How to Survive Traveling with In-Laws

If Meet The Parents taught us anything, it’s that interacting with in-laws can be a nerve-wracking (or even disastrous) experience. The traditional negative thoughts associated with spending time with in-laws are not always true, of course, and many people get along very well with their new family members. Even so, if you’re planning on traveling with in-laws, you might want to consider some of these helpful tips for keeping things running smoothly.

Be Smart with Money

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Save big with Go City Cards![/caption] Be smart and save on admission to all the attractions you and your partner want to see with a Go City Card®. You'll save up to 55% on combined admission to top tours, cruises, museums, and other great attractions, plus get awesome extra benefits like the ability to skip the line or access to special exhibits.

Travel Together But Give Each Other Space

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Whale watches are a fun group activity that still leaves you time to explore on your own the rest of the day.[/caption] Even if you get along well with the in-laws, you don’t want to be with them for every waking moment. And chances are, you don’t want to spend the entire trip with your in-laws. The key to having a successful trip with them is to spend enough time with them, but not too much time with them. A cruise is a great example of a limited but still enjoyable activity you can do with the whole family - check out New York City sightseeing cruises or Boston whale watches. Try to plan some alone time with your husband or wife, like taking a day trip to California Wine Country or spending an afternoon on a private tropical beach. This will allow you to spend quality time together away from their family and give you a little break to truly relax! In general, you should plan to have at least one meal together with everyone, but break up into groups for other activities throughout the day. Try spending time with the family members you don’t know as well, or trying a new activity on a “double date” with your husband/wife and their parents.

If You’re Sharing Rooms, Be Considerate

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Early birds will love a walk or bike ride on the beach.[/caption] Sharing rooms with in-laws can be intimidating. Everyone will have their own schedules, habits and personal belongings. It’s important to respect these things and to be as accommodating and understanding as you can. If you end up rooming with someone other than your husband or wife, try to leave them with the best possible impression of you by being clean, neat, and courteous. If you're the kind of person that loves to be up early, maybe you want to head out for an early morning walk on the boardwalk to avoid disturbing your roommate. You can often enjoy great attractions - like the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium - before other people get up! Or, if you're a night owl, take a sightseeing cruise after dinner to enjoy the scenery in the beautiful twilight environment. Prefer to get out and do it up? Try club hopping (as long as you promise to be quiet when you get home!).

Remain Active and Upbeat on Your Trip

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Bus tours are a fun way to spend time together as you all play tourist.[/caption] The trip will be much more fun for everyone if there are some group activities planned. Try to come up with one or two suggestions for things to do for each day you’re away, even if they’re as small as playing a game or going to a movie. Look into local tours, attractions and recommended activities by past visitors. Some of the most popular family activities involve things you can do together, and things you can enjoy on your own time, but as a group. For example, top museums (like Chicago's Art Institute) can be visited as a group but enjoyed individually. Alternatively, you can all hop aboard a sightseeing bus tour to play the tourist for a few hours.

Take Care of Payment for the Trip

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Save your pennies for that perfect family vacation.[/caption] To avoid running into an awkward situation, you should always decide beforehand what the payment breakdown for the trip will be. If they are paying for the hotel, consider paying for the rental car and a few meals. Discuss the breakdown with your in-laws and try to come up with an appropriate solution depending on how many people are attending the trip. Just be sure that you never let your in-laws pay for an entire trip!

Save on Admission

Don’t stress out too much about traveling with your in-laws. Follow these tips, remain polite, relaxed and easy-going, and all of you are sure to have a fun and enjoyable vacation. And don't forget, you'll all be happier if you save money on all your attraction visits with a couple of attractions passes!