How do you choose the perfect family holiday destination?

Do you spend hours perusing glossy travel magazines?

Do you borrow every guidebook in the library?

Are you strategically ticking off places on a travel bucket list?

Perhaps, you always end going to a certain place on the recommendation of friends and family?

However you choose a family travel destination – when you’re factoring in the needs of a whole family – the process can seem overwhelming.

Rhino and I love nothing more than dreaming about our next family travel adventure but we’re notoriously bad at the planning stages. We normally spend such a long time ruling out everywhere on our family travel bucket list – too malarial, too expensive, not enough time – that eventually, we crack open a bottle of wine and type ‘Everywhere‘ into the Skyscanner search bar and our dates.

If you don’t already know this amazingly useful Skyscanner function shows all the flights leaving your chosen airport on the date you want. Then we tinker around with the results sorting by flight times and price.

And voila, we book our next family adventure. Of course, it’s to a completely different destination than the one that we had thought of. Fortunately, we love getting off the beaten path to more unusual family travel destinations like Kosovo and Myanmar.

Of course, as much as I love spontaneity I do wish we had a more organised process. A way of choosing a family travel destination that was a little more logical. That we weren’t wasting so much time going up dead ends and doing unnecessary research.

So I’ve got together with a fantastic group of intrepid family travel bloggers from around the world. With their help, I’ve compiled this really useful collection of tips and tricks to help you choose the ideal travel destination for your family.

This is the first post in an eight-week series where I collaborate with other amazing family travel experts to bring you the very best family travel advice and inspiration.

Next week, the topic is how to save money on transportation. Make sure you don’t miss a post by following World for a Girl on Facebook or Twitter.

How to Choose a Family Travel Destination

Safety first, fun next

When travelling with 4 young kids, the destination is so important! We choose places that are safe above all, and just a short and cheap flight away. We also like it if they are relatively cheap too! We shortlist our destinations by considering the time of year and the type of activity we want to be doing. This usually boils down to surfing or snowboarding.

There has to be some kind of attraction to keep the children occupied and entertained, this could be a beautiful beach, a fun city or an interesting outdoors. Our kids will be much more excited about a trip and its lead up if we can talk about these things beforehand. As homeschool parents we like to add an element of education here too, so bonus points for a place with historical or cultural significance!

Choosing the destination is the most fun part, and after our flights are booked, then everything else falls into place. Some of our favourite easy family trips close to home are New Zealand, Bali, Japan and Hawaii.

Kris and Brian are totally fun-loving Australians on an international gap year with their 4 kids while world schooling and documenting every step on their blog Gadsventure. They believe that life is short and the time is now!

Decide what your family must-haves are first

I’m pretty practical when I choose a destination, so my advice centers around ‘must haves.’ They’re the filter through which I look at each possible place to visit. With that in mind, I suggest deciding what your ‘must haves’ are. It’s amazing how easy it is to choose a location (or at least a top 10 to investigate further) once you clarify what you need, making sure to consider everyone who’s joining you.

For us, my two most important considerations are whether everyone will enjoy the ‘vibe’ of the destination, and whether we all can eat safely (we have food allergies). I know, for example, that my introverted and highly sensitive child loves exploring, but she also requires plenty of downtime to refuel her energy tank. After all, new experiences are wonderful for growth, but she needs enough peace and quiet to be able to process them. As a result, we choose vacation destinations that are near the activities we want to enjoy, but without making us feel like we’re sleeping in the middle of an amusement park. Some destinations that worked well for us with ‘just enough’ activity were Playa del Carmen, Mexico; just outside Vancouver, B.C., Canada; and Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.
It’s worth the effort to figure out transportation if it lets us find quiet time along with food we can trust (usually from local grocery stores rather than restaurants). When I plan a trip with ‘must haves’ in mind, it helps narrow the options and simplify the planning process considerably.

A published writer, positive parenting educator, wellness advocate, and world traveler, Sarah invites you to join her adventures at https://www.dandelion-seeds.com

Make the right accommodation a priority

When we are deciding on a destination for our next trip, where we stay is very important to us, not just the location, but the hotel or resort too. I look at what the rooms are like, whether the hotel has a child friendly pool, kids club or possibly evening entertainment for the children. Does the hotel give off a relaxed family friendly vibe or do they just tolerate families? Finally what is the restaurant like and will we like the food!

