There’s a reason why any plans for a family vacation are made well, well in advance and that reason is that it is indeed quite the task. It’s an exciting prospect, yes, but it is also a colossal task to say the very least. Things could pop up between now and the departure date, but as with anything in life which forms part of your plans, the sooner you finalise your plans the better.

Book very early

This is perhaps an iteration of what I said in the introductory text, but that’s only because of how important booking early is. The biggest advantage you can get from making early bookings is the price factor. The earlier you book, generally, you get a price that can even be available to you at a fraction of what the accommodation and airfare would cost if you rather booked closer to the departure date. This applies even in the case that your targeted departure date falls within the characteristic peak season. The same applies if you’re thinking about renting a car or going on a road trip. If you’re planning a journey throughout Iceland, for example, there are companies like Rent.is (for more info, click on https://www.rent.is/) where you may reserve a van now and pay when you arrive.

Take your time before finalising your booking

No, this is not a paradox which goes against what I just said about booking early. You should book early but take your time before actually completing the booking. This is important especially in the case of using online booking platforms to search for accommodation and flight tickets. On a site like Booking.com for example, every Friday is somewhat of a “hidden deals” day while on a site like BudgetAir.com if you book well in advance or quite contrastingly a few days before departure, but you search for your tickets between midnight and 4 a.m., you’ll get a much cheaper rate on any flight tickets.

So perhaps let a week go by and on each day check how the prices you’re quoted fluctuate, because they tend to do so on online booking platforms.

Let everybody know of the date

This is just an organisational element of the planning of your trip and simply entails letting all your family members know of the date on which you plan to travel. This is just so that nobody can come up with any excuses of not being able to go as a result of something popping up. If they all want to come along they’ll have ample time to try and sway the dates a bit should there already be something lined up on those dates in their schedule.

Ask for family discounts

Whether you’re looking at villas in antiparos or penthouses in Paris, always ask if there’s some kind of family discount. There usually is a family discount which isn’t usually readily advertised so just make the inquiry and you might just walk away with a sweet deal.

Try to match the comforts of home

The key to enjoying a family getaway is to try and match all the comforts of home as a bare minimum, unless of course you’re going camping or something like that. Before you set off on your trip, ensure that you have planned out your itinerary as far as possible. When it comes to traveling with family, plan various activities that everyone can enjoy. For example, if you are visiting London, England, then take a look at things to do in Shoreditch and other parts of the city. You can surely find something fun for all the family! Plan out accommodation, food, and modes of transportation well in advance so that you do not have to do things last minute. Similarly, if you are planning to travel within the states, you can look for historical places that you could enjoy visiting with your family. On that note, you might consider looking at Historic Hotels in America which can be ideal for a great staycation.

Well, the point is, planning beforehand can save a lot of hassle for you and your family, especially if you have kids! For example, if you’re thinking of a New Jersey shore vacation, make sure you look at things to do in Cape May, NJ, or whatever beach looks good to you to find out whether it would be a good fit for your family. It also sets up a nice base from which to build and enjoy the local environment and all which it has to offer at the destination.

So there you go, some tips for you to plan a great family vacation without the worry and stress that often comes with travel. Follow these, and add more to the list if you wish to. Whatever makes your trip smooth sailing!