Your Guide To Planning A Family Vacation
Your Guide To Planning A Family Vacation
Planning a family vacation can be difficult, but it’s a great way to get the family on the same page, looking forward to an enjoyable vacation together. Family vacations are a great time to bond with the family and forge memorable experiences. The key to a successful family vacation is in the planning. Here are some tips for planning your family vacation.
First, start planning your family vacation well in advance of the actual trip. This can be a fun and exciting process, as you talk about possible destinations, methods of travel, and activities once you get there. Visit travel agents together and gather information from agents and over the Internet. Planning in advance will give you a better opportunity to find good deals by booking ahead.
Second, keep cool. Planning a family vacation should be fun in and of itself, not to mention the fun you will have on your vacation. Don’t turn this into a family fight, or dark cloud will loom over the whole vacation planning process, and maybe the vacation itself. If your family is grumpy or uninterested save your planning for a time when everyone feels better.
Third, let everyone have some input. Even the youngest children should get to have a say in the planning process. Planning a family vacation should be something everyone can be involved in. Not only will that be more enjoyable for them, but they will be less apt to blame you if things go wrong on the vacation, since they had a hand in the planning process.
Fourth, choose a family-friendly location. As you are considering different vacation spots, keep in mind that different members of the family have different interests and needs. Try to find someplace that will have something for everyone, even if they are not 100% entertained around the clock.
If you have smaller children, there are great resorts that offer kids programs that will keep your children entertained for an hour or all day. Similarly, resorts that have activities geared towards older children or teenagers can be fun if your children fall into those age brackets. Does your family have a common interest? If you like hiking, skiing, or snorkeling, consider someplace where you can participate together in those activities.
Finally, ask your travel agent about package deals, promotions for traveling at certain times of the year, or discounts for families with children. Not all package deal discounts get published on the agent’s website, so it pays to ask in person. You can often find good deals if you are flexible about when and where you go, so be sure to keep an open mind.
Planning a family vacation is part of the enjoyment of the vacation itself. It builds excitement and anticipation, allowing you and your children to dream about the great time you’re going to have. Even more importantly, a well-planned vacation is going to go more smoothly and be more enjoyable than one that was largely unplanned. Keep in mind everyone’s expectations and the activities they enjoy, and you’ll be better able to find a vacation destination or package that makes everyone happy.
ALL INCLUSIVE FAMILY VACATIONS
An all-inclusive family vacation is a fun and convenient way to spend a holiday. You spend a week or two with your family in an exciting, often exotic location, without worries about schedule, planning, transportation, or calculating those annoying extra costs. You pay once, and enjoy the rest.
Planning an all-inclusive family vacation is often half the fun. Even before you visit the travel agency you can work out loads of exciting family vacation ideas based on the world’s most famous all-inclusive resorts that fit your budget.
Popular all-inclusive family vacation favorites include Mexico, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Other great family destinations include Rocky Mountain ski resorts and Disneyland in California or Florida. Transatlantic trips are less popular, because not many people want to travel this far with younger children.
The best way to please all family members is to plan an all-inclusive family vacation with your family. Take enough time now to plan your next family get-away, as you will have fun together as a family, learn more about the world around you, and at the same time get the most from your vacation.
The first thing that you need to do when planning a trip to an all-inclusive resort is to be clear on your location choices. Time and budget restrictions will be factors. Certain times of the year are better for vacationing families than others. For example, when you plan going to Florida, you should prepare to spend twice than average for hotel or even bed-and-breakfast accommodation during the school vacation periods.
Among the busiest holidays with the highest tourist traffic are long weekends, Easter week, Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. April to May and September to November are the best times to take an all-inclusive family vacation, especially if you are flexible, because rates are much more affordable than during the high seasons.
Most all-inclusive family vacation packages have age limitations for children, depending on the type of activities offered by a resort. Because of this, all-inclusive family vacations may be more suitable if you have older children. For trips that involve rafting, some companies require that children are at least ten years old. Some all-inclusive vacation packages include offer activities that take less than a day, which is a great way to have fun without too much pressure for the younger family members – and your wallet, too.
