Getting Organized for Your Family Vacation

My family loves to go on vacations, but let's face it, vacations are not cheap. We begin planning and saving months ahead of time. I also take the time research and plan our trips. It's important to me to get the most for our money.

Saving and Planning

We begin saving money for our vacation anywhere from 3 months to 1 year ahead (depending on where we are going). I try to account for hotels, gas (or flight), attractions, meals, and souveniers when we set our vacation savings budget. Vacations are much more enjoyable when you don't have a big, nasty credit card bill when you return home. Pay cash...it's the only way to go. Think about how much you feel you can realistically save between now and your anticipated vacation date. Where can you go on that amount of money?

Planning ahead not only helps you save time and frustration on your trip, but it can also save you money. The Internet is a valuable resource for the vacation planner. You can fly by the seat of your pants, but don't get mad when you can't find a hotel in a hot tourist spot or you overpay for an attraction because you didn't get the coupon everyone else has. Planning helps you learn about the best places to stay, the best things to do and see, and even the best places to eat and shop! You can't underestimate the value of planning ahead. Now, does that mean you can't move off the beaten path? Of course not. Plan, but plan to be flexible and change your plans as you see fit.

Deciding Where to Stay

Consider your budget before choosing a place to stay. If you are like me you will want to find the best moderate priced hotel you can get for your money. I have a few favorites I always check first. I like a comfortable bed, clean room, and free breakfast! Drury Inn & Suites is my favorite general hotel. It's very nice and has lots of extra creature comforts for the money. They have the best free, hot breakfast around. Hampton Inn & Suites can be a little pricier, but sometimes you can get a good deal. The last time I stayed at a Hampton I got a free upgrade to a suite. The next hotel of choice is Fairfield Inn & Suites. I've never gone wrong with any of the three.

Deciding on What to Do

Deciding on how to spend your time depends your personality and your companion travelers. A couple on a romantic weekend will most likely take in different attractions than a family of four. What is your goal for the trip? Do you want to have a easy and relaxing trip? Are you game for adventure? Do you have a different peas in a pod to please in a family? Consider what you want to get out of your trip and then do an online search for attractions, shopping, museums, and other activities for your vacation destination. Find out what's out there before you decide. Perhaps you have some ideas in mind before from the get go.

In my family we have different interests. My husband loves anything outdoors. I love anything indoors (opposites do attract). My son is crazy about theme parks, and my daughter could stay in the hotel (as long as she deems it fancy) the entire trip and hang out at the pool. As I search for things to do, I try to find something exciting for everyone in my family. Compromise in planning your family travels is the key to a happy vacation.

Where Should You Eat?

I like to try new restaurants, but I don't like to be disappointed. As you plan your trip talk to others who have been there before. What do they recommend? Head on over to We8There and type in your destination. Real reviews from real people will pop up. Peoples tastes vary, but this may give you an idea of what to avoid! You can always go to old stand bys (chain restaurants) if you are not sure about the local places. Speaking of locals, don't forget to ask them! Where is the best seafood restaurant in town? Perhaps you will get lucky and find a true gem.

Traveling with Kids

One of the best ideas I ever came across is to put a day's clothing in an extra large ziploc bag. It's perfect for the kids. They grab a bag and get dressed. They put the dirty clothes back into the bag. This keeps things together and organized rather than dumped in your suitcase or spread around your hotel room.

Long car trips require entertainment. Put together a bag of all of their electronics, car games, books, and snacks. Take a stretch and potty break every couple of hours. Stop at a McDonalds with a playground and let the kids go to town for 10 minutes. Don't forget a small pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal.

Plane ride require careful packing. Double check to make sure you put your nail file in the check-in luggage. Pack the kids their own backpack with colors, coloring books, books, games, and snacks. Don't forget to make sure your older kids turn their cell phones off.

If you want to carry electronic entertainment, but don't want to carry half your house with you, then look at your different options. If your kid has a PSP you can get inexpensive software that copies movies from your dvds to your child's psp. They will need a memory card with a lot of memory. I bought my kids a large memory card for Christmas. It holds up to 14 movies! Ipods are small electronics as well. Keep all of the electronics and chargers in one bag. Don't leave your electronics in your car on hot days.

Making Memories

The one thing you don't want to leave at home is your digital camera. You can get a pretty good one for less than $200. When you get home you can create a digital scrabook at Kodak Gallery and order a beautiful hardbound book of your vacation adventures.

Vacations should be relaxing getaways and fun adventures. A little planning and foresight can keep your vacation from turning into a stressful nightmare.

Please leave your comments with other tips for vacation planning.