Family Travel Planning: Tips for Unforgettable Vacations

There's no perfect age or ideal time to start traveling as a family — every stage of family life brings its own challenges and rewards. 

Whether you're navigating the unpredictability of toddler tantrums or trying to keep your teens happy, staying home can feel like the stress-free (and cheaper) option.

But you will miss out on amazing experiences with the ones you love most. 

Traveling as a family strengthens your relationships and enriches your children’s lives while creating unforgettable memories. 

With the right strategies, you can enjoy quality time with your family with as little stress as possible. 

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Choosing the Perfect Family-Friendly Destination

The neat part of planning a family vacation is that almost any destination can count as a fun adventure. 

You might want to save scaling the Swiss Alps or visiting Tokyo for when your kids are out of diapers, but a weekend camping trip at a nearby national park or exploring a small town’s hidden gems can be just as memorable.

Factors to consider when picking a destination

Before you choose a destination, determine what your family vacation goal is. 

Would you like to pack in several attractions within a short period, or are you hoping for a relaxing trip that feels like a getaway from the everyday buzz? 

When I plan a trip, I look for cities with several attractions within 15 to 20 minutes of each other. This allows us to spend less time in the car. Plus, many cities have discounted passes that let you see local museums, amusement parks, aquariums, and more for a third of the cost. 

For a vacation that feels less go-go-go, I look for quieter towns close to the ocean or unique parks. For example, Luray, Virginia, is a hidden gem of a town with less than 5,000 people, yet families can still enjoy the Shenandoah National Park, caverns, a garden maze, a zoo, museums, and more. 

Best family destinations by age group 

You will always find families that have traveled everywhere with kids at every age. There are no hard or fast rules about which destinations are best. 

However, I saved destinations like Africa for teenagers, since African safaris tend to be pricier (I'd prefer if kids remembered the experience). Also, some destinations can come with additional vaccination requirements, which can be harder on babies and toddlers. 

Toddlers and preschoolers

Cities like Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California are packed with theme parks and are family-friendly for all ages. 

Both cities have Disney and other fun parks such as Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios. 

Another easy destination for this age group is San Diego, California, which has beaches, SeaWorld, and LEGOLAND.

School-aged children 

For those wishing to stay in the U.S., Washington D.C. is great for most families because of the number of free activities available. 

You can visit the Smithsonian museums and zoo, as well as memorials and historical sites without worrying about admission costs. 

If you want to venture outside the States, countries like Canada and Australia can be less intimidating since English is the main language spoken.

Both places are full of gorgeous wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. Not to mention that seeing Niagara Falls should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Teenagers

Traveling with all ages is fun, but there is something special about sharing life-changing experiences with teens, whether that’s zip-lining through the forest canopy in Christchurch, New Zealand, or watching a real sumo wrestling match in Tokyo, Japan. 

If you prefer to stay in the States, teens will love the energy of New York City, from experiencing Times Square and the Empire State Building to seeing a Broadway show. 

Avoiding common mistakes in destination planning

The number one mistake families make when planning their vacation is trying to pack everything possible into one trip. It makes sense: It can feel like this will be your only trip to Italy/Hawaii/fill-in-the-blank dream destination. 

While you don’t want to waste the opportunity, you also don’t want to burn yourself or your family out by packing a month’s worth of activities into one week. 

Instead, for a week-long vacation, pick three to five major points of interest and then plan a day or two to rest and enjoy the area. 

Another common mistake is not balancing the itinerary to fit the interests and needs of all members of your family. 

If you have a mix of younger and older kids, you need a mix of activities that will keep them all happy. A good way to find this balance is to have family members vote on the travel agenda before you leave. 

Plus, don’t forget to throw in fun restaurants and snack stops along the way.

Preparing for the Trip: Essentials and Tips

Planning a family vacation involves more preparation than just picking a destination and booking flights.

From strategic packing to making sure you're covered if someone gets the sniffles, there are several key considerations that can make or break your family trip.

Top travel gear for family trips 

Traveling with little ones can require a lot of gear — typically the younger they are, the more gear they require. 

Depending on how far your destination is, it might be better to use a baby gear rental service versus lugging your $400 stroller across the country. For example, you can rent a car seat or stroller for as low as $10 to $12 per day in Kauai through BabyQuip. 

You can also look for family-friendly vacation rentals and hotels that offer baby sleep units and toys within the price. 

Babywearing is ideal for most infants since you can strap your baby to you and manage your luggage too. Most airport security will allow you to go through metal detectors while babywearing, though some might pull you aside for extra scanning. 

It is important to get your child used to babywearing before the trip. You should both be comfortable with the carrier — try babywearing around the house, on walks, and on errands until it feels like second nature. 

Travel umbrella strollers are easier to manage than a full stroller and are helpful for parents of children as old as seven. After a long day of travel, you aren’t going to want to juggle your luggage and 60-pound child! 

