Every trip, whether it’s a solo adventure or a group vacation, requires proper planning. It gets more intense for parents who need to plan a family trip where all family members can feel equally included in the itinerary. From children in daycare to grandparents in an assisted living community, everyone in the family wants to unwind and have fun.
It may not be easy, but there are common things that a family unit can enjoy together. In this guide, you will learn how to plan your next family trip:
Have A Travel Budget
Your finances will always determine how far you can go and how much you can enjoy. If you’re planning for a family vacation, the best step to take is to set aside funds for the trip intentionally so you have some wiggle room during the final planning process. Since you’re planning a family trip, opening a special family bank account geared towards saving money may be ideal. Also, be realistic about your savings to ensure that you don’t strain other essentials for your home. Additionally, be on the lookout for exclusive deals or packages which will lessen your financial stress. Here is a blog post about how to be a more budget-savvy traveller.
Understand Everyone’s Interests
It may seem like a fun idea to plan a surprise trip, but it is challenging to anticipate everyone’s interests. Therefore, taking each and everyone’s interest at heart when planning a trip is crucial. If you have some destinations in mind, read through the itinerary as a family to get feedback about the places.
No place will check off everyone’s boxes about what they want for a vacation, but choosing one place as a family ensures everyone returns home happy and with lasting memories. It also prepares everyone on what to expect. Thankfully, if you feel clueless or confused about where to go, travel agents can advise you on the best times to travel, places to go, and what to expect.
Have A Dedicated Kids Day
Like we previously explained, planning out the vacation as a family is essential, and your kids are used to following an already set-out plan. Therefore, if you dedicate a day to them, it will be a special treat and instil a sense of responsibility. For example, if you take them to the kids' park on a particular day, you can let an older child be in charge of the younger kids. A little freedom will make them bond together and be responsible for their own choices, thus determining how the trip eventually turns out.
Start Packing
Packing is often underestimated, but it is also one of the most crucial things in the whole process. If it is not well thought through, it can cause serious trouble to your trip. Also, it is another way of teaching your kids early responsibility for their belongings. Start having an earlier discussion on what is required for the place you’re travelling to and create a packing list to ensure that nothing essential is forgotten. Also, it helps you buy necessary gear if need be to make sure that you’re all set. Again, if you’re not sure about what gear to carry, ask your travel agent to help you out with that.
Don’t Gamble with Your Health and Safety
Have you ever thought of the places you went to as a teenager and got that shiver after you wondered how you could have gone there? As a parent, now you understand why your parents got mad at you when they discovered that you visited certain places. The destinations you visited back then were probably not prohibited but may not have met all the required safety measures.
Safety should always be a top priority when planning family trips, and it should never be overlooked. If something deep down in you feels wrong about the chosen destination, please change it. Also, it’s no longer a secret, especially in these pandemic times, that your health comes first. Ensure that you follow all the health safety measures and, if necessary, take travel insurance protection plans to help in case of any emergency.
Additionally, staying healthy includes the kind of meals that you indulge in during the trip. With kids around, junk foods will always be the fastest alternative but ensure that you balance these out with more healthy foods.
Just like life, no trip will ever be perfect since each destination is different. However, proper planning ensures that you don’t make mistakes and get to enjoy every bit of it. If you previously made a mistake when planning one, don’t get weary of trying again, this time, with all the knowledge we’ve discussed above. This, too, is a learning process, and it only gets easy if you try, and the memories made are priceless.
*This post contains affiliate links
I can't wait to get travelling again! It's been two years since we went anywhere. One of my best tips for travelling as a family, is that sometimes it's okay to just throw your itinerary out the window and have a day just 'hanging'. I think there is that feeling that if we travel half way around the world, we need to see EVERYTHING! And that just spending a day hanging at a park is a wasted sightseeing opportunity because you could just do that at home. But you're hanging at a park half way around the world! Some of our favourite holiday memories is just spending a day doing 'nothing' and people watching while the kids have a good run around.
ReplyDeleteYes couldn't agree more - something things just don't go to plan or you want to change the plan and go with the flow! Also I hope you to get travel a lot more very soon
DeleteLaura x
ah some great tips here. I like the dedicated kid's day one, as usually can be pretty fun! Packing is always a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Sarah x
Delete