10 Essential Things To Consider When Choosing A Family Holiday Destination

Holidays are the most exciting time of the year. Taking the kids with you means you will have an experience that none of you will forget. Traveling with the whole family isn’t easy. All the effort will be totally worth it, though.

What are the essential things you should consider when choosing a family holiday destination?

1. The Length Of The Trip

How much vacation time do you have? If your kids only have a school break of 1 or 2 weeks, this could affect your holiday plans. If you don’t have much time off, it’s better to travel domestically. Otherwise, you will spend the whole holiday on planes and buses. For a shorter trip, you might like to stay in an all-inclusive resort. 

For a longer trip, you could go further afield, visiting Europe or Asia. You could visit some beautiful cities abroad. Knowing the amount of time that you have for your holiday will definitely affect your travel plans. 

2. Keep A List Of Favorite Destinations

You can simply keep a note on your phone of all the destinations that appeal to you, both domestically and abroad. When you have a holiday coming up, you can look at the list and decide which would be the most suitable place for your situation right now.

Ask your family which places appeal to them. You can build out your list. Then, taking into account your budget, the time of year, and the amount of time you have to travel, you can pull a destination from the list.

If you need some inspiration, just look at some of the travel blogs I shared on my map.

3. Think About How You Will Entertain The Kids

Threre is a simple recipe to a successful family holiday … if your children are happy, you will also be happy. If you are going somewhere hot, you might want to stay somewhere with access to a pool. If this is too expensive, try and stay close to the beach. All children love playing in the sand and splashing in the water. 

Some holiday destinations will offer kids clubs. This is great if you want some time away from the children. You will have extra time to relax, do some sports, or go on a dinner date. 

4. When You Want To Travel

Traveling during school holidays can be extra busy and extra expensive. Some parents choose to take their kids out of school a few days early so they can travel. During the longer summer holiday, you could travel a week or two into the holidays. You could also travel during Christmas Day, as it’s likely the airports will be empty. 

When thinking about the best time to travel to a particular destination, think about the weather, the crowds, prices of travel, and whether the best attractions will be open. 

5. Think About Your Budget

Some destinations are a lot more expensive than others. Consider writing out a detailed budget before traveling. This can include costs of travel, accommodation, food, and fun activities. Once you have the budget, stick to it. 

If you are flexible about when you can travel, you could find some great deals. You could also think about going off the beaten track and exploring some underrated travel destinations. You could find really cheap flights and holiday packages. 

6. The Purpose Of The Trip

Some of us love kicking back in our favorite beach chair and reading a book. Some of us like to hike mountains. Some of us love visiting museums and appreciating city architecture. When you are traveling as a family, you need to try and take into account everyone’s needs. 

Try and decide as a family what the purpose of the trip is. If your children are really young, they may not be able to sit for an 8-hour flight. If you have a pet, you either need to find a sitter or take a holiday where they can come. 

7. Ask For Recommendations

Use all your networks, both in-person and online, to get some great holiday recommendations. If you have friends with children of a similar age, ask them where they enjoyed traveling. Join some online forums for parents and families. 

You could find some great unexpected holiday destinations. You may even get recommendations for hidden treasures in your own state. 

8. Think About Transport

Knowing how you will get around is super important. It will impact other factors, such as where you will stay. If you are flying, you need to get somebody to drop you off, hire a taxi, or use public transport. 

If you are taking a road trip, you could either hire a car or use your own. If you are traveling by train, you need to think about how you will travel once you arrive at the station. 

9. Step Outside Of Your Comfort Zone

Traveling is an opportunity to expand your horizons. You are leaving behind your comfortable routine and leaping into the unknown. An all-inclusive resort can be fun but won’t allow you much chance to get out of your comfort zone. 

By going off the beaten track, you could find some amazing destinations that you never expected. Even if you have a difficult experience, you will definitely have some amazing stories to tell. 

10. Relax And Enjoy 

Preparing for your holiday is important. Taking all of the different factors mentioned in this article into account will help you to ensure a fun holiday. Doing research on holiday destinations will make sure that you avoid disasters. 

Ultimately though, wherever you end up, it’s important to remember that the point of the holiday is to bond with your family. It is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your relationships and see each other in a new light. Try to relax into the experience and have a good time. 

In Summary – Choosing A Family Holiday Destination

Knowing what you want out of your family holiday will help you to narrow down possible destinations. Think about your past holidays and what made them special. Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to think about the amount of time you have for vacation and the interests, ages, and personalities of your kids. 

Perhaps your next holiday will be a road trip, an inclusive resort, camping, or an excursion abroad. Hopefully, this article will help you to decide where you want to travel next.