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How to plan a fun, cheap family vacation

“If everyone is involved in the planning the Family vacation, then it becomes important to everyone”

Whether you are taking a road trip, a plane trip, or a pre-planned package trip, talk it over with the family. I did not say let them chose the trip, but you do need to listen to them. Organizing a family trip is time consuming. If you do 90% of the work before the trip, odds are you will all have a great time while on vacation.

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1. Chart the route

– Maps make it real. Computers & GPS Navigators are great but a map is real. It’s something kids can touch. Find out where everyone wants to go. Try Yahoo Tip Planner it's a great way to plan a trip and a fun way for grandparents and friends to travel with you when you're on vacation.

2. Keep it age appropriate.

Don’t take toddlers to 8-year olds to Washington D.C. and expect them to behave. They don’t understand the importance of the area. You’ll be disappointed and exhausted.

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Example

The school curriculum is a Great place to find ideas for family vacations.

Let’s use a family road trip for example. You have children in the 3rd and 5th grade and you live in California, Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon are great choices for a vacation. This family road trip will give your 3rd grader a jump start on the 4th grade curriculum and will reinforce what the 5th grader studied the year before.

Ready to plan a vacation?1. “Traveling with Kids” books from the Library or Bookstore.

2. Make a list of things that interest each one of you.

3. Travel books about the state you are visiting so you can use the map and read out loud to everyone in the vehicle about the sites and cities along the way.

4. Make each person responsible for a point of interest. Here’s where the computer comes in. It’s up to them to find out exactly where it is, how much it will cost and how long it will take to see it. Of course you'll have to help.

5. Put all the parts together on the map as a family and your trip will start to take form.


Remember: Be flexible. Very few family vacations are perfect. You might have to make adjustments to your Itinerary. That’s O.K. It’s a great opportunity to create family memories.


Keep in mind that Children like routines. They have to be taught to roll with the punches and go with the flow.The perfect vacations are forgotten quickly, but vacations with ups and downs are called adventures and the memories last forever.
My son’s favorite phrase, “Well, that was an adventure”

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