Nikki is a UK Family Travel Blogger writing about days out and family-friendly holidays at Yorkshire Wonders.

Choose an educational angle for each trip

With so many places on our travel wish list, we focus on the educational value and age-appropriateness of our choices when deciding where to go next. Nature, books and language have had particular influence:

Nature – Diverse wildlife and dynamic landscapes have motivated journeys to Alaska, Utah, Florida, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, Iceland, New Zealand, and Australia. With kids under 10, our ideal travel activities included discovering wildlife, waterfalls, walking trails, and beaches.

Books – Now that the kids ages are in the double-digits, their favorite reads influence where we go. The book Tua and the Elephant by R.P. Harris catalyzed interest in traveling to Thailand. The Percy Jackson series will guide our spring travels to Greece and Italy. London means Harry Potter and The Thief Lord sparked excitement for Venice, Italy.

Language – As multilingual parents, exposing the kids to different languages is a key value. Spanish immersion influenced our travels to Mexico and Costa Rica. We regularly stay with family in Germany to secure the kids’ fluency. This spring as we travel Europe, we will delve into Latin and Greek word bases, comparing phrases in Italian, Spanish, French and Greek.

It is exciting to speculate on future destinations as the kids’ grow and their interests become more sophisticated. Bon voyage!

Deborah is a California-based environmental educator, polyglot and mother of two adventurous kids. Her family travel blog worldwisekid.com inspires educational discussions around the globe.

Take a three-step planning approach

First and foremost, get the kids involved! Vacations are more fun for all when everyone provides input. Have everyone think of their top 2 or 3 vacation wishes. Do you want to go to the beach or skiing, and so on?

Second, once your list of wishes are completed start thinking of locations that can accommodate your family wishes. Are you planning on flying, driving, or taking the train? This helps to narrow down which part of the world you will visit.

Third, here is where the real fun begins. Now that you have a list of activities and locations take the kids and head to your public library. This allows you and your kids to enjoy an afternoon together looking through books of everywhere around your desired locations and activities. Kids love being able to see, feel, and touch the pictures. This helps them start to get excited about learning and planning for upcoming adventures. Family vacations are about building family memories and this starts with the planning phase.

Tiffany from Mommy And Me Travels is a long time travel lover and has expanded her travels to include her 2 young sons, whom love to go on “adventures”! 

Don’t forget to take the weather into consideration!

With so many amazing places to discover in the world, how do we decide where to go next? There are people that prefer to return to their favorite place or places over and over again. On the other hand, there are those that want to always experience something new. I am in the latter category and we rarely revisit a place twice. So what things influence our decision when choosing a destination? For our family a few things influence our travel choices.

First, proximity, meaning how close is it to where we are, can we get there in just a few hours, is it close to the places we want to explore, these are the questions we concern ourselves with. Second, what inexpensive, family friendly activities are available in the area, things like museums, playgrounds, and National Parks are great options. Last, the weather, this is a tricky one because obviously this is out of our control, but we try to keep an eye on the temperatures and go where the weather will allow us to spend time outside, if seems like it won’t be nice we make sure we have plenty of indoor options to choose from. Now…….where will we go next?

Sarah is a full-time RV traveling wife and mother of three that loves adventure and sharing off-the-beaten-path travel destinations.

Consider everyone when choosing a family travel destination

Are you traveling alone, as a couple, as a family with children, or as a group with your best friends?

As a multi-generation family who travels with seniors, we first bear in mind who is tagging along before we decide where to head next. Knowing each person’s interest or limitations is important in choosing the appropriate destination first hand. When you’re planning a family vacation, you must cater to the different strengths and interests of everyone. Evaluate the limitations of the party.

For instance, the grandparents on wheelchairs are coming as well, this might mean skipping the hike in sandy and hilly Indiana Dunes National Park and opting for a more accessible location like a museum.

