As a parent, all you want to do is plan the perfect vacation for your kids regardless of whether they are young or grown up. However, everyone in your family is bound to have a different idea for what they want to do on vacation and where they want to go. Satisfying everyone’s desires is incredibly difficult, but with the right tips any family can plan an effective vacation.
Family-Friendly Travel: 5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Vacation for All Ages
How to Choose a Vacation Destination for Your Family
Currently, it’s estimated that around 49% more Americans will travel in 2023 compared to 2022 due to a variety of factors. Given this, learning where you should travel that isn’t necessarily the most common destination is likely of interest. Balancing location with affordability and activities can be difficult, but use the following strategies to guide your decision:
- Think about whether you are looking for a leisure style vacation or activity-based vacation for your family
- Consider whether you have the time to plan a longer, international vacation or if you are restricted to a shorter, domestic vacation
- Consider all of the logistical items associated with planning the vacation, such as the type of accommodations and more
- Factor in the budget you have designed for the trip to guide your decision
Tips for Building a Family Vacation Budget
As mentioned, one of the strongest guiding factors for choosing the perfect vacation destination is the budget your family has for the vacation. The average vacation cost for a single person alone in the United State costs around $2,000 per week, going to show why all families, especially large ones, need to use a budget to choose their vacation:
Book activities well in advance
By booking vacation activities in advance, assuming you already have a destination in mind, you can actually build a more accurate budget. This is due to the fact that you already know what a large majority of costs for the perfect vacation are, so you can add them into the budget right away.
This will leave less wiggle room for extra expenses while you are actually on your trip. If you’ve still not made your mind up as to where you want to go yet, perhaps looking at the activities on offer might help you decide. For example, if you are looking to head to the Caribbean, you might want to compare US Virgin Islands vs British Virgin Islands and see which might fit what is it you are looking for better.
Consider using credit card rewards points
A great way to save money when starting to think about your budget is to use credit card rewards points to cover airline costs or accommodation costs. Many card issuers offer discounts through their portals at participating hotels and airlines. These discounts can allow you to have more room in your budget for activities and other expenses.
Stay in alternative accommodations
For some families, choosing to stay in a hotel may be somewhat pricey. However, alternative accommodations such as vacation rentals may be a cheaper option for large families, as opposed to purchasing multiple hotel rooms. Those who may be worried about security when leaving their vacation rental can use luggage storage services to secure their cargo while they travel around their destination.
Start saving well in advance of your trip
Perhaps one of the most important tips for succeeding when building a budget for a family vacation is to start planning far enough in advance. The most successful family vacation budgets were started months before the trip ever occurred. Start setting money aside in a dedicated “travel fund” account that you don’t touch until the vacation is ready to be paid for. This can help to ensure that you have enough funds to start planning over time what activities you want to do.
Planning well in advance can also give you a chance to find details of less well-known and thus more affordable attractions. For example, if you’re visiting California, why not check out Pioneertown, a Western movie set turned town, and soak up the history of filmmaking on the USA’s West Coast? You can find more Pioneertown information to help you plan your trip online. More obscure attractions can also make your trip so much more memorable, whilst also saving you money in the long run!
Set a maximum budget for your travels
All budgets need to have a maximum spend amount listed within them broken down by category. This will give you a target that you need to stick to. Ideally, this value can be used to build out the amount you need to save in advance of the trip. It’s important to be reasonable with this figure so that it is actually an accurate number, rather than choosing an amount that would send your bank account into ruin. To that end, look at your current spending and saving habits to evaluate how much you can afford on your trip.
Plan a trip to remember today
Planning a family vacation that you remember for years to come can seem difficult when each family member has different interests and desires for what they want to do on vacation. However, each of the above tips can help guide you and your family towards the type of vacation you can all love, all while ensuring you save money and stay safe.
