Plan your family trip: Every individual is unique. People differ from each other in one way or another. Even those who share the same DNA have at least one thing separating them from the rest.
This individuality is a beautiful thing to nurture in your family. However, it is also an additional challenge for planning the perfect vacation for your brood.
Big or small, families composed of diverse personalities often have difficulty agreeing on details of a trip because of their unique preferences.
Fortunately, there are ways you can overcome this hurdle.
This article sums up the seven best practices in planning a trip that everyone in your family will enjoy.
1. Get ideas straight from the source.
Because the challenge lies in differing personalities, the first and foremost step you must take when organizing a family trip is to identify each member’s preferences and interests. These will affect your vacation details and how well everyone can enjoy your holiday.
Are you and your spouse into extreme sports? Perhaps you have children who are quite adventurous? Either way, including indoor wall climbing into your itinerary may be a good choice.
Have a pet that your youngest child can’t leave home? Consider booking pet-friendly accommodation for your vacation.
Or maybe you’re more of a culture and history buff. If so, why not visit places that showcase the unique customs and traditions in the country or city you’re visiting, like the Presidential Palace or Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates?
The bottom line is to draft your vacation plan based on the information you get straight from the source – your family.
2. Deal with the generational gap.
It’s normal for a family – especially an extended one that covers more than two generations – to experience a gap in interests.
In many cases, this can be a significant source of conflict when it comes to making decisions about your family vacation. After all, you, your kids, and their grandparents are most likely to have different definitions of fun.
The good news is, you can deal with the generational gap while ensuring everyone’s happiness through compromise.
Of course, before you can get to an arrangement everyone will agree on, you must first:
- Keep an open mind.
- Open communication lines.
- Listen actively to what others are saying.
- Keep unconditional love at the center of your discussions.
3. Let the kids help in planning the trip.
Although the adults have the final say, children often have the loudest voice regarding family vacations – whether or not they’ve already learned how to speak.
Kkids tend to become the priority during family trips, affecting almost all parents’ decisions during the planning process. Of course, there are instances when parents just bring the little ones along without discussing the trip’s details with them.
Regardless of your family dynamics, you always have the option to enlist your children’s help with the planning. This way, you can avoid cranky school kids and teenagers during your holiday.
Start by asking for their suggestions on specific aspects of the vacation, such as the accommodation and activities. Just remember to avoid making it sound like they have the final say.
If you have older children, you can also put some decisions up to a vote. This will help them to feel that their input is just as important as yours.
It is also good to give them roles to play during the entire trip. Teenagers or pre-teens can handle budgeting and navigation, while the younger ones can serve as events organizers and happiness coordinators.
4. Choose an all-inclusive location.
One of the trickiest parts of vacation planning is selecting a destination. This is especially true if your family is composed of opposite personalities with interests on both ends of the spectrum.
Still, you must choose a location that accommodates all your family’s interests. Luckily, there are places that can accommodate a wide range of preferences.
A good example is Yas Island. Known as a major leisure hub in Abu Dhabi, Yas Island has something for every generation in the family.
For example, bookworms and culture buffs in the family would enjoy visiting one of the most comprehensive libraries in Abu Dhabi found at the Presidential Palace, Qasr Al Watan.
Speedsters and adrenaline junkies looking for an exciting vacation would feel right at home at Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit.
Meanwhile, those seeking a bit of whimsy and out-of-this-world fun would surely have a blast at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
Looking for a cooler way of enjoying the UAE? There’s no better place to do that than in Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.
5. Select the perfect date.
Once you have chosen a place to visit, it’s time to pick out the perfect date. Make sure that all family members can come, which means you must take into account everyone’s schedule.
An excellent way to begin is to factor in your family calendar, as it usually includes everyone’s time off from work or school.
If you have kids going to school, you might be looking at spring, summer, or winter breaks for your vacation.
Of course, you should still try to avoid peak seasons when airfare, hotel rooms, and ticket prices are generally higher, like during national holidays. The key is to find dates where the school vacations overlap with non-peak periods in travel and tourism.
6. Book your trip in advance.
Never disregard advance bookings because these will save you from a lot of stress during your family trip. This applies to transportation, accommodation, and holiday activities.
Besides being convenient and efficient, booking early could even help you save some cash. Some destinations offer discounts for group bookings done online, like those offered at the Yas Theme Parks and CLYMB.
7. Plan the logistics of the trip carefully.
Decided on your destination, hotel, and itinerary? Don’t forget to plan for the logistics of your family trip.
Firstly, you will of course want to ensure the safety of your property whilst you are away on vacation. This can be done in several ways, from having neighbors check on the house, parking your car on the drive, or setting your lights on a timer.
However, perhaps the best way to ensure full peace of mind would be to look at installing a security system similar to these alarm systems UK for your home.
Check if everyone’s passports are still valid. If they’re about to expire, make sure to have those renewed ahead of your vacation. Do this as early as possible since the process may take longer than you expect.
If you’re headed somewhere requiring a visa, file your application at just the right time, as some visas expire faster than others.
The key is to ensure that your passports and visas are valid throughout your entire trip.
Pro Tip: Check official channels to ascertain visa and passport validity and the length of application or renewal processing for the travel documents.
Plan and Enjoy Trips Together as a Family
Planning a trip with your whole family can become a fun experience for everyone.
The key is to enlist the kids’ help, choose the perfect date and destination, and plan your vacation together. This way, you can also enjoy it as a family, regardless of how varied your personalities and interests are.
Check out these awesome places in India for your next family trip.