They are easy to gate check and compact enough if you need to transport them in a shuttle bus or rideshare. 

It is better to use a car rental service that offers car seat add-ons rather than bring your car seat. Car seats can get banged up with the other luggage. For toddlers and older, inflatable booster seats are an inexpensive and compact alternative. 

Inflatable footrests are also a popular parenting hack for long flights since it turns the airplane seat into a bed.

Packing tips for family travel 

Even if you have a free checked bag with each ticket, you need to pack with a strategy from the start to keep your trip stress-free. 

Generic packing checklists are a great place to start, but you really need to sit down and think about your unique family’s needs on this trip. Take a piece of paper and make a grid with each family member’s name on top and then each day/planned itinerary item on the left side. 

First things first: Plan for when you arrive. 

If you are arriving late at your destination from a long day of travel, make sure you pack comfortable sleep clothes and everything you need to get ready for the night in a carry-on bag, just in case something happens to your luggage. 

Even if you aren’t arriving at night, it is a good idea to have a separate set of clothing and toiletries ready in a carry-on if you get separated from your luggage for the day. 

Next, plan outfits for each day and each major outing, checking the weather forecast as you plan. For example, if you will be at an amusement park all day and then dining at a fancy restaurant at night, each family member will probably want two outfits for that day, not including sleep clothes. 

Don’t forget to bring extra outfits for kids when accidents happen — there have been times we have tossed onesies from diaper explosions because it was too hard to launder the outfit while traveling. 

Speaking of laundering, planning your trip around a room with access to a washer and dryer can allow you to pack significantly less. 

Packing cubes will make it easier to organize your suitcase and keep everyone’s wardrobe manageable. You can either use the cubes to separate your days of travel or to keep each family member’s items organized. 

Finding the right travel insurance for families 

Accidents happen and sicknesses come at the worst time possible. You will need to think about having travel insurance for a few different scenarios of your trip:

• Needing to cancel or reschedule before leaving
• Covering medical emergencies out of state or abroad during the trip
• Trip interruption coverage due to illness or weather 

Certain travel credit cards can come with a layer of protection for canceling or rescheduling your trip before it happens, as well as travel delay coverage and reimbursement for lost luggage. However, even the best travel cards have limitations and caps.

This is where a travel insurance company comes in. Depending on the level of coverage you opt for, you can protect your family from trip cancellations before and during the trip. This includes protection on nonrefundable trips — both domestic and international travel. 

Before choosing travel insurance, know how much coverage you will need. Check what rights you have without buying separate insurance, both from where you booked your vacation and the credit card you booked your trip with. 

Then read reviews on different travel insurance companies, specifically looking for reviews from travelers who booked similar destinations. You can use an online broker like VisitorsCoverage to sift through the many options out there.

Budgeting and Saving for Family Vacations

It’s a balance between making memories and not blowing through thousands of dollars on your dream vacation. 

Here’s how to make sure you are saving where it counts and spending on worthwhile experiences. 

How to budget for family vacations 

Start with how much you can spend on your vacation or how much you can realistically save before your trip. 

If you are currently good about stashing $500 into a sinking fund each month, then you know a $3,000 trip in six months is doable. 

However, if you haven’t developed a habit of budgeting or saving, a roundtrip to Europe this year might not be feasible. 

Next, divide up your trip budget to account for transportation, accommodations, activities, meals, and souvenirs. 

Here’s a good breakdown to get you started:

• 30% transportation: This includes flights, rental cars, gas, public transport, and rides.
• 20% accommodations: This covers hotels, vacation rentals, or resorts. Include resort fees in this total.
• 25% meals: All food and drink costs fit here. 
• 20% activities: This includes all tours and entry costs. If it is an activity on your trip, budget for it here. 
• 5% souvenirs/miscellaneous: This is optional, but a fun way to budget for a take-home memory. 

To see this play out, let’s say you’re planning a four-day trip to New York for a family of four for $3,000. 

That means you would need to find flights for less than $900, which is possible for some depending on the travel date and where you are leaving from, but could also be a sign that you need to increase your overall travel budget. 

It’s a good idea to plan $15 per person, per meal, knowing that some breakfasts will cost less and some dinners will cost more. Plus, there should be room in the budget for lattes and desserts! 

RELATED: How to Use Credit Card Points for Travel

Where to splurge and where to save 

You want your trip to be memorable but not every aspect of it needs to be first-class. 

For example, if your trip requires a short flight, opting for the cheapest airline might not be enjoyable, but it can give you an extra $500 for other parts of your trip. 

Personally, I think you shouldn’t cheap out on good accommodations. You don’t need a luxury hotel, but you should feel safe and should get ample and quiet rest. 

Having a trip ruined by bed bugs or because your toddler couldn’t sleep on the uncomfortable rollout bed is not worth any savings. 

