandparents who come for long stays take some of the travel burden off you.

What flights cost and when to book

Flights are dearest in July and August, around Christmas and New Year (about 20 December to 5 January) and around Easter. Those are also the weeks when school holidays tie you down. Peak fares can be double the off-peak fare, and a family of four multiplies the total. Compare fares for your exact dates on a flight comparison site.

To keep the cost down:

• Book two to four months ahead for Europe and three to six months ahead for long-haul.
• Fly midweek where you can.
• Use the cheaper months when school allows it. These are early January onwards, February, early March, late April to May, and October to mid-November. For transatlantic routes, September to November and late January to March are cheapest.
• Consider a long weekend or a local holiday for a short trip in a cheaper month.

Madrid and Barcelona have the widest choice of direct flights. Direct flights to the UK, Ireland and much of Europe leave from nearly all main Spanish airports. Direct flights to North America and Latin America mostly leave from Madrid and Barcelona. Travel to Asia and Australia is usually through a Gulf or European hub. Routes change each season, so check airline schedules. A direct flight is worth paying a little more for with young children.

Protect the children's routines

Fewer, longer trips tire children less than many short ones. Aim for at least a week at the other end if you cross several time zones.

For a trip of one to three time zones:

1. Before you go, keep home schedules or shift bedtime by 30-60 minutes a day.
2. On arrival, switch to local meal and sleep times at once.
3. Get plenty of morning daylight and outdoor play.
4. Keep the bedtime routine, a comfort object and a dark, cool room. Allow naps to make up lost sleep, short ones for toddlers.
5. Avoid screens and caffeine near bedtime.

Children usually adjust at about one day per time zone crossed, and flying east is harder. Allow recovery days before school restarts, so do not land the night before the first day back. Do not give melatonin to a child without medical advice.

The timeline below sets out when to act, and the planner below helps you map contact and visits across the year.

Timeline and deadlines

• Check your school's calendar for the year: At the start of the school year, before you plan any trip

• Book flights within Europe: Two to four months before you travel

• Book long-haul flights: Three to six months before you travel

• Travel in Christmas break: The break runs from about 22-23 December to 6-7 January, around two weeks; fares peak from about 20 December to 5 January

• Travel in Easter week: Semana Santa is about one week to ten days in March or April, and fares are high

• Travel in summer: Summer holidays last about 11-12 weeks from late June, but July and August are the dearest months

• Start shifting children's bedtime for trips of one to three time zones: In the days before you fly, by 30-60 minutes a day

• Allow recovery time after crossing time zones: About one day per time zone crossed, before the return to school

Contact and visit rhythm planner for your family

Build your year in four steps

1. Mark the school breaks. Get your child's school calendar for the year and put the breaks in first. Exact dates are set each year by your region and your school, and international schools may follow their own calendar. As a rule of thumb:

• Single days off: 12 October, 1 November, 6 December and 8 December, plus local festivals that vary by region and town.

2. Choose how many trips home. One to three a year is common. Families from Europe and Latin America often go twice, for example in summer and at Christmas. Families from North America, Asia or Australia usually go once a year or less, because of cost and flight time. Parents' annual leave and jet lag also limit what is realistic.

3. Alternate trips and visitors. Many families go home one year and host relatives in Spain the next. Grandparents who visit often stay for a long time, which takes pressure off your own travel. Ask visitors to come outside the summer peak when they can. Spring and early autumn are cheaper for them and easier for you.

4. Fill the gaps with calls. Fixed slots work better than ad hoc calls, especially across time zones.

• Weekly: one scheduled video call of 20 to 60 minutes, often at the weekend. Keep children's calls shorter and more frequent.
• Daily: informal messages, photos, voice notes and short videos in a family group.
• Monthly: a longer call, plus calls for birthdays and holidays.

Expect the first year to be the most intense. Routines usually settle into a predictable weekly slot after that.

Flight peaks and when to book

Flights are dearest in July and August, from about 20 December to 5 January, and around Easter. Those are also the school breaks, so family trips often cannot avoid them. Book early to soften the cost:

• Fly midweek where you can.

The cheapest periods are from about 8 January through February, early March, late April to May, and October to mid-November. For transatlantic routes, September to November and late January to March are cheapest. Use these windows for visitors, or for a parent travelling alone. Seasonality varies by route and year, so compare fares for your exact dates.

A sample year

Adjust this to your own school calendar and distance.

If you only manage one trip a year, put it in the summer break. Fill Christmas and Easter with calls and visitors instead.

Frequently asked questions

How many trips home a year is normal for an expat family?

Most expat families make one to three trips home a year. Europeans and Latin Americans often go twice, for example in summer and at Christmas, while families from North America, Asia or Australia usually go once a year or less because of cost and flight time.

Does the school calendar differ between regions of Spain?

Yes, each autonomous community sets its own school calendar, so start and end dates and local holidays differ. Primary schools usually start between about 1 and 12 September and finish between about 19 and 24 June. Christmas and Easter breaks are broadly similar, but check your region's calendar and your school's own before booking.

How much more do flights cost in peak season?

Peak fares can be double the off-peak fare, and a family of four multiplies the cost. Long-haul routes rise most in July, August and around Christmas. Compare fares for your specific dates before you commit.

How long does a child take to recover from jet lag?

Children usually adjust at roughly one day per time zone crossed, and eastward travel is harder. On arrival, switch to local meal and sleep times at once and get plenty of morning daylight.

Can I fly direct from Spain to my home country?

Often yes, if you fly from Madrid or Barcelona, which have the widest range of direct links. Many other Spanish airports have direct flights to the UK, Ireland and the rest of Europe.