7 Tips for Planning Your Summer Family Vacation

Austin Adventures has been putting together family vacations for more than 40 years, and the Austin family are experts in the field. They know that planning travel for the whole clan can be complicated but with some simple advice, the process can be a whole lot easier.

"Planning the ultimate family vacation should be a simple and fun process, and we think you should enjoy the planning as much as you enjoy the actual trip itself!" says Austin Adventures owner Dan Austin.

"Including your kids in the decision-making from the beginning stages will get them excited from the start, and they'll feel like they had a say in the overall process," says Austin.

Austin recommends kicking planning off with a party, bringing books and catalogs, use Google, take notes, talk about favorite family vacations and ask questions.

Coming up with a realistic budget is an important part of making the vacation amazing. Don't forget to include food, accommodations, daily activities, transportation, tour guides, souvenirs, travel insurance and gratuities.

"Don't forget to track your spending during the vacation to see how close you were to your original budget and to help you plan more accurately for your next trip," says Austin.

Austin Adventures advises planning your vacation between six months to a year ahead. This lets you put it on your calendar so you can plan other activities around it.

"We're here to tell you that less is more," says Austin. "It's easy to overdo it, but we recommend slowing down and staying in each location at least two to three nights. If you miss something important this go around, you can always plan a trip back."

A small group setting not only gives families the chance to meet other families with a shared interest in travel, but also gives your kids opportunities to meet, play and learn with other kids while on vacation.

"We've had many families meet other families on our trips, who then choose to travel together each year, because they like each other's company so much," says Austin.

Pack a bag with books, snacks, extra water, gum for ear popping, an emergency kit, extra clothing layers, small games and playing cards, smartphones, tablets and headphones.

Austin Adventures' personal favorite: Pack a surprise plane bag that you don't let them see until they board. Include cheap trinkets like a coloring book, action figure, book, crayons, little sets of Legos, and/or a few favorite snacks/sweets that they will discover on the flight and keep themselves entertained for hours.

To keep kids from being bored-and from missing out on popular activities-booking ahead of time is crucial.

Kids can help with this planning process so you ensure everyone has something to look forward to and some "skin in the game," Austin Adventures recommends.