The children’s break from school is the perfect time to plan that highly anticipated family vacation. Each member of the family is surely excited at the thought of enjoying a lazy day at the beach, going on a new adventure or, in the winter, enjoying a thrilling ski vacation with a picturesque view of the snow capped mountains. Family vacations are where memories are made.

BangTao Beach – Phuket – Unit ID 205909

It is definitely an amazing experience to travel with the entire family but it can also be unnerving and stressful at the same time. There are a few life hacks you might want to bear in mind to allow yourself a stress free time while in another country or in an obscure destination in the middle of nowhere. Here’s 5 great tips to have a stress free family vacation.

Travel Light

Nothing adds unnecessary hassle to your travel adventure than having to carry around huge luggage and bags. It can be time consuming to wait for them at airports and very inconvenient to move around, either on your backs or lugging them to different locations. The key is to pack light and systematically. Bring only those things you will actually need for your journey and leave those stuffed animals, extra shirts, or those huge books at home. Make a checklist so you won’t end up stashing everything into your backpack just to ensure you have not forgotten anything. You can also let the children carry their own bags, fill it with a couple of their clothes as well as with items that they might need a number of times while traveling, like wet wipes or their favorite binky or blanket, for example.

Color Coordinate Your Clothes

If you are planning to visit a number of popular tourist attractions, where people flock in like bees day in and out, it will be most convenient to color coordinate the entire family’s wardrobe to make it easy to spot your family members at any given time. Make sure you wear the same shade of tees or the same hat color while visiting a national park or a very populated beach. It will save you precious amounts of time trying to locate your son or your daughter in a throng of people.

Maximize Your Budget

While on vacation it is probably unwise to book yourself and family into a very expensive accommodation when you intend to spend the entire day at the beach or outdoors, anyway. Opting for those plush hotel rooms will just burn a hole in your pocket when you plan to make the most of the sun and outdoor adventures. It’s just money down the drain. Opting for vacation home rentals will allow you to enjoy a very comfortable accommodation at a fraction of a hotel room’s exorbitant price. Having kitchen facilities to cook meals can also save on costs too. The money you save from that hotel room can be spent on other things that will allow you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest, like a boat trip to a secluded island or snorkeling, perhaps.

In the heart of downtown Victoria, BC – Unit ID 205195

Experience Local Food

Apart from the beautiful and amazing attractions, the local cuisine is also a pride of any destination you may be. It would be most practical, not to mention quite a welcome experience, to sample the local delicacies and dishes while on vacation. Try some of those local hole-in-the-wall restaurants and eateries that offer equally interesting and tempting food instead of opting for the famous restaurants or fast food outlets you otherwise see everywhere. Selecting a local restaurant will also allow you to possibly save on your food budget, learn more about your surrounding location and offers the option of meeting more locals too.

Cook in! Unit ID 203143

Plan Your Schedule

Of course, it goes without saying that you really have to iron out your schedule when you plan to go on a family vacation. Apart from clearing everyone’s schedule so you can all go on a trip, it is also a must that everyone has an ample amount of free time right after your vacation. It will allow for unplanned and unnecessary delays, like flight delays or booking mishaps. Naturally, you cannot schedule a weekend getaway to a far off island when your oldest daughter is scheduled to march to her graduation next Tuesday. It will surely be very stressful trying to catch the quickest flight when everything is delayed and the weather is not cooperating so your child will make it in time for her graduation.

What tips do you have that has helped make your last family vacation stress-free?

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