Tips to Plan a Family Vacation Trips
As summers are just around the corner, people start planning a family vacation to give a leisure break to their regular routine.
While family vacations are a great source of fun and excitement, the idea of planning a vacation can be quite a task, especially if you are going to be accompanied by kids. From hotel reservation, flight booking, to setting a budget and duration, everything needs a prior planning in order to avoid last minute rush.
Well, if this is your first family trip and you wish to make it as safe and as fun as it can be, it is best to consider the following tips to make your family vacation a wonderful and unforgettable trip. All these tips are suggested by travel experts.
1. Don’t Begin With Google
Undoubtedly, Google is an excellent source for planning a vacation, however, if you are thinking of beginning your vacation planning process with Googling, try not to do that, at least in the beginning.
The director of luxury travel services at Ovation Vacations, Julie Danziger says “If you start with Google, it’s the paradox of choice. There’s so much out there and you just don’t even know what you’re looking for.”
According to Danziger, Instead of searching through Google pages, it is best to have a family discussion to know where everyone wishes to vacate at, what activities they wish to experience, for how many days they wish to plan for etc. Once you are done planning this, you can then use Google to help you find the best deals and packages for the selected destination.
2. Have a Plan Beforehand
As everyone must be planning for the vacation like you, planning everything beforehand can help you get better deals, cheap flight tickets, and great hotel reservation packages.
The team leader and travel consultant at Liberty Travel, Michael Dolan recommends “If you have young children who are not in school and [have] flexibility with dates, it is best to travel at non-peak times. For example, the first week of January after the New Year offers lower pricing than staying over the holiday week.”
3. Feel Free to Ask As Many Questions as You Want
Julie Danziger says “If you give the hotel information and tell them about yourselves and about your family, everything can be set up for you.”
If you are traveling with your young kids or if anyone in your family has food allergies or similar exceptions, you can intimate the hotel staff or your traveling agent in advance to let them make changes to your itinerary accordingly in order to cater you in the best possible manner. Similarly, you can ask questions like whether housekeeping uses any strong smells a part of room hygiene to which you kid might have an allergic issue.
Danziger suggests “Bring a notecard with you about the restrictions that are in the local language and give it to them and at least have an opportunity to have them tailor to your needs.”
4. Keep a Feasible Plan
Most of the experts suggested to self-planner to not to make their vacation a hectic one by including numerous activities and places in their itinerary. Instead, try to keep some time in the day for the rest. The editor-in-chief of the Select magazine, Scott Steinberg suggested making sure to keep in mind the travel times and wait times when scheduling for any excursions and other adventures thing.
5. Remember! Vacations are for Fun!
While planning a trip can be quite troublesome, however, the better you research, the better it pays off.
According to Danziger, “It might be a little extra work on the ground before you go, but at the same time once you’re there it’ll allow you to fully enjoy and appreciate the vacation instead of having to be concerned about it when you’re there.”
In case you notice too many restrictions on your family’s needs or if your family is not comfortable at a certain place or with activity, it is best to make changes to the place accordingly as it is your responsibility to make the trip as much as it can be for your family.
