The Worst Family Vacation Mistakes You Need to Stop Making
Everyone enjoys a family vacation full of memories, delicious foods, and beautiful sights.
Whether you’re relaxing on a beach with powder-white sand or driving through the highways of America, there are tons of thrilling vacation itineraries and destinations to choose from with your family.
It’s also fairly easy for a vacation to go wrong; bored kids and traffic delays can easily sour the mood. Families often make some dire mistakes when it comes to planning, booking, and enjoying their trip.
It’s important to use the smartest strategies to mitigate disaster and delays when it comes to your family’s next vacation. The first step is to know what mistakes you might be making.
Planning As You Go
When you’re traveling with family, you’re going to want to be prepared. Leaving without an itinerary or schedule can make things more hectic.
You may not have time to visit every desired location on your trip. You may try to do too much, leaving you exhausted on a relaxing getaway.
It’s difficult to accommodate everyone’s needs when you don’t have a solid set of plans. You will miss out on plenty of opportunities when you don’t plan accordingly.
Your kids may also not appreciate the added stress that a lack of planning brings.
You don’t need a minute-by-minute schedule, but having a list of activities or attractions to visit can make a ton of difference in stress levels and vacation satisfaction.
Last-Minute Booking
You typically don’t want to leave any vacation booking to the last minute. Many attractions or hotel rooms can sell out by the time you’re ready for your trip. It’s also difficult to select preferred times or dates the closer you get to them.
Last-minute booking typically costs a lot more, especially when it comes to flights or other means of travel. There may not be enough seats for your whole family, making it impossible to embark on your trip!
Plan your vacation in advance. Travel insurance can help in terms of illness or emergency cancellations. You’ll save a lot of money and have peace of mind that you’re booking everything you’ve planned for.
Lack of Communication
Your trip involves your whole family, and your communication should, too. If you don’t include your kids or partner in your travel planning, you won’t be able to meet their needs.
Everyone should be able to chime in with an activity or attraction they’d like to participate in. When the whole family communicates, everyone will have more fun as a group.
Not all attractions will satisfy everyone, but with preparation and communication, boredom can be properly addressed.
Paying Too Much for Accommodation
Most families spend far too much on lodging than they need to. Regardless of your lodging preferences, you’re likely overspending on your family bookings.
Be sure to browse different types of lodging in your area to compare prices according to your budget.
If you have a specific hotel preference, take advantage of off-season pricing, coupons, or loyalty discounts whenever possible.
Room or home rentals through platforms like VRBO or Airbnb can be more affordable than hotel rooms, but you’ll want to double-check fees and policies.
You can even buy a vacation home if you choose the same destination each year.
While vacation homes are a significant cost upfront, you’ll save money in the long run when you don’t have to pay for hotel rooms. You can even rent your vacation home out to generate some rental income.
There are a ton of affordable vacation homes that are perfect for families, like scenic park model cabins or travel RVs.
Inefficient Travel Times
Are you always late to the theater or rushing through airport security? If you have trouble with accurate travel times, you may see a lot of trouble and stress on your vacation.
Make sure you account for traffic and any emergency stops when you drive anywhere. Add some wiggle room to the time it takes to travel somewhere to account for delays.
You’ll be able to see everything on time, which can boost the mood of the entire trip. Rushing through the airport is very stressful with kids in tow.
Ignoring Weather
No matter what type of vacation you’re embarking on, inclement weather can easily ruin a trip. Heavy thunderstorms or rain can cancel a lot of excursions.
Blizzards, thunderstorms, or hurricanes can be dangerous when you’re caught on the road or in the air.
You’ll want to pay close attention to the weather in the weeks leading up to your trip. Plan for rainy days and have a plan B for any outdoor excursions you’re on.
Fostering Boredom
Kids are easily bored when they have to wait for a while, and traveling involves a lot of waiting, from airplanes to train stations to attraction lines.
Make sure you pack snacks and entertainment to meet a child’s needs when they need to wait.
It can be frustrating to listen to whining or complaints when you’re trying to help everyone have fun, so keeping your kids entertained can mitigate issues on all sides.
Don’t create an environment that encourages boredom; be prepared!
Conclusion
The most important rule of any family vacation is to have fun. If your itinerary is causing you stress, try adjusting it to meet your needs.
Your itinerary should serve as a guideline or outline, not a set-in-stone rule. When you’re traveling, especially with kids, you’ll need to be adaptable and expect the unexpected.
Delays, illness, and other emergencies can happen easily. Rolling with the punches and connecting with your family is key to a successful trip.
