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Christmas family vacations are a necessary part of the season. There really is no better time than Christmas for your family to get together and spend quality time together. But planning a vacation with the whole family in tow is a lot different than planning one just for yourself. Here are some tips on how to best plan your next family vacation for the holiday season.
Have a clear roadmap
Planning events for your family is not easy. The Christmas holidays can be particularly difficult because not everyone starts and ends at the same time. Time will be an important consideration that you should always keep in mind. That is why it is so important to have a clear route where you plan to spend the Christmas holidays.
Planning ahead will also be necessary to some degree because you will be traveling in a group. Many places, from restaurants to hotels, will give you better rates and accommodations when you book for a group in advance. Other parts of your trip, like plane rides and guided tours, will really require you to make arrangements for your family ahead of time.
Plan, goal Not too much
One of the hardest things about planning a family Christmas vacation is keeping boredom from setting in. If you have children between the ages of 3 and 16, this could be quite a challenge as they prefer to always be on the go, looking for new and interesting things. Prevent boredom from taking over not planning too much, to the point where every activity is strictly scheduled.
When you’re planning, specify a time and day only for the events that really require it. Such activities include airline flights, hotel check-ins, and guided tours, which generally require you to work a relatively tight schedule. Otherwise, keep your schedule open and let the family decide what to do with the free time. That will prevent everyone from getting bored with the monotony and structure of a schedule.
Shopping is a staple of any vacation, and it’s even more important on a family Christmas vacation if your family plans to give gifts on December 25. You can never be sure how much time your family will want to spend shopping, especially if you’re on vacation in an urban area. Leaving gaps in your schedule will allow everyone more time to wander, explore and shop.
Prepare a contingency plan
There really is nothing you can do to prevent emergencies and mishaps down the road, that’s just the way it is. The best thing you can do is prepare a backup plan for the events that are likely to happen. For example, you can have everyone bring mobile phones to make contact easier in case they are separated from the group. Give everyone a small amount of money for emergency transportation or a quick phone call, just in case.
Even if these preparations seem unnecessary before you go on vacation, it’s always better to have an unused backup plan than to be caught off guard when a crisis strikes. The cost of these preparations is a small price to pay in exchange for the safety of your whole family and your peace of mind.
For any family, the Christmas holidays mean quality time and memorable experiences for everyone. Achieving that isn’t easy, but it can definitely be done with a little research, some planning, and a lot of preparation.