It’s never too early to start thinking about the holidays and when you’re planning budget family vacations, the sooner you get organized the better. Prices have a nasty habit of rising the closer we get to the holiday season. So take some time out now to plan your next family vacation and explore all your options for a fabulous time.
Home or away
First things first – are you spending your vacation time on home turf or jetting off to more exotic climes? Your budget is likely to be the biggest factor in exactly where you take a break and it’s still true that traveling on a package deal can work out a whole lot cheaper, with travel operators and resorts often enticing families with kids go free deals and other temptations. The big tour companies have become a lot more clued into what families want and need on a holiday, and often booking a package with well-known names such as Thomas Cook will ensure yours is a hassle-free trip.
Make it kid-friendly
So you’ve coughed up a four-figure sum to jet the whole family to a fabulous resort with all-day sunshine and a beach to die for. Or piled the gang into the back of an RV and driven for hundreds of miles into the most beautiful countryside known to man. Yet still you hear that plaintive cry every parent dreads: “I’m bored!”
So what you need is a place with lots of activities and facilities to keep the little sweethearts occupied so you can get the R&R you deserve. We’re thinking water parks, theme parks and games, with trained staff on hand to keep the fun ramped up.
All-inclusive resorts are often the best for kid-friendly activities but hotels and self-catering apartments and villas can also sort out crèches and activity clubs that will keep kids of all ages entertained all day. Look for resorts and hotels that provide babysitting services – it’s your holiday, too, and you deserve a night or two to let your hair down so hand the kids over to professionals for the evening.
Beach babies or city slickers?
Family vacations are all about chilling out and taking time out from real life. For some, that means a beach break and kicking back and soaking up the rays on a Caribbean beach – think Cuba, Dominican Republic or Jamaica – will most definitely tick every box on a vacation wish list. The Caribbean’s islands are all lush tropical paradise in picture-perfect settings and are most definitely a trip away from everyday reality.
Others love the idea of a city break, exploring the highways and byways of some of the world’s great cities – think New York, London, Paris or Rome. Parents of very young children will probably wince at the very idea but choosing a city for family vacations are a great idea if you’ve got older kids. As well as the obligatory shopping, you’ve got a chance to introduce them to some amazing architecture, extraordinary museums and maybe even a Broadway or West End show, depending on where you pitch up.
An endless choice
The only limit to your choice of family vacation is your imagination – oh yeah and your budget, obviously. Get planning and saving now so you find your ideal holiday spot.
