Top 5 Locations for Family Vacation

Planning a family vacation can be a daunting task, as each family member has different preferences and needs.It can be quite challenging to find the perfect destination but proper planning and communication can make it possible to create a memorable and enjoyable vacation experience for all in the family

Planning a vacation for a family requires lots of budget. It is quite different from Solo travel where you can wake up one morning and decide to fly to wherever your heart leads.But we can’t say the same when an entire family of three or above is involved. You have to carefully plan, so that each member of the family enjoys and has the best vacation experience.

Also, a vacation is quite different from a business trip or meetings hence, you need to take out time to consider available locations and how the features of that Location appeals to the needs of each family member.

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How to plan a Family Vacation

1. Put each family member into consideration.

The first step to planning a family vacation is to consider the needs of each family member. You may start by having a family discussion where you discuss potential destinations and activities to try out during the period of the vacation.While discussing this, also remember to include your budget, time of travel and accommodations.

Under budget, you want to review your finances and see whether it will cover the needs of each family member for the vacation trip and also cover any unexpected excesses that may be accrued as a result of unforeseen circumstances.

Remember, unforeseen circumstances must not always be in the negative, it can also be in the positive. You may come across a new opportunity that will be too good to miss and you sure will not  want to miss out on it; think about that and include it in your budget.

Then under time to travel, you want to consider how the timing affects the activities of each member of the family. For instance, does it affect the employment of anyone in the family? Does it affect the academic calendar of the children or other members of the family?

Remember, a vacation is meant to be a relaxing moment for each family member and it will be great to have everyone fly with little or no worries about how their activities back home will be affected while they take out time to relax.

If the kids are not on vacation from school at the time of your family vacation trip, and are too young to be left behind, you may want to speak with their school authorities to see how they can help the kids cover up what they may miss during the period that they will be away from school.

Also, if your spouse is not on official leave, it will be reasonable to ensure they write and obtain an official leave from their employers so that they can be fully involved with your family vacation trip without worrying about losing their jobs.

In cases where the damage that will be done by involving each member of the family at the time of the trip will be too severe, you may consider choosing another convenient time for the trip. For instance, will the kids miss their promotional exams because of the trip, will your spouse be at the risk of losing their jobs because of the trip?

Remember, vacation does not have to be once in a lifetime and there are no hard and nail rules that say it must be within a specific period of time. The goal is for everyone to take time out and go cool off and rest so if the timing is not convenient, consider adjusting it to a time that will be convenient enough for everyone.

Another thing to consider in terms of “time” is to know what the weather condition of the vacation location is as at the time of traveling. We all know that weather conditions differ from place to place and every weather condition affects each person differently. For instance, in Nigeria, we have basically two seasons which are the dry season and wet season.

These two seasons actually consist of three significant climate zones which are a tropical savanna climate, sahelian hot and semi-arid climate and the tropical monsoon climate.

These climates affect different regions of Nigeria in each two seasons that exist in Nigeria which are the wet and dry seasons. These changes affect each person differently, hence the reasons we often hear people talk about the period of season they enjoy the most.

During the dry seasons, some persons may prefer the Harmattan season which is usually cold as a result of winds from the Sahara yet very dry that lots of persons are compelled to use extra moisturizer to keep their skin moist and prevent it from looking flakey.

Those used to these weather conditions are accustomed to being able to manage it properly, hence whatever the outcome is in each season,it can hardly be different from what they are used to.

But unlike an environment that we are used to, vacation locations are environments that we or members of our family going on the vacation with us are or may not be used to, hence taking time to understand the actual season of the vacation location we wish to travel to at the time of plan will help each family member to be prepared to manage the condition properly.

Imagine traveling to Walt Disney World, Florida when winter is at its peak and you, some or all members of your family are not adequately prepared to handle the weather condition in that season, of course the vacation may not be so enjoyable and some may even give in to cold or  flu and no one will ever want to have such a vacation memory.

The goal should not just be about having a vacation but having a memorable vacation that stays retained in the memories of each member of your family for as long as possible.

2. Set a budget and stick to it

Having considered the needs of each family member, the next on your bucket list should be “budget”. Having a well detailed budget will enable you to know if you are truly ready to handle your family vacation project or not.

A budget helps you to have an advanced plan on how you will spend your money, what to spend it on and also determine if you have enough money to spend or not on a particular project, item or gadget.

With a well planned budget, it’s easy for you to discern if you are spending in the right proportion. You will be able to detect when you are about to spend too much on an item and think whether it’s necessary or not.

Keeping and maintaining a budget is easy if you keep a daily track of your income and expenses, with that, it’s very easy to determine your monthly/annual income and also know what is left of your income after your expenses each day. Whether you are a high income earner or a low income earner, keeping track of your daily expenses will make your budget easy especially for a family vacation plan. One look at your balance from the sources you spend on daily, you already know how much cash you have to plan for a family vacation.

