plan a family vacation
Are you already daydreaming about your next vacation but not sure where to start when it comes to planning? Look no further than Plan the Best Vacation! This website has made it so fun and easy to turn those dreams into reality with tons of useful tips and resources. I can’t wait to start planning my next adventure thanks to this amazing tool. Who’s ready to join me in making vacation dreams come true?
Plan the Best Family Vacation in 6 steps!
Planning a vacation can be simple and most importantly FUN! Let us break it down for you and then we’ll dive into more details to help you make planning your next family trip a breeze.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Dream and Research Destinations
This is my favorite part! Where would you like to go on your next vacation? Our site and social media pages are filled with pictures, locations, and ideas to get you started and help you see all the amazing opportunities. Start by researching different destinations that interest you. Whether it’s a tropical beach, a bustling city, or a serene mountain retreat, there are endless possibilities to consider.
So Many Places to See…..
Best Family Vacation
Where should you head to on vacation this year?
More Must-Visit Destinations
Set a Budget & Save
Determine how much money you are willing to spend on your vacation. This will help you narrow down your options and ensure that you don’t overspend. Then price out your desired vacations and see if they are realistic.
Do you often catch yourself daydreaming about that dream vacation as you scroll through your social media feeds? You’re not alone! It can feel like everyone except for you is off exploring exotic destinations. The reality is, for many of us, travel is a luxury that isn’t always within easy reach due to financial commitments like student loans, mortgages, and tuition fees.
But guess what? There’s a little secret to share – with determination, persistence, and a solid savings plan, you can make those travel dreams a reality. It won’t be a walk in the park, but it is totally achievable. All it takes is some motivation to kick-start your journey. Let’s stop dreaming and start planning – that dream vacation is closer than you think!
Create an Itinerary
Once you’ve figured out where you want to go and how much you can afford to spend, it’s time to plan the details of your trip. I like to make a spreadsheet in Excel that lists what we are doing day-by-day (more on that here). Then in the other columns I list any booked items (museums, tours, etc), planned/booked meals, and hotels. I do this for every trip we take from a cruise to Disney World to 2 weeks in Europe.
Plan Daily Activities
Fit in your desired activities day-by-day. For example if we spend 3 days in Rome, Day 1 Borghese gallery and catacombs, Day 2 Colosseum, Roman Forum / Palatine Hill, Baths of Carcalla, and self-guided walking tour, Day 3 side trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, Day 4 begi with Vatican City then take a train to Florence
Research Hotels
Use sites like Expedia to find out what hotels are near your activities and a realistic cost. Read reviews to make sure it is the type of place you’d like to stay!
Research Airfare
I start by googling flights (example: Chicago to Rome. Now enter dates and it will tell you the cost after looking at various airlines. If you have any flexibility at all, click “show flights”. From this screen you can click on date grid to see if you can save significantly by leaving on different dates. Look at bar that tells you if flights are “typical” yellow, less than normal green, or high in red. If they are red you will probabaly want to reconsider your dates! You can even track flights and get an email when prices go down.
Book Your Trip
Now that you have a plan it’s time to make it permanent by booking your trip. You will want to book your trip 6-9 months ahead of time if at all possible to make sure you get the best options (hotels book up) and cheapest prices (but research for deals and take that into account). Sometimes I plan my trip and book everything except for flights as I wait for them to come down in cost (see how to get cheap flights)
For any museums you plan to visit add hours, what to see, estimated visit length, tips you’ve read, cost, and any timed entrances you booked.
Buy a city pass if that makes sense when calculating the cost of the local attractions you’ve identified. While it makes sense sometimes, it doesn’t always! In fact, I’d say it rarely makes sense for our family.
Let’s Book your Travel!
For any tours you’d like to take (like we did to get to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast) book it. We use Viator and Get Your Guide a lot, but there are other options I’ll show you throughout our site. Most are refundable if cancelled within 2 days so book them first to make sure your plan is working. In your spreadsheet add tour confirmation #/contact info, etc.
After you’ve researched hotels that are near your planned activities and read reviews, pick one. I like to stay in the same place for the 3 days we are in a city it is easier with luggage. Make sure to read fineprint about refunds, if it includes breakfast, is WIFI free, check-in times, etc. Write down hotel name, address, and ph# on your spreadsheet.
(see best travel sites for more specific ideas)
You will have already priced out flights in your planning phase so you should have an idea of what flights cost. Now it’s time to get the best deal. Google flight again as clicking from google search may get you a better deal. Now that you know what airlines fly your route, go to the airlines page directly, go through expedia, and try budget carriers like Southwest which aren’t included in Google search. (find cheap flights)
When you make your initial deposit or book airfare, whatever is the earliest, I recommend booking travel insurance. I know it adds to the cost of the trip, but if something comes up like illness, job loss, death in the family, strikes overseas, etc. you will be glad you did. (when do I buy travel insurance)
it’s Time to Pack!
I like to start packing 2-3 weeks early. I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain. You are going to pull out your luggage and start throwing things in as you think of them. No you wont literally pack all your undies and t-shirts this early. But it will get you thinking and you will probably realize one of your kids needs more socks, your luggage has a broken wheel, you need to grab luggage tags, etc. Now you have a couple weeks to grab those things!
Each destination will have slightly different packing needs. On a cruise you will need a dress for formal night, back packing throught Europe requires you to pack very little, and roadtrips mean bringing some fun for the road. But I have some general travel tips and packing lists ready for you!
Don’t Forget…
As part of the packing phase (2-3 weeks before your trip) it is a good time to think through other details of going out of town! Plus kids always enjoy a paper chain or other type of countdown for your family vacation!
Some things to Remember
Step 6
Have Fun!
It’s finally time for your trip! No matter how well you plan, you will probably forget something. I like to have a post-it note with most important things to remind myself (itinerary, passport, cash/cards, phone /charger, medications, clothes). And, something probably wont’ got as planned. Perhaps your flight is delayed, the museum changed its hours, or it is raining. Try to roll with it and make each moment count. You can make or break your whole families trip with your attitude when those things come up. You may discover the rain makes you head to your destination in a new direction and you may just happen to see the King of England like we did. Different, doesn’t have to mean bad!
Enjoy your vacation! When you’re ready to start planning your next get-a-way, we are ready for you!
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