Planning family holidays can often make you feel like you need a holiday from planning the holiday! It doesn’t have to be that way though if you take the following key considerations into account.
#1 – Plan, plan, plan…
Itineraries, travel arrangements, accommodation, food and drink considerations, and of course packing, being a DIY travel agent can be overwhelming. Whilst it mightn’t sound logical at first, developing a well-researched and realistic itinerary before you depart is one of the most effective things you can do to ensure the holiday runs smoothly and enjoyably.
Given the inevitable range of interests between members of a family (especially with kids), you need to try and make sure there is something for everyone. To do this, practice attentive research and get involvement from the whole family in the planning process.
Say you’re planning a trip to Madrid, and you look into the main sights; you may assume that the Royal Palace of Madrid would be culturally interesting for everyone to look around, however, it might be more entertaining for the kids to see the Museum of Illusions or the sights and smells of San Miguel market. So, remember to run your ideas past everyone, and put together an itinerary based around that. (But don’t worry – as the parent you’ll ultimately retain veto privileges, and everyone will feel involved and responsible for parts of your trip so it’s a win-win.)
#2 – Remember to keep it light
While having a strong itinerary is definitely a good place to start, it’s important for your peace of mind to accept that very few holidays run 100% to plan. Remaining flexible, or even just resolving not to be annoyed if things do go wrong, get mixed-up, or have to be changed, is crucial to staying chilled and enjoying your break.
Accordingly, try to factor a certain degree of unpredictability into your travel arrangements, especially if travelling with younger children to exotic climes. Medical issues, for instance, are prone to crop up at inopportune moments, and a taxi is only as reliable as its driver, so allow lots of time for everything, always bring some emergency cash, and book flexible tickets (and even accommodation) wherever feasible.
#3 – Kid- and Family-friendly experiences
It can be hard to know what really makes kids tick, especially as children’s interests change so fast (dinosaurs are in one day, football the next—within a month, they’re trying to be the next Picasso), so keep an eye out for a few of these key positives when you’re trying to decide what’s worthy on a place on the itinerary.
Physical activity of any kind is ideal, be that swimming, cycling, surfing, or even trying out a local sport, or a run around an old city. When it comes to young kids especially, nature is often preferred over culture, so consider tailoring your trip to beaches, forests and mountains than museums and galleries.
With that said, history often appeals to children’s imaginations, so perhaps castles and weird old ruins might be more up your kids’ street. Regardless of what they enjoy, the golden combination of nature, exercise, and stimulating the imagination are all likely to enhance your holiday experience.
#4 – Remember the basics
Ultimately, the factors that determine whether you have a relaxing time on your family holiday are the same factors that affect everyday life at home: whether you’re all rested, fed, hydrated, and happy. This is particularly important if you have young children, but it applies to all ages – good holidays are only possible if you aren’t being plagued by discomfort.
Being away from home can be physically and emotionally exhausting, so make sure that food and water are readily available wherever you are, and schedule in enough downtime to enable the family feel rested and relaxed. Similarly, consider making a packing checklist before you leave, so you don’t end up forgetting essentials like sunscreen, painkillers, or even just a cuddly toy that your kid can’t sleep without.
Overall, the most important thing to remember is to enjoy spending quality time with your family, wherever you are, and however the trip ends up going. It’s very easy to put too much pressure on a big holiday, and forget to appreciate all the small moments that make such a thing so wonderful. Of course, by planning properly, and ensuring basic comforts, you can put the odds well and truly on your side, but ultimately if you decide to be stress-free, it will be so.
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