According to the U.N. World Tourism Organization, about 1.4 billion people are traveling internationally each year. Only 25 million people were traveling per year in 1950.
713 million people traveled to Europe in 2018. The second most visited continent was Asia with 343 million visitors that same year.
France received the highest number of international travelers in 2018. About 82 million people visited the country that year.
Are you thinking about traveling with your family soon? Planning a family vacation can be a lot of work. Check out this guide with some tips you should follow.
1. Make a Budget
If you’re wondering how to plan a family vacation you should consider setting up a budget first. Calculate how much you’re able to spend on everything including travel, accommodation, food, and daily activities.
Once you know how much you can spend you’ll be able to know what kind of locations you can pick. You can also narrow down your list of hotels or rentals at this stage too.
2. Choose a Location
Once you’ve got your budget down you can start narrowing down your list of locations. Since you’ll be traveling with family it’s a good idea to consider where everyone wants to visit.
If you’re on a tighter budget you’ll have to eliminate some of the choices for going out of the country. Certain countries are very affordable to visit, however, so make sure you do your research thoroughly.
3. Find Great Accommodations
When looking for places to visit as a family you also need to consider what kinds of accommodations work best for all the members of your family. When choosing a hotel you should opt for one with a pool so the kids can have fun even when you have a less eventful day.
Make sure that you book a place that gives everyone their own space so you can enjoy your time together. If you decide to rent a cabin the kids should have their own room.
Your winter vacation rental should have all the amenities for a fun time when your indoors and outdoors too.
4. Plan Activities for Each Family Member
Another way to plan the best family vacation is to create an itinerary with lots of activities everyone will enjoy. Make sure you ask what each family member wants to do before booking any outings so that you’ll have fun together.
You can spend a day hiking for the adventure lover or visit a museum if you have family members who love learning about history. Alternatively you might have someone who loves whale watching in Los Angeles, so find out what they’d like to do. You could also set up a spa date for a relaxing day with your partner, away from the kids.
5. Choose the Right Dates
Traveling as a family can get complicated when it comes to choosing the dates. Everyone has their own schedule so making sure to choose days that everyone can take off is vital.
If you have kids it’s best to choose dates in the summer or winter as those are the times they won’t have any school to worry about. If you have a less flexible work schedule you can plan a smaller vacation during a long holiday weekend.
6. Only Pack the Essentials
Packing can become a hassle when you’re traveling with a big group of people. When you’re traveling with young children it might seem impossible to pack lightly but it’s a must if you want to avoid the annoyance of carrying around a ton of bags while trying to enjoy your vacation.
Make a list of essential items you’ll need and cut back on packing so many clothes if your vacation isn’t too long.
7. Get a Checkup at the Doctor Before Travel
Something else that should be on your family vacation checklist is getting a checkup at the doctor before traveling. Whether you’re traveling near or far making sure your health is in good condition before travel is important.
Make sure to ask your doctors about any medical requirements or any risks of traveling abroad.
8. Define Your Mode of Transportation
If you’ll be traveling by plane you’ve probably already accounted for those costs in your budget. You need to figure out how you’ll get around once you get to your vacation destination.
Are you going to rent a car to drive yourself or will you have to take taxis everywhere you go? This is something that you should take into account when budgeting for the trip.
9. Get Travel Insurance
When traveling with family you should consider getting travel insurance. Travel insurance will prevent you from losing your money if you have to cancel the trip at the last minute. It can cover both international and domestic travel.
You can also purchase insurance to cover medical emergencies. This is crucial when you’ll be in another country where you don’t have health insurance.
10. Don’t Forget About the Food
When coming up with family vacation ideas it’s easy to forget about the food. Children can be picky eaters so making sure you have lots of options to choose from near your hotel or rental is important.
If anyone in your family has any dietary restrictions you should make sure there’s food available for them to eat as well.
When traveling abroad, research the type of food that’s popular in that country. While fun to explore new cuisine your children might be a bit more hesitant.
Follow These Tips for Planning a Family Vacation
When planning a family vacation it’s important to follow the tips listed in this guide to ensure everyone has a great time. Choose family-friendly accommodations and plan activities based on everyone’s interests.
Did you find this article useful? Make sure to check out some of the other travel-related blogs here on our site to learn more.
