The Vacation Guide

March Break is finally here, and many of you are already planning your long awaited family holidays, but with all the choices available it’s hard to know where to begin. Planning your next family vacation doesn’t have to leave you burnt out, in fact it can be a fun experience for the whole family if you know how to go about it.

For starters, you must ensure that you’ve got all your paperwork ready and up to date. Be sure to check your passports, there’s nothing worse than an expired passport to bring rain into your plans. But don’t stop at your passport, do the same for your other items identification like your driver’s license. Make sure the kids birth certificates are also current

OK, so you’ve got all your paperwork in order and everything looks good for your long awaited time away from your 9-5 days. But where do you start? Quite frankly, you should have started months ago. Plane tickets and all-inclusives are usually a fraction of the cost if you purchase them months ahead of time. Often, your travel destination may be completely sold out, meaning that you are left with the left-overs than nobody wants. If you want the best deals for the best possible location, then plan ahead, way ahead. OK, so you didn’t plan ahead and now you just need a great place for you and the kids, where do you go for the best deals? Start with online websites like Expedia, you can often get the best deals, especially if you are willing to travel on last minute all-inclusives.  Large websites usually offer Last Minute destination packages which can often be dirt cheap, but you’ll need to keep your suitcases packed at all times. In fact, if you are a last minute traveller, you are best off keeping a suitcase packed at all times, in this way, you can just purchase your great tickets to paradise without having to run around the house trying to fit everything in last minute.

If you prefer to purchase your plain tickets and book your hotel separately, then you’ll need to be even more organized. Although vacations that are planned this way are much more work, the benefit is that you get to choose your vacation exactly as you like. This method is best for those of you who are seasoned traveler who know what you want, but even for the first time traveler, it can still be a wonderful experience. Whether your looking for a trip to “Medieval Europe” or looking to be pampered in a five star resort with your own personal attendant, this is a great way to get everything you want, just as you want it.  Although All-Inclusive travel packages are the preferred method of travel for most families, if you choose to plan everything separately, make sure that you involve the whole family in this travel journey. Remember, what you enjoy as a great vacation may not be your teenage son’s or daughters example of a good time. Eventually, with enough ‘boring vacations’, your kids may begin to become distant when the topic of  ‘Family Vacation’ becomes the topic of conversation at the dinner table and not even a Florida short term rentals can brighten their spirits. Keep the kids happy and they’ll be much more willing to go along with Mom & Dad on your next holiday.   When reviewing your hotel, make sure that it offers everything that you and your kids enjoy, and make sure that it is as close to the main scenic/touristic areas as possible, there’s nothing worse than having to drive 2+ hours to get to a place of interest, it can really put a damper on the travel experience. Many hotels can be booked online through a website or  by phone, so take advantage this, and if the hotel has an email address that you can use for further questions, use it, it is a great way to find out what activities, restaurants and sights are available in the area. Often, this is a great way to get to know your hosts, as it gives you a sense of what type of service you can expect. Purchase a guidebook and good map of the destination that you are visiting. If you are planning to travel by Subway, it’s a good idea to get a printout of the city’s subway system, this is more important than you may expect and can save you both time and money.

Lastly,  don’t over-plan, be a little adventurous on occasion, it can be a great way of finding interesting places and restaurants that you may not have considered before, like quaint family bistro tucked away in a cozy place, where you can call your own and where you can develop traditions in. Be creative and don’t be afraid to explore different parts of the city or country together as a family.

All you need to do now is get planning, whether it be for March Break or for the next holiday, it’s never too early.  The above simple tips,  will make your family holiday an enjoyable one and may become a family tradition that everyone can cherish.