A family holiday is what you make of it. The destination is of secondary importance. The ideal family holiday is one where the toddler, the teenager, and all the extended family leave with a cherished experience. If all family members don’t enjoy the holiday, you will spend the entire holiday working out compromises, interspersed with a few family experiences that will be the talk of the family for years!
Space for everyone and everything is a key consideration in part of planning a family holiday. A cot and pushchair take space. Accommodation options should include a place to retreat to after the kids fall asleep for the night, not just a place for them to sleep, and a place you can escape to at the end of the day.
When it comes to safety and the pace of a vacation, first consider the safety of your family. Accommodation should have safe pools and balconies. A packed schedule is great, unless you are managing an overtired five-year-old. Not every day of a vacation should be planned.
Per your family holiday, planned entertainment should have a broad enough appeal to several age groups. Kids’ clubs are a great way to entertain younger kids, but in a family with kids in a greater age span that includes a 15-year-old, the family holiday should be planned in such a way that members are able to break off to do their own thing during the day before reconvening at dinner.
Choosing the best accommodation type
Self-catering is flexible. You can eat whenever and don’t have to rely on restaurants with impatient toddlers. It is typically more affordable for a week or more. The downside is you have to cook and clean. Some families don’t mind this at all, while others wish they chose a different accommodation by the fourth day.
With all-inclusive, you don’t have to make a decision and you don’t have to pay for any extras like ice cream. You don’t have to worry about the daily totals for the bar tab. This is a great perk for families with young children. This accommodation type is best for short vacations because the cost is greater than the convenience.
Villas have privacy and space, most come with a pool. You probably won’t have catered meals unless you pay for it, so you will have to prepare and clean up after meals. This option is great for larger families or families with multiple generations because everyone will have space. This option is also best for the families with multiple generations because the grandparents will have their space away from the teenagers.
Self-catering and resort self-catering accommodations are on the opposite ends. With resort accommodations, everything is done for you, but you will eat and be expected to do everything else on their family’s schedule. This is fine as long as you are okay doing everything on the resorts schedule. This option is not great if your family’s schedule is out of sync with the other resort’s families.
Best times to travel with children
It’s no secret traveling during school breaks is more expensive. Many families try to save money by taking planned absences from school. While a vacation absence can be fun, it should be noted that some schools take absences very seriously. A more common practice is to travel during the shoulder seasons, just before and after the primary school holidays. Beach destinations are still lovely this time of year and outside of the school holiday seasons are less congested and more affordable.
When choosing travel dates, take into consideration how old your kids are. A six month old can’t watch movies or play with a tray table, and also can’t entertain themselves for a long flight, unlike a six year old. Planes are also notorious for being booked full, so if you have a choice, choose the evening flight that aligns with your kids’ normal bedtimes. This is also likely to give you the best trip with the least amount of planned activities.
Keeping kids entertained without over-scheduling
Trying to schedule every moment of your vacation can ruin the integrity of a good vacation. Some of the best family memories are made with unplanned time. For example, a bucket of sand or a volleyball can keep everyone entertained at the beach, and no one is keeping track of time. If you want a little more structure during your vacation, plan around the things that are included at your destination. A good kids club can keep kids entertained for hours while letting the adults spend some time relaxing.
Low-effort activities go a long way with beach vacations — a game of beach ball, an afternoon spent sandcastle building, or even rock-pooling. You don’t even have to plan anything to have a good time. Families that come back in the best way possible completely exhausted are usually the families that allow themselves at least a few days that are completely unplanned. They are not trying to book something for every single hour of every single day.
How it Works
Everything mentioned before are resorting to low-quality practices with no trade offs. The biggest ways to keep a family vacation more affordable without it feeling like a compromise are traveling during the shoulder season and self-catering. It’s best to combine this information with our guide to [budget holidays] to see the benefits of affordable family vacations and how to navigate package deals and hidden costs.
There are no hard and fast rules that define a great family vacation. The best family vacations are the vacations that accommodate your families’ desires most. Accommodations capturing the essence of your family’s daily activities and a slower and more realistic pace of life get you further than chasing the best Instagrammable vacation.