How to plan the perfect family holiday
We love our families, don't we? How is it that we turn at the thought of a family holiday? Nightmares from the past? Or is it just the thought of spending 24 constant hours with your family. Family holidays can either be a great success, creating lasting bonding experiences for everyone, or a total nightmare... thus ruining future family trips for eternity.
Let's take a look at your trip and see how you can plan the first of those two options.
The biggest mistake is spending too much time ironing out the fine details (plane tickets, schedules, transfers, sightseeing bus schedules) rather than taking the time to visualise what it will be like spending 24 hours a day with your family. It's just as important to plan some quieter moments to enjoy away from the rest of your family. If your kids are older and can take-off on their own then it's even better. Plan a main activity every day and also leave some free time for your kids to enjoy doing things they like too.
If you're travelling with kids, it'll be more important to keep them entertained than anything else. Although, most kids will be so fascinated with their new surroundings that they'll likely entertain themselves. As at home, it's important to have a mix of structured as well as non-structured play-time.
Another fun idea is to let everyone in the family plan each day, from where to eat and what to do. This way, everyone gets their time to be the travel guide, researching things that they'd like to do and no one can really complain too much.
Holiday logistics:
Book your tickets as early as possible, as soon as you’ve decided on destinations and travel dates. Airline cutbacks this year mean that there are fewer seats and higher demand. If you’re looking for a cheap travel deal, it’s probably better to keep your dates flexible as well as your destination.
Summer beach holiday destinations are usually the most expensive. Maybe you can consider rather taking your trip in October or November rather than during peak-season. Although, if you’re kids are in school, this won’t work so well.
Remember that your family holiday should be remebered fondly, so don’t over-plan the trip. Leave some room for last-minute andspontaneous adventures that are sure to pop-up. Also, don’t worry about making sure that everyone is having a good time. If you’re relaxed about the flow of the trip, the holiday can take over. Plus, if disaster does strike, you can bet some funny travel stories will pop up later down the road. That’s right, you know the ones…
“Remember that time when…”
Have any tips for planning a successful family holiday? Share them by leaving a comment!
Images: Lukinosity, neonarcade / Flickr cc.