Planning a Family Vacation

Planning a family vacation is the first necessary step to make sure everyone has fun. It could be a disaster waiting to happen if proper thought is not given prior to planning everything out. Check out the tips below to help you plan of your family’s next vacation. They will make sure it’s both memorable and fun.

• 1) Prior to deciding on a particular location, determine if you want to spend a lot of time together doing the same thing or a vacation where each person can find his or her individual fun. For the ultimate in family togetherness, camping is one way to go. But if your family has older children or teenagers who might be happier having a bit of restrained freedom, a vacation to an all-inclusive resort or on aboard a cruise ship might be more fitting.
• 2) If you are planning your family vacation over several days, consider having a list of optional things to do both indoors and outside so that the weather doesn’t impact your family’s fun times. Certainly, no one will have good memories if all of your outdoor destinations are ruined by awful weather.
• 3) Popular destinations such as Disneyworld offer reasonable family vacation packages. You can save by grouping your hotel, attractions, and some meals together in one plan. Many times, you will find perks like early park entry and special events included in different package options.
• 4) I’ve found that bringing a cooler stocked with juices and water is a great way to save some cash when making pit stops along the way. Why pay $2.00 for a bottle of soda if you don’t have to – especially if it will be multiplied by every member of your family. We also liked to freeze bottles of water and juice boxes. During the hot summer months, the “slushie boxes” were a hit.
• 5) It may seem obvious, but essentials such as pain relievers like Tylenol and a first aid kit should also be included on your packing list. No one wants to deal with a headache and trying to find a drug store in an unfamiliar town. Sunscreen and waterless hand sanitizer are also advisable to bring along on any family trip.
• 6) Small packets of Kleenex are not only great for runny noses, but also come in handy when the restroom you stop at always seem to be the one out of stock on the toilet paper.
• 7) If you will be staying in a hotel, see if your they offer cribs or roll-away beds for a small fee instead of paying double for an extra hotel room. This is especially smart if you have younger children who could become frightened sleeping in a strange room – even if your hotel offers adjacent rooms with a connecting interior door. Also, many hotels offer a “kids stay free” type of family vacation promotion. Be sure to ask if your hotel is doing this when making your reservations.
• 8) If your hotel is not a suite, ask if a mini-fridge is available. Keeping it stocked with drinks and snacks is a huge help and saves a lot on food and drink costs.
• 9) It might sound odd, but consider staying at a hostel or hotel located in a business center. While they might not be as conveniently located to tourist attractions, the rates will be much lower. Hostels offer family rooms and many now offer private baths. Hotels located in business centers are most busy during the weekdays and can offer discounted rates when their customers have gone home for the weekend.
• 10) To keep vacation spending under control when traveling with children and/or teens, consider giving each member a daily or trip allowance. Not only will it limit the impact on your wallet, but will give kids an empowering real life experience in deciding how to handle their money.
• 11) In addition to including some popular “must-see” places on your itinerary, consider leaving time to just stumble upon a restaurant or attraction that might not be heavily advertised. Sometimes the best memories come from those places that we just came upon – like the private farm that had ostriches, yaks, and a camel!
• 12) If you’ll be traveling by car or plane, be sure to take along snacks and small games or books to help keep kids preoccupied and to cut down on the “are we there yets?”.
• 13) A power charger that plugs into your vehicle’s a/c jack is handy for charging MP3 players, cameras, and cell phones. You can also use portable DVD players. This is always a great help with my son on long car rides!
• 14) Finally, before heading out on your next trip, be sure to check online for discount tickets and special promotions. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find!

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