Organizing Family Vacations

Written by Brooke Tolman (last updated February 8, 2022)

At first thought, a family vacation sounds like an amazingly wonderful idea; until you actually have to start planning and putting it together. While the end result it usually always worth it, organizing a family vacation can put you on the verge of pulling out your hair. If you keep organized and follow a few simple tips, you'll ease the stress and make the whole experience an enjoyable task.

  1. The first thing you'll want to do is pick dates that work for everyone in the family. If your family consists of you, a spouse, and a few younger kids, then all you'll only have to coordinate with your spouse. However, if your family involves older children, or extended family, you'll have to make sure and coordinate dates with everyone. The best way to do this is have them write down the dates that they are available and commit to being there, and find overlapping dates that work for everyone.
  2. Once you have the dates picked out, location is next on the list. Have a family meeting to decide on places you'd all like to go, or if you're planning a family trip with family from around the country, try and pick a neutral location that will be easy for everyone to travel to. Make sure to research the destination before deciding, as you don't want to get there and find out it's a dud.
  3. Next on the list is to set a budget. Sit down and figure out how much you can spend without feeling too guilty. If you're low on budget you'll probably have to drive, rather than fly to your vacation destination. Keep your budget in mind when picking your location as well. Set up a budget determining how much you plan on spending for lodging, recreational activities, meals, and a miscellaneous category for unplanned purchases. Once you make your budget, stick to it!
  4. After making your budget, you'll want to look at how much you allotted out for lodging and find a place to stay that fits in your range. A fun, cheap alternative, if your family is up for it, is always camping. It costs next to nothing, and promotes family bonding.
  5. Something you'll want to work on next is finding activities to do while you're on vacation. Maybe your going to the beach and just plan on spending all your time there, but if not you might want to research museums, plays, hikes, or anything else that sounds fun. If your children are old enough, it might be a good idea to give them the assignment of finding one place they'd like to visit while your there.
  6. The last thing to remember when organizing a vacation is to make lots of lists. Make lists of things you need to pack, people you need to call, and things you need to do. If you have all the things listed that need to get done, you're sure not to forget anything.

The very last thing you need to do, is sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Have fun on your vacation.

Author Bio

Brooke Tolman

Brooke is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Exercise Science. She currently resides in Seattle where she works as a freelance data analyst and personal trainer. She hopes to spend her life camping and traveling the world. ...

MORE FROM BROOKE

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it jumpstarts your metabolism and gives you the energy you'll need to ...

Discover More

Organic Milk

Do you want to be healthy and help save animals? Drink organic milk. There are so many good reasons to choose organic ...

Discover More

Buffalo Meat

Buffalo meat is naturally flavorful and healthy, in fact if you didn't know; you would think you were eating regular beef.

Discover More

Cordless, Compact, and Powerful! DeWalt's 18-volt drill-driver kit packs a big punch in a small package, with a powerful high-performance motor tucked away inside a compact design. A great addition to the tool chest of any professional or DIYer! Check out DeWalt 18-Volt Drill/Driver Kit today!

More Organizing Tips

Preparing for a Babysitter

Whether you are a new parent, or been around the block a few times, there is one time when you are undoubtedly nervous. ...

Discover More

Organizing Family Schedules

Families can have pretty busy schedules, and keeping track of family members can be challenging sometimes. By ...

Discover More

Storing Thanksgiving Decorations

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the holidays for many people. Take a little time and effort to store your ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)