Look for family-friendly vacation destinations. Family focused resorts are designed with children in mind, which is reflected in the selection of activities, their safety, availability of other entertainment, even the number of food choices. Plus, at family-friendly resorts you can meet other families with children the same age as yours, and sharing the fun can turn a good all-inclusive family vacation into a great one.
When picking an all-inclusive family resort, make sure you check what is included in the price of the package. All-inclusive family vacations can be expensive, but most parents agree that you get lots of fun for the money. In most cases, the price of the package includes accommodation, basic activities, sports and leisure equipment, meals, and transportation to places of interest and an airport coach. Never be shy about asking for a child’s discount – sometimes an agent can offer you one even if it is not listed. You can further lower the costs by taking a smaller hotel suite.
All-inclusive rates provide convenience and comfort both for parents and kids. With a little creativity, vacation planning can be a fun, exciting, and an educational way to spend some family time together with the end result being a great vacation enjoyed by the whole family.
FRUGAL FAMILY VACATIONS
Everybody loves a nice, relaxing, vacation. The family vacation gives us a chance to focus on family and spend some quality time together. Unfortunately, sometimes the family vacation can be costly. Especially, if you have a large family.
Including a vacation in your plans can be a challenge on a tight budget. For those of you who want to get in that family quality time, yet don’t have the finances for an extravagant vacation, here are some frugal family vacation tips. Since the goal here is to get the most fun for your money, let’s talk about some frugal and low cost vacation ideas and tips that could be right for your family.
1. Camping: A great low cost option for families that enjoy the outdoors. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sleep in a tent. There are lots of state parks that rent cabins for a very reasonable fee. As an added bonus, when you are registered at a state park, you gain free entrance into all state parks.
2. Beach It: If you want to beach it, be sure to check out all your options for lodging. Sometimes a large family can do better by renting a condo or home for the week rather than staying at a hotel. Remember, you can save a tremendous amount of money if you can prepare your own meals while on vacation. A good portion of a families vacation budget can be literally “eaten up”! Even a little kitchenette in a suite can save you big bucks. If you’re campers, you can almost always find a campground near popular beach areas and get maximum savings on lodging.
3. Low Cost Lodging: Don’t forget your best resources, friends and family. Ask around to see if anyone has visited an area you plan to go. You may get lucky and have a “friend that has a friend” who maybe has a vacation spot they wouldn’t mind renting to you for a lesser fee. Sometimes people won’t rent out their vacation spots for various reasons, but don’t mind doing so if the tenant is a trusted acquaintance of a friend or family member.
4. Visit Friends and Family: Plan to visit friends and family that live far away, or even those that live close, and you rarely find the time to visit. In today’s fast paced society it’s not unusual for family and friends to lose touch. You’ll save money and get to catch up on what’s happening with friends and/or family that you haven’t visited recently. This will be fun for everyone and reinforce family togetherness.
Whatever you decide to do, if you’re traveling a great distance be sure to check all your travel options. With today’s soaring gas prices it’s not unlikely that you may be able to get there faster, and cheaper, in the air. Hey, maybe there’s a conspiracy here?
If all this just doesn’t fall into your category of “fun”, and you just have to have that exotic resort vacation, then at least be sensible about it. There are many great deals on vacation packages and off season rentals. And, oodles of travel agencies just waiting to tell you about them.
This is one area where do-it-yourself isn’t always the most practical advice. Travel agencies are privy to a lot of travel information, especially seasonal discounts, that you and I don’t have knowledge of. Do Your Research at least for goodness sake. You won’t be kicking yourself later when you come across that great deal you missed out on!
Check out your local travel agencies, as well as some of the many online agencies. Don’t forget, if you’re an AAA member you’re eligible for travel discounts. Before finalizing any plans, be sure to know your rights. What happens if you have to cancel? What is the deadline to cancel? Will you loose your deposit or is it refundable? Know your options.
Remember, the most important thing about family vacations is to spend quality time together. Have fun, and have a safe and happy frugal family vacation!