Yamy Hartsough is the creator and main blogger of Gofamgo.com, a multi-generational family travel blog where she chronicles her family’s adventures. If you’re planning a holiday with grandparents, check out her very helpful post on things to consider when travelling with seniors.

Involve the kids from the start

Involve the kids. That’s my number one tip for choosing your family vacation destination. I want our kids to be excited about going somewhere and experiencing new things. Some times you’re boxed into a season or budget; you can still involve the kids. Here are three ideas.

•Ask them “what type of shoes do you want to wear on vacation?” Flip flops, snow boots, athletic shoes, dress shoes, etc.

•Give them three destinations that fit your needs and let them vote.

•Choose your favorite two cities then ask the kids to help you make a list of things to do in those areas. Pick the location that ticks the most boxes for your family.

Keep it fun, anticipate how you would handle disappointment if it happens. By involving the kids, wherever you all decide to go, it becomes their vacation or holiday too. They aren’t just being dragged along on the family trip.

Regina Kay is a worldschooling mother of five, full-time global explorer, and travel writer at Fulltime Fieldtrip where she brings you real-world tips to make your life easier and your travels exceptional.

Subscribe to mailing lists to let the best family travel deals

When we plan our own family vacations at Grab My Passport HQ, pricing is typically our biggest determining factor when deciding on a destination. We do have a never-ending bucket list of places we’d love to visit, and activities we’d like to do one day, so anytime a sale or special promotion pops up that matches something on our list, we try to jump on it. We are subscribed to all the airlines’ email lists, and we follow a bunch of travel deal pages on Facebook so that we are alerted to all of the deals, promos, “error fares”, and discounts that are available as soon as they come out.

Most recently, we had a bit of time during my maternity leave to take a family vacation before returning back to work. We didn’t know where to go with a 2-month old, but I knew I wanted somewhere warm to escape the cold DC weather. We’ve really been wanting to go to Universal Orlando to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but since we both work full time, and we have to work around the school calendar, we’ve been hesitating for a few years. Well, Universal announced a “Buy Two Days, Get Two Days Free” promo, so we checked the crowd calendars for the parks, researched flights on Google Flights and Skyscanner, and then booked our trip. Since it was off-season, rates for everything were a bit cheaper than normal. We used a combo of credit card points, airline miles, and money from our travel savings fund to pay for the trip.

Take advantage of email subscription lists. It’s one of the best ways to learn about discounted travel deals, which can really help you narrow down your destination choices. Also, try to travel to popular destinations in the off-season, if possible. You’ll end up saving a lot of money and avoid the big crowds.

Shannon Elizabeth is the creator and voice behind Grab My Passport, a family-focused travel blog. Her blog brings practical tips, itineraries, travel budgeting hacks, and inspiration to everyday families like you.

Plan slow-travel and prioritise learning on location

As homeschoolers and travelers, we love learning on location, but we don’t so much like taking a bunch of textbooks with us (unless they are digital) and we are planning on an extended slow travel itinerary with numerous day/weekend trips over several weeks. Most of the time I build our itineraries around our curriculum.

If we’re studying ancient history, the great philosophers or epic poems like The Iliad or The Aeneid, then this is the year to go to Italy and spend as long as possible exploring the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. An itinerary packed with great places to learn about ancient Greek and Roman history, culture & lifestyle, would include, Rome and Athens, but don’t miss out on kid-friendly destinations such as Viterbo, Naples, Paestum, Erculano and Sorrento in southern Italy. These ancient cities are bursting with artefacts, ruins, hands-on exhibits and even archaeology digs for families.

With that type of school work, what kid wouldn’t want to grab their passport and go learn on location? So next time you plan a family travel adventure, don’t forget to consider how the destination can inspire a memorable learn on location experience.

Read more from Shannan at Captivating Compass where she blogs about learning on location using the world as your textbook. Explore her great articles on learning on location in Italy. 

Yay! You got to the end of the page. If you liked this post, you’ll be super excited to know that this is just the first in an eight-part family travel bloggers series!

Over the next two months, I’ll be working with this inspirational group of intrepid bloggers to offer you the best family travel advice and tips.

Make sure you don’t miss any of this fantastic series by following World for a Girl on Facebook or Twitter.

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