How to Survive Vacation with a Large Family
Taking a vacation with a large family can be difficult. There are many more people to transport, many more bags to carry and many more opinions to consider. Whether your family is planning a camping trip, a sightseeing tour or a trip to Hawaii, here are some tips that can help you survive.
Start Planning Early
In order to have enough time to plan a trip for the entire family, you should start looking at flights, hotels and attractions about a year in advance. Booking your trip this early will allow you to save money, as large groups will be booking multiples rooms. When you’re looking for a time to book your trip, try to schedule it during the destination’s off season. For example, try to book a trip to Disney World in the second week of March instead of the week before Christmas. Costs can increase by 50% during busy weeks like school vacations and college spring break.
Vacation Destination
When selecting a destination for a large family, you’ll want to choose a location that will satisfy most, if not all, family members. Try to pick a place with a lot of things to do, whether it’s shopping, swimming, skiing or sightseeing. You’ll want to plan at least one activity a day to keep everyone entertained and having fun. Great family destinations include Disney World, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Seattle.
Where To Stay
When you’re booking rooms for a lot of family members, hotels can be one of the most expensive parts of the trip. Call ahead to ask the hotel if they have a discount for large groups, as the hotels themselves sometimes have specials not advertised on other travel sites. You might even be able to get a deal as good as a 2-for-1 special just by calling the resort. You may want to look into hotels with condominium-style accommodations, as the rooms there usually come with full-sized refrigerators (though some hotels will also let you rent a small fridge and microwave if they don’t come with them). Shopping for food at a nearby grocery store can save your family huge amounts of money, as dining out every day can be extremely costly. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about picking a restaurant that everyone will like. If you decide to go to a theme park, packing lunches is definitely the way to go. You’ll have healthier food for much less.
Attractions
Consider all options in the area and research some cost-effective solutions to ticketing. If your family members all want to go to different attractions, some compromising will have to be done, but try to schedule your plans well in advance to avoid any potential issues. If you’re traveling with a large group of kids, you should look for attractions such as zoos, water parks, kids’ museums, fun tours, shopping centers and live entertainment. Keeping the kids busy is key to having a stress-free vacation.
Make Some Memories
While your family is together, make sure you take lots of photos and videos to remember the trip by. Framed photos from your trip or a scrapbook of pictures, brochures and other souvenirs can also be great presents for holidays and birthdays! You should also encourage your family to keep a travel journal so they can remember all the fun they had on this vacation.
Don’t Forget To Relax!
While keeping busy is good, you should also plan for some pure relaxation time. Plan for at least a few hours of the trip just to enjoy lounging by the pool, going for a walk or having a movie night. You don’t want your family to be overtired and cranky, so having some rest time will do wonders.