For some, planning a vacation can be so fun (me!!) and for some it can be downright stressful. Sometimes it is the planning that keeps people from going on trips all together!  From the figuring out where to go, the finances, the packing, and then finding someone to feed the dog, cat and fish, it’s enough to make you want to quit before you start!  I can’t help you figure out how many diapers to pack or who is going to feed your fish, but I can give you some tips to figure out where you might go for vacation!

1. Decide on dates. The date of your trip will determine a lot about where you might go. Sometimes it’s obvious, like if you want to snow ski you will travel in the winter. Sometimes, it’s not. We love the Outer Banks, but to avoid the “high season” rates we often go there in late May. Even though it is summer break for us, some days are windy and cool and the Atlantic Ocean in that area is never warm enough to swim in.  That is not something we considered the first time we traveled there.  It’s the beach and it was summer vacation!  It should be warm, right??  We still love to go at that time of year because the crowds and rates are low!  We have just learned to pack a little differently and have found some activities that we love that don’t include swimming in the ocean!
2. Decide on your budget. This can go hand in hand with your dates of travel. Depending on what kind of vacation you want, there are times of the year that you may be more likely to get a great deal on accommodations, plane tickets, amusement park tickets, etc. The fall is a great time to visit the Caribbean. It’s much cheaper due to the fact that it’s hurricane season. Just PLEASE make sure you get trip insurance! For our family, we  try to go to the beach the first week that school is out in the summer because it’s not considered “summer season” yet and the prices are cheaper. There are great times to visit Disney World during the year that are cheaper than others because it is not a typical travel time for families such as early December or late April.  You can also get great deals on cruises in January and February.  If you family has the flexibility to travel outside of a set school schedule there are so many great deals in the “off season!”  I have seriously considered homeschool just so we can take advantage of some of the great travel rates at weird times!
3. Who is in your travel party? A group of adults will more than likely enjoy different activities and want different amenities than a family traveling with small children. A family with teenagers might want more action or activity options than another group of people. Another thing to consider with your travel party is travel time. Traveling with small children requires lots of stuff and they don’t want to be in the car seat any longer than they have to. Are you planning to drive or fly?
4. What do you as a travel group like to do? I know personally that I would be totally content sitting under an umbrella with a book on the beach for hours. However, my husband likes to have a few more options and my son likes to stay busy. What types of amenities does your travel destination need to have to make everyone happy? Do you like active trips or lazy ones? We have found some excellent vacation options that allow for both. My favorite has to be the all-inclusive resort! As a family with a small child and a teenager everyone had fun at the all-inclusive.
5. What types of trips have you enjoyed in the past? Are there trips that were very stressful or not enjoyable? Answering these questions is a great way to determine what you like best.  We have been on some amazing vacations!  We have also taken some trips that I don’t care to repeat.  One time we went to the Florida Keys.  We had a really cool little house right on the water.  The setting was gorgeous with amazing sunsets!  It had a dock and my husband and step-daughter fished for hours every single day.  Like into the wee hours of the night! They were in heaven and would go back in a heart-beat. Although we have some fun memories from the trip, I would prefer to not do that vacation again.  I didn’t care about doing all of that fishing and there wasn’t much else to do! We were on a tiny Key that had some homes and an occasional manatee sighting but that was it! We know now that when we plan a trip that fishing is a fun component but there needs to be a few things within walking distance that I can do too!
6. What kinds of accommodations do you need? Does a hotel room work for you? Do you plan to eat out every meal or do you need a place with a kitchen?  Do you prefer some space or can you survive is a small room?  One thing to think about if you have small children is making sure your room has a tub (a lot of cruises just have showers) or if you have teenagers you may need more than one bathroom!

I hope these tips help you plan a memory making trip that is full of fun and free of stress!!