Steve GannMy Summer Family Vacation Guide
May 17th 2009 16:20
I'm here to help those that are still wanting to venture out on the annual adventure with a few handy tips.
Be Flexible
Just like you wouldn't want to go into a car dealership limiting your choice to make, model, and color you would be wise to be just as open in your vacation choices. Have three or four general choices and include the whole family in the research of each destination. A good idea would be to assign your children to do a report on each. This will involve them and help them with areas from spelling to essay writing. There are many good sites for research and one of my favorites is TripAdvisor.com. There are many great user generated reviews as well as user photos.
Flying or Driving?
The general rule that I use is that under six hours I recommend driving as the time saved would be minimal. There are other variables however, that should be considered in this argument. Are there some interesting side trips that you can include along the way? Do you have really small children that might have to make frequent stops? If you do decide to drive, I would recommend renting versus taking the family jalopy. You can save the wear and tear on your car and if something should happen along the way, a different rental is just a call away. Be careful not to over-insure your rental. You can use your insurance and many credit cards also include rental coverage. This is what could turn a good deal on a car into a hefty bill.
Don't Over Plan
This is an area that I have struggled with in the past. I have often lived with the "I'll rest when I'm dead" motto. Remember that the whole idea of a vacation is to rest and rediscover those strangers that you share four walls with the rest of the year. This is another area to involve the kids. Find three or four kid friendly activities and let them write why they would prefer one over the other. This is a good way to improve critical thinking and ensure the kids are a part of the trip planning. Make sure you plan at least one rainy day activity.If you are in an area with theme parks, then I would suggest looking for a hands on discovery center. These are great fun for the young and young at heart. Make sure you search the web for discount tickets and try to buy these before your trip. Many coupons are for sale on eBay and could save you hundreds on admissions.
Lodging
Remember the Golden Travel Rule for hotels "You are only sleeping there" Don't book a four or five star hotel if you are going to be gone for most of the day. What you want to look for is location and cleanliness. I have never been disappointed with any hotel that I have gotten from Priceline. I've also bought vacation weeks for half price or less from redweek.com and have even bid and won some great deals on lodging via eBay.
Travel Lightly
I see this everywhere. One person in the family gets stuck carrying a big backpack and ends up being miserable most of the day. I know fanny packs are pretty unhip, but they can carry a lot without hurting your back at the end of a long day. A good pair of safari shorts can also hold quite a bit of supplies.
Food
This is where you will spend most of your money. I good general rule I employ is to eat a late lunch at a buffet and snack for dinner. Avoid theme park food like the plague. Nearly all theme parks will give you free water for the asking and you could also stick a few packs of crackers in your pockets.
At The Park
Arrive early at the beach or the theme park before the crowds build. Most large parks now offer timed tickets, where you can get a ticket to ride at a desired later time. I would grab these up early for the most popular rides. Another helpful hint is to go against the crowd. Start at the back of the park and slowly work your way to the front when the crowds may be smaller later in the day.
I hope these tips serve you well and you have your best vacation ever this year.
Happy Traveling,
Steve
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