PHOTO: Why is this family so carefree on their vacation? They followed these 9 simple rules. (All photos courtesy of Thinkstock)
Organizing a trip for the whole family can feel overwhelming, and the bigger the group, the more there is to organize. Juggling a variety of personalities, opinions and travel preferences can put a damper on even the most sophisticated of traveling families, so here are nine tips to taking a smarter vacation.
Use a Travel Agent
A travel agent will go to bat for you if anything goes wrong, so one way to insure that you are protected on your journey, book with a travel agent. However, travel agents provide something even better when it comes to traveling with family: knowledge and a buffer.
They are experts in the destinations that they sell, which means that you have an expert to contact whenever you have a question about where you are going - both before, during and after the trip. They can also be a great buffer when it comes to dealing with strife on a trip and will work to resolve any issues that come up.
Purchase travel insurance
Don't be this guy.
There's nothing worse than the looming dread of thinking "what do I do if something goes wrong." It takes the wind out of everyone's sails (so to speak) on a vacation and can serve as an outlying stressor when you travel. Travel insurance can take some of that worry away by covering costs of changes to tours, flight arrangements and hotel stays as well as cover you in the event that something goes really wrong.
Don't break the bank
Plan a vacation you can actually afford. No kid wants to hear that they can't get a souvenir or an ice cream cone because there's no money left. And, especially with small children, they don't understand the difference between the Four Seasons and the Holiday Inn. Make sure you have enough discretionary spending left to actually enjoy the vacation that you booked.
Discuss plans as a family
Moms and dads out there; don't go it alone. Discuss plans with your kids and everyone traveling with you. This will avoid complaints and misunderstandings when you arrive in your destination or start your trip. Another good idea is to discuss each day's plans before you start so that everyone is on the same page. This is an especially good way to prevent temper tantrums with small children, but everyone appreciates having a clear idea of what they are doing before they leave - eliminating grandpa in the back of the car grumbling that "had he known we were going to the beach he would have…"
Schedule separate and together time
Pictured: Stress-free relaxation. Noticably not pictured: Children.
Just because it's a family vacation doesn't mean you can't send the kids to surf lessons while you and your partner go get a massage. It's a vacation for everyone, after all, and the beauty of having time away from one another is telling the stories of your experience once you are all back together. This also eliminates some of the fatigue of being with the same group of people for a lengthy amount of time.
Build in some down time
It's okay to spend a day laying on the beach or an afternoon hanging around in the hotel. Everyone needs time to decompress and you will be happy to have had some down time even on a short trip just to reboot as a family.
Build in a "wow" factor
It's expecting a lot to think that every moment of your vacation is going to be the most amazing experience ever. So if you build in some "wow" factors, you will come home with many lasting memories. Find something that the whole family agrees upon and plan it together to build up the excitement. The anticipation of the event will serve as its own buffer for whiny children and can be used as leverage to get kids to do things they may find not as exciting.
Take pictures
And don't go posting them to Instagram right away.
This may seem obvious, but when you have small children around or things are just chaotic in general, it's so easy to forget. I can't tell you how many times I've returned from a trip and wished that I had taken more photos, not less.
Plan a day of rest when you return
It's so tempting to hit the road and stay away until the last minute, but if you want to get back on track with the least amount of tears possible, build in a day at the end of the vacation to relax, get settled and prepare for the school week and work week ahead.
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