Monday, August 27, 2007

How to Plan Stress Free Family Vacations

By Peter Coughlin

If, like myself, you've got children, you'll no doubt understand my apprehension at the prospect of traveling abroad as a family this summer. Traveling with kids is not for the faint-hearted or disorganized. Having made enough mistakes in the past for us all, I now know that it's all in the preparation.

Firstly, you need to make sure that wherever you're heading it's going to be child-friendly. I know this sounds fairly obvious, but it's amazing what we forget to consider when we get in the holiday mood. We start thinking about those wonderful beaches and blue seas, and imagine that of course we'll be able to find something for our kids to do when we get there. Right.

My kids love playing on the beach, for an hour or two, or maybe the afternoon if I'm lucky, but then it's time for something else. Don't underestimate how quickly children can speed through your itinerary of activities and events. Mine can fit into two days what a normal person would need a week to accomplish. You can't have too many options. Really.

Brochures are great and can give you a fair idea of what to expect, but nothing beats being able to speak to someone who has been there. It may be one of your friends who has recommended the holiday, or it may be the travel agent who is working out the details for you, or it may even be the proprietor or manager of the hotel. Talk to them and ask them all the right questions, such as;

* What activities are there available for children?
* How much do they cost?
* How easy are they to get to?
* Are there any age limits or restrictions?
* Do they have to be booked or reserved in advance?


Thankfully, we're not short of destinations for children these days. And to be honest, I really enjoy some of these theme parks. I never had the chance to visit anything like them when I was young, and it kind of brings out the kid in me again.

If you can, get the kids involved before you go. They love the pictures in the brochures and can get really excited about it. In addition to avoiding those "I didn't want to come here anyway" situations, you've also got a useful distraction to talk about on the way, asking them what they're going to do first, which looks the most exciting ..etc. No that I think anything will ever prevent the "are we there yet?" but hopefully it might be more to do with anticipation than boredom.

These are just a few tips for making your family vacation as enjoyable and stress free as possible. Find more great tips on traveling at our travel tips website.