Taking a family vacation can be a time where memories are created that will last a lifetime. From the activities you plan and the food you eat to the unexpected mishaps that make for awesome stories, vacationing as a family will bring you closer together while also giving you a chance to get away from your daily routines.
However, depending on the age of your family or the number of people, actually planning a vacation that you can execute successfully may seem like an impossible feat. For those who need a little extra help bringing their dreams of a fun family vacation into reality, here are three tips for planning your next family vacation.
Choose a Financially Responsible Destination
The success of your trip usually has a lot to do with your travel destination. However, just because a destination sounds like it will give your family a great experience doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best choice for you. In fact, to get the most out of your family vacation, you will want to choose a destination that is both financially responsible and alluring. Knowing how to save money as a family during a vacation is very important, especially if it is a big family journey, you want to be able to enjoy yourselves, but not break the bank along the way.
According to Parents.com, there are plenty of vacation destinations that are both inexpensive while still having a lot to offer your family. Some of these options include places like Yosemite National Park; Washington D.C.; Vancouver, Canada; and Paradise Island in the Caribbean. Because these destinations have a lot to do for families of all ages and sizes while still keeping prices low, you can potentially enjoy even more on trips like this.
Include Travel Time Activities In Your Planning
Depending on how far you’re choosing to travel for your family vacation, you may need to include more planning of activities than you first anticipated, especially if you have smaller children. Although you as an adult may be able to handle driving in a car for 10 hours straight, your kids won’t be as willing to subject themselves to that.
For this reason, Genevieve S. Brown of IndependentTraveler.com shares that you should plan to keep the peace on long trips in the car by making some scheduled by not necessarily imperative stops. Brown suggests that by simply getting out of the car for a few minutes to run around a park or play in the playland of a fast food restaurant, your kids will handle your travel time much better than if they were just to sit in their seats all day.
Weighing Your Wants with Your Needs
The perfect trip for your family may not be the perfect trips for someone else’s family and vice versa. So to best accommodate what your family will enjoy on a family trip, you’re going to want to weigh your family’s wants with their needs.
If you as the parent want the freedom to let your kids do their own thing while not having to worry so much about them getting lost or into too much trouble, TravelSense.org recommends looking into options like cruises or all-inclusive resorts. However, if you have a bit of a sense of adventure and kids that would enjoy an adrenaline rush, TravelSense.org shares that going to a national park or on a safari may be more your speed. Just keep in mind that the main idea behind weighing your wants and your needs is accommodation: pick something that all can enjoy and experience together.
When you’re planning your next family vacation, think about the tips mentioned above to ensure you get all you want without any of the hassle or stress you don’t want from a vacation.