Planning a family trip can be stressful. Where will you go? How will you get there? Will the kids be entertained? Will you?
Here is a guide to planning a successful family adventure that everyone from young children to particular teens will love—including the adults.
Choosing your Destination
Where are you going to go on your next trip? Somewhere you always go, or somewhere new for the family to explore together? Pick a destination that has activities everyone will like, like a city with beaches and great shopping for a variety of activities. List activities and hobbies your family enjoys and see how many of them you can cater to in your itinerary. For some ideas on popular destinations and fun things to do once you get there, check out this article on great family vacation destinations.
Picking Dates
This involves coordinating not only with family members’ schedules but also with the best travel times for your destination. Check out how busy the area is at what time you hope to travel to determine what activities and accommodations need to be booked in advance.
The next step is to book your hotels or campsites, book time off from work and school, and let everyone’s extra-curricular groups know they will be away.
How Will You Get There
Will the journey be the adventure with a family-friendly road-trip? Or do you want to get to the destination as quickly as possible by flying? Maybe you will pick somewhere close by so travel is limited and cheap. It’s best to decide by considering how your kids fare on long car or plane rides, but if these are unavoidable, you can at least make them fun by playing games, bringing snacks, and making some stops along the way.
What to do
Of course, spontaneity is always fun and a good part of any trip—sometimes it leads to the best memories! However, if there are sights you want to see and activities you want to do that require tickets or advanced booking, spontaneity will not help you here. Browse through possible attractions ahead of time and think of activities that everyone will want to do, or at least the kids. Make sure to spread them out with enough time for relaxation in between, because can vacation ever get exhausting!
Pack Smart
Besides clothes, remember to pack things to help the kids enjoy the vacation. Did you remember headphones, travel games, hand sanitizer, and travel pillows? Make yourself a list and check it off as you go to make sure nothing important gets left behind. Also pack clothes and items that are good for travelling, like clothes than can be re-worn in different outfits and bags that pack well. For ideas on how to pack for your next family vacation, check out this article.
Documentation
Are you going abroad? Does your child need a passport, vaccinations or visas? Look at the documentation required to enter your destination, and bring any health cards, insurance information and identifiers you and your child might need at any given point.
