Source: Unsplash Family vacations deliver some of the most cherished memories of our lives. Nevertheless, it would be very naive to overlook the fact that they can be an organizational nightmare. Frankly, if you don’t stay on top of the situation, the dream vacation could quickly descend into a nightmare.
Here is a list of 10 simple steps you can take to make the vacation stress-free – or at least least stressful.
Choose A Suitable Destination
Firstly, if you’re taking a family vacation, it’s vital that you choose the right destination. This guide to the best places to travel with kids should provide inspiration. Ultimately, though, you want to find somewhere that is blessed with age-appropriate attractions. If the kids are entertained, the whole trip is less stressful. Moreover, organizing adventures will be easy.
Whether it’s staying at a theme park hotel or an all-inclusive hotel with kids’ entertainment doesn’t matter. It will allow you to plan your days without needing hours or research. For the best results, you should also consider the distance from your home. If only going away for a long weekend, putting kids through a 10-hour flight seems a little futile.
As a parent, you should still try to find a destination that appeals to you. Still, if the kids are happy, you’ll be happier too. Do not forget it.
Consider Internal Travel
Getting to the destination is one thing, but getting to your accommodation is another. It can be a particularly stressful situation if visiting a country where English isn’t the main language. Trying to navigate unfamiliar places and public transport when you have kids and luggage will be tough. And it’ll become worse still if your cell’s internet stops working.
With this in mind, many families will find it is far more beneficial to hire a car. Even if you take a domestic vacation, this can be a very wise move. Aside from making the onward travel to your accommodation less stressful, it’ll serve you well for day trips. You will have full control of your itinerary while the kids can take naps on any longer journeys too.
The fact that you can avoid carrying your belongings all day will also mean putting less strain on your back. This can only have a positive impact.
Get A Crossbody Bag
Let’s face it; treating yourself to some holiday clothes is one of the best parts of vacation planning. While the cut kids’ outfits and evening dresses for you are great, acrossbody bag is arguably the most exciting. For starters, the versatile accessory is something that you can proudly wear in formal or casual settings for many years to come.
As far as the vacation itself is concerned, a crossbody bag is both practical and fashionable. If you select the right design, it will go with virtually any outfit that you wear around the hotel, at the beach, or around the city. Meanwhile, it’s a hands-free solution that leaves you free to attend to the kids when necessary. Moreover, you will be less prone to theft.
Besides, a beautiful crossbody bag will bring far more joy than many of the other vacation fashion purchases. If you’ve always wanted one, this is the perfect excuse.
Select The Right Type Of Accommodation
A lot of the vacation will be spent enjoying activities and attractions. Nonetheless, it’s still important to choose the right home from home. Firstly, its location in relation to the places you want to visit can have a huge impact on your internal travel times. So, this is certainly something to consider when researching your options.
It’s equally crucial to consider the choice between hotels or private accommodation. A villa or similar property will have more home comforts and deliver privacy. However, hotels may have entertainment included and more amenities. Meanwhile, the opportunity to avoid the need for cleaning is possibly the thing you’d love most about the vacation.
Ultimately, you have to consider the options and make a calculated choice that works for your family. Get it right, and the foundation for your vacation will look far stronger.
Conduct Family-Relevant Research in Advance
Every parent will research attractions and things to do before visiting a destination. However, if any member of your family has extra requirements, it’s important to plan ahead. Otherwise, you will feel lost in the unfamiliar surroundings and may end up wasting time looking for answers. With a little online research, you can complete your planning in advance.
If you or the kids have food intolerances, researching restaurants that cater to this is ideal. Likewise, you may want to find where the food stores are located too. Crucially, you should learn some stock phrases in the native language to prevent any confusion. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Locating pharmacies is a good idea too. Nevertheless, if medications are needed for any reason, it’s always best to pack them in advance.
Respect Your Budget
It won’t be the most enjoyable part of your planning processes, but calculating your budget and sticking to it is essential. Otherwise, you will spend most of your vacation doubting yourself and worrying. Worse still, you may leave yourself with very little money towards the end of the adventures. Sadly, it could put a huge dent in your enjoyment levels.
If money management is an issue, booking an all-inclusive vacation could be ideal. When you know that expenses like food and on-site entertainment are accounted for, you can relax in style. You’ll still probably take a small amount of money on the vacation, but the expenses are likely to be quite minimal.
It can be a good opportunity to teach kids the value of money and basic money management. Give them a daily/weekly allowance during the trip.
Book A Luggage Drop-Off
When exploring a city on a day trip or taking an excursion, you may need to take some items with you. On the other hand, you still don’t want to carry heavier bags for hours if you only need them for a short time. Booking a suitable luggage storage solution in the area could be one of the smartest moves you’ll make. It can make the excursions far more enjoyable.
Once bags are away, you can return and get any items you need at a specific moment without returning to your hotel. Likewise, it removes the threat of theft, misplacing items, and having to drag them around on walking tours. As long as you have your crossbody bag for essential items on the day, this solution should deliver optimal convenience.
For the sake of a few dollars depending on the location, this can transform your day. With fewer items to worry about, the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed will fall.
Utilze Your Smartphone
In many ways, modern devices have created a divide between family members. Nonetheless, their ability to help us stay organized is unmatched, especially on a vacation. For starters, downloading a translator App and currency exchange App is ideal. You may also find Apps dedicated to public transport, local attractions, or the holiday park.
When used to its full potential, a smartphone can also save you a lot of hassle. Going paperless allows you to keep everything from boarding passes to confirmation emails and attraction tickets in one place. There will be fewer physical items to carry (and potentially lose) while everything is stored in one digital wallet.
If you do take this option, though, it’s vital that you pack a power bank to keep your device charged at all times.
Build A Basic Itinerary
The great thing about a family vacation is that you can forget about your daily routines and responsibilities. The sense of freedom is truly liberating and leaving some room for spontaneity is highly advised. Nevertheless, you don’t want to run the risk of boredom or returning home without having ticked off the main bucket list items.
With this in mind, it makes sense to create a rough itinerary. Pre-booking tickets for events and attractions gives you a clear framework to build upon. Better still, it’ll often result in a discount while also saving you from long lines at the ticket office. Planning your major excursions can also help you find the most logical order to see them based on location.
Kids do get tired, as will you. So, scheduling a day or two for relaxation and unplanned activities can be hugely beneficial. It also serves as a buffer in case of unforeseen issues,
Pack With The Return Journey In Mind
Finally, staying organized isn’t just about maximizing your enjoyment whilst away. You also need to consider the end of the vacation and the journey home. Kids will always return with some souvenirs like toys and teddies. So, it makes sense to leave some room in your suitcases on the outward journey to account for this.
You should also note that clothes will be dirty while open toiletries are more prone to leakages. So, packing some travel hygiene bags will serve you well. Likewise, packing some carrier bags or bin liners to keep dirty clothes separated from clean ones will show that you are truly in control.
By making the transition back to normal life a little easier, you’ll also avoid the feeling of needing another holiday to recover from this one. Perfect.