Planning a family vacation with extended members can be an exciting time to reconnect. You'll have the opportunity to bond with loved ones who live in different cities and rarely see each other. Organizing a holiday for a large group of people can be challenging. But, with some expert planning, you should be able to pull it off and make some great memories. Wondering if the seniors of the family will be interested? Should you check out this pdf released by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), you’ll learn that at least 25% of the baby boomers generation enjoys taking trips with their extended family. Of course, you’ll have to begin preparations months in advance so everyone can coordinate their work, school, and vacation time. If you’re wondering where to get started, here’s how.
BEGIN BY MAKING A SOCIAL MEDIA GROUP
The first step toward a perfect family vacation would be to create a group on a social media platform. Add in all the members who will be joining you. In this way, you’ll be able to provide updates to everyone without having to contact them individually. You'll avoid a lot of back-and-forth communication and everyone will know what the others are thinking and planning. Welcome suggestions and inputs. But you may need to choose a particular person who is good with organizing. Allow him or her to take the lead with finalizing the list of people who’re going, and making inquiries and bookings.
PLACE AN ORDER FOR CASUAL TEES IN DIFFERENT SIZES
Were you just startled by this suggestion? When you think about it, group members wearing similar tees can make the family vacation go off smoothly, and eliminate a lot of confusion. Having your family wearing a common logo makes it easy for you to identify members in a large crowd of vacationers. Pick out a t-shirt design that says something about how you feel about each other or maybe, the destination you’re visiting. As you hand out the tees, expect excited laughs and delighted comments. Given that cotton tops are a summer staple, recipients will love to wear them. Remember to order tees in sizes perfect for the grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts, and kids.
YOU COULD GET ATTRACTIVE DISCOUNTS
Consider booking a destination or venue that is family-friendly. With a little research, you should also be able to get attractive discounts on logistics. Get all your family members to brainstorm and come up with ideas for the cheapest fares. Like the folks at TripSavvy suggest, contact the management of hotels and other rentals and inquire if they can give you great deals on bulk bookings. You could also check online travel sites for packages and other offers they may have. When looking for affordable rooming, keep in mind that sharing suites or renting a villa on the beach or at a mountain resort could help you make major savings. Ask your family members to wear the holiday tees when arriving at the stayover so the staff can identify them as belonging to a specific group and help you get settled in smoothly.
KEEP EXCURSIONS SMALL
When planning a family vacation with different age groups, accept that not everyone will like the same activities. A good way to make sure all the members have a fun time, welcome suggestions about activity options just as this article on the TravelChannel advises. Perhaps, the seniors would like to spend time on the beach or visit gardens and museums. On the other hand, the little ones may want to go to an amusement park, zoo, or aquarium. Or, maybe, some people want to go wine tasting, shopping to check out the latest fashion trends in the city, or souvenirs. Often times, a single location has different entertainment options for all age levels. You could travel together and have everyone meet up at a particular time for meals and the ride back to the hotel. Having trouble finding your family in the crowds? Get them to wear baseball caps or visors imprinted with a logo so you can easily spot them.
MAKE THE BEST USE OF EVERY MOMENT
A family vacation is possibly the best way for people to indulge themselves. For instance, encourage grandparents to spend quality time with young kids while their parents can go off for a quiet dinner. Sign up the women for a luxury spa while the men pool their babysitting duties. Or, sports enthusiasts can take control of a room and watch a game while the others go sightseeing or catch a much-awaited movie. Planning a lakeside getaway? How about teaching teenagers to catch fish or maybe, go hiking to explore the natural beauty of the region. The seniors can join them or just enjoy naps in the warm sunshine.
SHARE GROCERY SHOPPING, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY CHORES
Parents who are raising young kids will welcome the opportunity to have others take care of a few chores for a change. If you’re planning to book an entire house for the family vacation, split regular tasks. Like this feature on ThePointsGuy recommends, invest in a discount card at a local grocery store or find a farmers’ market where you can buy economical supplies. Let everyone pitch in organizing and cooking meals along with cleaning up afterward. Save on the amount of baggage you’ll have to bring by running a couple of loads of laundry. When you’re traveling with kids, the last thing you want to do is return home with bags full of clothes covered with ice cream, mud, peanut butter, ketchup, milk, pizza sauce, cake, icing, and just about anything else.
Going on a family holiday can be tons of fun and you’ll return with a lifetime of memories. Try to plan every possible detail in advance and you’re sure to enjoy the experience. Also, be prepared for all sorts of unexpected stuff to happen. Just deal with every situation as it comes up and keep your humor intact. At the end of it, you’ll already be planning the next trip to a whole new destination.