Meals are a place to save and splurge. Decide ahead of time what your special meals out will be, selecting restaurants and foods unique to the area. Don’t waste $60 at a chain restaurant you could have eaten at home. 

To save on other meals, you can stay at a hotel with complimentary breakfast and use the local grocery store to eat a snack-type lunch rather than buying fast food. 

READ MORE: 13 Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on Travel

Booking the Right Accommodations and Activities

Once you decide on your vacation destination, you will have several different accommodations and activities to choose from. The right ones will depend on your family size and needs. 

Here’s what to look for. 

Tips for booking group accommodations 

I would rather go cheap on the flight but pay a little more for better accommodations, especially if it helps me save on my meals or activities. 

Look for hotels or vacation rentals with a small kitchen to help save on eating-out costs. 

If you are planning your trip around an amusement park, some of the themed resorts are worth the extra costs because they allow you to access the park before the general public and avoid parking costs. 

READ MORE: How To Avoid Hidden Travel Fees 

Planning kid-friendly activities for every age

Your toddler, preschooler, and school-aged child will love interactive playgrounds, children's museums, and any chance to splash in water, whether it's a pool, beach, or splash pad. 

Teenagers will appreciate more thrilling adventures, such as high-rope courses, ziplines, or challenging hikes. Older kids will also appreciate museums and guided tours, whereas younger children might grow bored easily. 

All members of the family will enjoy comedian magic shows or spending the day by the lake. 

Safety tips for traveling with children 

For each place you visit, create a separation plan with your children. This doesn’t have to be long or complicated, but it should include clear instructions on what to do if they get lost.

Choose a designated meeting spot, and make sure they know to ask a trusted adult for help (i.e., a store employee or security guard). 

Identification bracelets can include your child’s name, your name, your contact number, and any important medical information. This way, if your toddler is found alone and sobbing, an adult can quickly get them reconnected to you without the guesswork. 

Additionally, Apple AirTags can be attached to clothing or shoes so you can track them in real time using your phone. 

Managing the Journey: Keeping Everyone Happy

The initial excitement of any vacation can quickly diminish after the first hour spent at the airport or on a long car drive. 

Here are a few tips to keep the peace from the first hour to the last. 

How to entertain kids on long trips 

Pack your child their own backpack full of snacks and activities to make the travel portion of the trip run smoother. 

When I travel with my three children, I pack new-to-them items such as new activity books, small toys from thrift stores, new books, and fun snacks I don’t usually buy. I try to space out the items so they don’t burn through all their resources within the first hour. 

The longer you can put off tech and screens when traveling, the better. Watching a movie while flying or driving is a great distraction, but when you have a six-hour flight paired with a layover, being on the screen that long can increase grumpiness and restlessness. 

Managing family expectations on vacation 

It’s a good idea to talk over the agenda with your children before the trip, letting them know that you will have a lot of fun, but there will also be slower days or times they might be bored. 

It is important that each day has some rest time or downtime built in, even if you are spending the day at an amusement park. 

As the parent, you set the mood for positivity. It can be tempting to react in frustration when kids complain, but it is important to remind them that vacations are about having fun together and making memories as a family. 

Staying flexible and handling unexpected issues

If you expect every part of your planned trip to go perfectly, you will quickly be disappointed and feel stressed out. 

It’s a good idea to have loose backup plans in case weather, crowds, or events affect Plan A. Being able to change up your plans to a fun park or tour will help minimize any disappointment your kids might have had. 

Keeping a bag with you prepped with extra snacks, water, small toys, wipes, and a change of clothes can also help when you are out and about. 

FAQs About Family Travel Planning

What are the best destinations for family travel?

If you are new to traveling with your family, start with all-inclusive resorts that are packed with fun activities, food, and accommodations. You also can’t go wrong with family favorites, such as Disney World, Universal Studios, or LEGOLAND. 

If you want to explore outside the United States, Canada is a close neighbor that offers must-see destinations such as the Banff National Park, Niagara Falls, and the Notre-Dame Basilica. 

How can I save money while traveling with kids?

Remember: Your kids want to experience adventures with you, not necessarily explore the world. You can plan fun trips within your area. 

Research the best areas that are five to six hours' drive from you. This will eliminate flight costs. 

Camping or staying with friends or family members is another way to cut down on accommodation costs. 

Is travel insurance necessary for family trips?

It depends on the trip. For expensive, prepaid, nonrefundable trips, the risk of something interrupting your vacation is high. Life is unpredictable, and it would be devastating to lose $10,000 or more on a trip because you didn’t have insurance. 

Weigh the cost of the insurance with the financial risk of having to cancel your trip to see if insurance is the best choice for you. 

TL;DR: Planning Family Travel

You will not regret the family vacations you take. Yes, they take a lot of work and planning, but the memories you make together will last a lifetime. 

If you start saving and planning early enough, you can create a stress-free trip everyone will love! 

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