Family vacations are meant to be fun- for everyone, but somewhere between the initial thoughts and actually being on vacation, things can get a bit stressful.  Just this past week, we’ve received requests for family vacations for later this year from new clients.  Some are for families of 5.  Others just need help figuring out what is best for their family.

My Vacation Lady has been helping our clients plan fun and stress free family vacations for many years and wanted to share these tips with you.

  1. If your kids are old enough, let them have a say in where they want to go— but with a caveat.  Pick out 3 different places first or 3 different types of vacations first and let them have a voice.
  2. Some destinations are more family friendly than others.  Pick vacation destinations or vacation styles with enough variety to please everyone.
  3.  Plan some activities but leave some flexibility in the schedule for some spontaneity.  If you plan out every minute of the day with activities or things to see and do, you’ll be exhausted and stressing that you didn’t see everything on the schedule.  If you don’t plan activities in advance, you may not even leave the hotel room.  So try to have 1-2 main things that you want to do in the day and have a back up plan in case of bad weather.
  4. If you’re traveling with toddlers, do try to stick to a regular routine– meals, naps, bedtime.  Try to keep the environment familiar with their favorite toys, blanket, stuffed animals, etc.  The last thing you want to deal with on your fun family vacation is a temper tantrum.
  5. If you’re flying, make sure that you have a “24-hour survival kit” in your carry on—just in case your flight is delayed or your luggage is lost.   That includes a complete change of clothes (or 2), swim suit and snacks and toys to keep the kids occupied.   If you’re driving, make sure to include a bag or backpack full of surprise games, books, toys, and snacks to keep them entertained over the long trip.

My Vacation Lady can take the stress out of planning your next family vacation.

Ask us about which family vacation options might be best for your family.  Some of the top family vacations that we have planned for our clients recently have been:

  • All Inclusive resorts
  • Resort vacations to the Caribbean, Mexico or Hawaii
  • Cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Bermuda- many leaving from ports close to home.
  • Amusement park vacations
  • Sightseeing tours to Europe, Costa Rica or the United States
  • City vacations in the United States or Canada

Between work, school and all of the kids activities, the last thing you need is to be stressed out planning a vacation.  We can help!

We’ll help you create family memories!