Traveling alone is fun, but traveling with your family is a new experience altogether. It brings you closer, and you create memories that stay forever. Today, I’m going to bring you the ultimate guide to family travel in 2016. This guide will include everything you need to know about traveling with your family. I’ll give you some top tips and advice to make your experience much more enjoyable.In this article, you will find tons of information about the top four things to consider while planning the perfect family vacation.
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Travel Guide for a Great Family Vacation
Choosing When To Travel for family vacation
It’s important that you and your family sit down and decide when you want to go on your travels. There are twelve months in the year, and each of them can be great for you to go on holiday. It all depends on everyone’s schedule, and what you want to do. For example, most people choose to holiday in the summer, because it’s sunny and the kids are off school. It’s a convenient time to travel but comes with a slight problem. Most airlines and hotels will ramp up their prices during the summer months because it’s so popular. So, it can be argued that traveling at a different time is the better option.
For those of you with children that aren’t in school, things are much easier to organize. You can go on a summer holiday during the early summer months when prices aren’t as high because schools are still in session. Or, if your kids are in school then maybe consider pulling them out for a couple of weeks to go on holiday? Provided they don’t have any exams; it makes sense to do this.
But, perhaps you don’t want a summer holiday? Maybe you already live in a nice location and are happy to stay there during the summer. Well, there are loads of other times in the year that you can go on holiday too. Maybe you should think about a nice winter holiday? Or, a short autumn break somewhere? It doesn’t matter when you choose to travel; there’s no right or wrong time. What matters is that you decide well in advance, so you can prepare everything for the holiday.
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Financing Your Travels for family vacation
Traveling alone is costly enough as it is, never mind with a family too. The size of your family will determine how expensive your family vacation will be this year. Obviously, more people means more flights to pay for, extra hotel rooms, etc. If you want to go on a family holiday this year, then I suggest you start saving well before summer approaches. Of course, if your kids are working then they should be able to pay for their flight tickets and help ease the financial burden on you.
But, even when you’ve paid for your travels, you still have to think about travel money. How much are you going to take with you? And, should you use your card while abroad? My advice is to bring some cash with you, as it makes things easier and more affordable. The amount you take will vary depending on how long you’re away for. But, make sure it’s enough to pay for things like food, entry to museums or parks, etc. As for your card, it’s not uncommon for your bank to block your debit card when you’re abroad if you don’t tell them you’re going traveling. They may think someone has stolen your details and is using your card. I suggest bringing a credit card with you, just in case you run out of money and have to pay for things using a card. There are things like the Chase Freedom credit card that offer low foreign transaction fees, which is ideal for a short family holiday. And, a lot of credit cards will give you travel rewards if you use your card abroad, so that’s an incentive to bring one along.
So, if you want to travel as a family, you need to be wary of a few things. Get your finances in check so you can afford to travel, that’s the main thing. Then, sort out spending money and don’t forget to bring your credit card along too.
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Best Travel Destinations
No travel guide would be complete without some helpful suggestions for destinations. This year there are a few places that stand out as ideal family vacation holiday venues. I’m going to start by picking some of the best places for a summer holiday and finish with a few winter destinations too.
Spain – Spain is always a solid choice for a summer holiday with your family. There loads to do up and down the country that will entertain you for weeks. If you fancy going to the beach, then there are some amazing ones on the coastline. And, you could even go to one of the nearby Spanish islands like Tenerife. For those that want a cultured family holiday, I recommend exploring the cities of Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid is the capital and full of lovely museums and great tourist spots. Barcelona is an iconic city that’s proud of its Catalan heritage. While there you can enjoy delicious food and some wonderful architecture.
Croatia – In the last few years, Croatia has emerged as a top holiday destination. It sits in central Europe and enjoys a warm summer climate. What stands out about this country is the scenery. Everything is beautiful, and the beaches are arguably the best in Europe. The sea is so clean and glistening all year round. Families that travel here can enjoy a relaxing holiday and explore a culture they probably don’t know much about. Try journeying into the city of Zagreb for a true Croatian experience.
Australia – Australia is a brilliant place to go to throughout winter. Why? Because when it’s winter here, it’s summer there! So, you can enjoy some lovely hot weather while everyone back home is shivering in the cold. It’s like going on a summer holiday, only in the winter. There’s so much to enjoy and experience in Australia. There are iconic monuments like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Not to mention the amazing Great Barrier Reef and so many sublime beaches.
USA – The USA is arguably the ultimate family vacation destination. It’s a great place to go all year round; there’s stuff for both summer and winter holidays. In the summer months, I recommend you go to Florida and enjoy the incredible weather there. Plus, it’s home to the Universal Studios and Disneyworld. These adventure parks are perfect for families of all ages. During the winter, you should experience New York City; it’s stunning. When the snow falls and the city is covered in a velvety white blanket, there are few things more attractive. And, you can journey up north to hit the ski slopes for a fun and exciting winter vacation.
Italy – Much like the USA, Italy is an ideal place for both summer and winter traveling. In the summer, it has a warm Mediterranean climate that is very enjoyable. You have a sumptuous coastline full of brilliant beaches. If you want to go there in the winter, then you should head up to Turin. This city gets very good snowfall and once hosted the Winter Olympics. As such, it’s the perfect place for a ski holiday.
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Additional Travel Advice
To conclude this guide I thought I’d bring you some extra travel advice. This is just a collection of miscellaneous things I think you need to be aware of. I do recommend you pay attention, as the advice can make your traveling experience a lot easier.
My first bit of advice is to create a schedule for your holiday. You’re only going to be away for a select amount of time, so you want to maximize your time. With a schedule, you can decide what you’re going to do each day. It lets you experience many things and ensure you don’t miss out on some key attractions in the country.
The second piece of advice is to sort out your travel insurance. It’s not advised that you travel without insurance, just in case things go wrong. Make sure that it’s all sorted and that your entire family is covered by it. I think this is particularly important if you’re going on a ski holiday, as they can be dangerous. Someone could hurt themselves on the slopes, and it will cost a fortune if you don’t have insurance.
Thirdly, I highly suggest you and your family get health checkups before you go anywhere. You need to know if anyone has any health issues that can be problematic when you’re away. Plus, when going to exotic countries, you may need some jabs to protect against diseases. Make sure you go to your doctor and get everything checked out before you leave for your holiday.
And on that note, you’ve reached the end of my guide. I hope that all of the information above is useful to you and your family. As someone that’s traveled a lot, I know that being with a big family can get stressful at times. However, with my advice, your holiday will go smoothly, and everyone will have an excellent time.