What to Consider When Budgeting A Family Vacation.

When you want to plan a budget for a family vacation, there are five crucial things you must consider. One is accommodation reservations, two is food, very important and three is activities, the fourth is clothes and the fifth is travel insurance.

• Accommodations Reservations: You have to determine what it will cost you to pay for a comfortable accommodation that will accommodate every member of the family. You also need to book early enough so that you can get the best there is available. Going on a vacation as a family can be quite stressful especially when some members of the family are kids and toddlers but if you can make them comfortable, then it will be less stressful.

You can look up some or all of the types of accommodations to expect during vacations and plan to choose what is best for your family according to their age, needs and preferences.Also remember that you will need to book activities ahead of time so that you don’t get disappointed or have any member of your family disappointed on arrival.

• Flight Tickets: In your budget, you should also consider the cost of tickets and the best airline for your location.Also remember that, each airline offers different sorts of comfort and convenience at different rates, so you want to consider which one suits your budget and stick to it.

• Shopping List: Depending on where you and your family are headed for your family vacation trip, you may need to shop for new items like clothes, shoes, bags, or even camping items.Apart from these, some groceries like cookies and chips to snack on during flight may also be required depending on the age of your kids, should they exhaust what they will be served on board.

• Miscellaneous: You may already have all you require, or all you think you need and be all set but ensure to set aside a certain amount of money incase of any eventuality while on vacation with your family.

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Locations to visit for family Vacation

1. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

One of the best places we recommend for family vacation is the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Florida. This park has some of the most thrilling sites that will create a lasting memory for a family vacation especially in the minds of your little humans.

Being the first park in the United States, it has a blend of natural scenery and wonders. Yellowstone National park has about 500 geysers and the midway geyser basin is quite a sight to behold. 

Apart from geysers, the park also have the Larma Valley which is home to some animals

It will be both thrilling, exciting and educational to visit this park as a family and it will sure create a long lasting impression on your little humans.

Overall, Yellowstone National Park, Wyonming has other beautiful sites that are quite appealing and there are lots and lots of fun activities one can explore there from Horseback riding, to boating and swimming and hiking, it is one of the most suitable locations for a family vacation.

2. San Diego, California

Another beautiful location to explore as a family is San Diego, California. San Diego California is known for its beautiful scenery of natures’ best features like beaches, and parks. Its beaches are swimmable and the beach sand is perfect for sandcastles’ building for you and your loved ones.

Also, San Diego is home to the USS Midway Museum, San Diego zoo and the Balboa park which are all filled with family friendly and fun activities and games for all ages. The city also has accommodations to suit all budgets so it is another beautiful location for family vacation.

3. Niagara Falls, New York

Niagara Falls has some of the most attractive sites and activities for everyone in the family to explore during a family vacation trip.

In Niagara Falls, one can hike through the ruins of the first hydroelectric power station or hike through some of the best trails in the country.

One can also visit the Observation Tower which provides the only wide view of all the three Niagara Falls or spend time watching the different species of birds right from the observation towers.

Niagara Falls also has one of the best restaurants that caters to the needs of visitors to the Falls. You can choose from a variety of American cuisine to classic dishes such as  Niagara fish and chips, burgers, beef on weck etc.

Or you can choose from desserts like chocolate cakes or cheese cakes. There is definitely something for everyone in the family when it comes to food, fun activities and games.

4. Walt Disney World, Florida

Walt Disney World, Florida is another beautiful location to visit with your family. One of the exciting features of Walt Disney World is that it has lots of attractive scenes for kids especially.

It has parks with themes and lots of cartoon characters that will definitely thrill your little humans.

Walt Disney World has four individual theme parks that a family can choose to explore. From the EPCOT, to Hollywood studios, to the Animal Kingdom and the Magic kingdom, a family vacation to this location is certainly going to be  a never to be forgotten vacation for everyone in the family.

5. Washington D.C.

Another Location in our recommendation for family vacation is Washington D.C. This place is home to about 20 museums and some monuments which means a visit to this location will not only be exciting but educational as families can explore the historical arts and some monuments and also learn the history behind it.

Washington D.C is also features the Smithsonian’s National Zoo which is home to different species of wildlife like the Abyssinian ground hornbill, American Alligator, Aquatic Caecilian just to mention a few. It will indeed be thrilling and exciting to get a close view of these wonderful sights and families can make a beautiful vacation memory when they travel to this location for their family vacation.

Summary

This article has highlighted five amazing places to visit as a family during family vacation trip. The article also gave budgeting tips to families planning a family vacation and highlights some of the features of the five suggestions given here as the top 5 locations for family vacation.

We are sure that the suggestions in this article will help you decide on your next vacation location with your family. If you would like someone to plan your family vacation for you within your budget, reach out to Silvercloud Travels. We will be glad to plan a suitable family vacation for you within your budget.