There are many different types of holiday travel for your family. How do you know which is best? The key is to consider what kind of experience you want and the most fun for the whole family.
Here are some tips that will help you decide which type of holiday travel is right for your family this year.
1. Limit your travel time
And by that, we mean to choose a destination that’s nice and easy to get to. There’s plenty of great places in Europe that make great destinations for a holiday with the kids, and the less time you spend on planes getting to where you’re going, the more likely everyone will be in a good mood when you arrive.
2. Prep the kids beforehand
Wherever you’re heading, it’s a good idea to give the kids an idea of what to expect. With the aid of a couple of books and some websites, it’s easy to give kids of any age an introduction to the culture, sights and cuisine of your destination.
Not only will they be a bit more prepared for new things (see below!), they’ll be a lot more invested in learning while they’re away.
3. Make sure they try new things!
This might not be feasible if your nippers are a bit picky when it comes to their food, but you can instil a lifelong love of travel in them if they can be persuaded to broaden their horizons and try a few of the local dishes.
And it doesn’t just extend to food – why not bring along some new art materials or a new book for them to enjoy too?
4. Don’t limit yourself to one family…
If there’s one thing that’ll help things go more smoothly, it’s having some extra pairs of hands around to help you deal with over-excited (or worse, over-tired) kids.
Don’t just head off on your own – if you’ve got friends whose kids are a similar age to your own, you can share costs as well as taking turns to look after the little ones, and the kids will love having a new friend along for the ride. You could even invite the grandparents!
5. Plan some surprises
There is nothing kids love more than surprises, so make sure you’ve got a couple up your sleeve before you head off on holiday.
What form they take is up to you (and will have a lot to do with what the kids enjoy), but there’s nothing quite like seeing the look on their faces when you let them know about the upcoming trip to a fantastic water park that you’d previously “forgotten” to mention.
6. And sometimes, let the kids take the lead
If they’re old enough, chances are your kids will know exactly what they like (and especially what they don’t). Giving them a bit of leeway will make them feel much more grown-up.
So long as they don’t start asking after something ridiculous, there’s nothing wrong with letting the kids make a few decisions, which could range from what to do on any given day to which restaurant they fancy eating in.
7. Arrange to do something out of the ordinary
There’s one easy way to make sure everyone has fond memories of the holiday, and that’s to do something memorable!
Wherever you’re travelling, there’s bound to be lots of opportunities for some exciting activities. You could choose pony trekking, kayaking or a hot air balloon ride – the whole family is bound to love doing something out of the ordinary.
8. Pick the right accommodation…
Where you’re staying can have a massive effect on your holiday, so make sure you’ve picked the right place. When you’re travelling with the kids (especially
if you’re thinking of going away with friends), a villa makes a perfect choice. You’ve got shared spaces, a kitchen to whip up food whenever you like, and you can let the kids do as they please. It knocks the spots off a hotel and is usually cheaper too!
9. And make sure it’s got a pool!
Because let’s face it – everybody loves a bit of time in the pool, and it’s a great way to keep the kids happy and entertained (and not a wrong way to keep yourself trim after a bit of holiday excess, come to that…)
10. And lastly, don’t forget the babysitter!
Because you’re on holiday and you deserve a bit of quality time with your significant other! If you’re travelling with friends, you might even be able to convince them to look after the kids for the night
(so long as you return the favour!), but if not, hire yourself a babysitter and head out on the town. Our concierge team is here to arrange precisely this kind of thing (and a whole load more), so get in touch and see what they can do!
Conclusion:
This blog post is about how to choose the right kind of holiday travel for your family. It has been formatted with a title, description, and keywords to be easy to read in search engines.
There are nine tips altogether; some on planning such as arranging to do something out of the ordinary or picking the suitable accommodation for your travelling companions, and others on making sure you have kids’ needs covered like getting them involved in decision-making or hiring a babysitter if needed.
The article concludes by asking readers who might be interested in booking their holiday through our concierge team at How To Travel With Kids Ltd., which offers various services, including finding babysitters abroad.
