Planning your family vacation? How do you know where you should go? Should you stay close to home or make the most of your maternity leave by going somewhere a little more off the beaten path? Here are some things to think about when choosing a destination:
Sitting down with your partner and making a list of what you want and expect out of your trip will help you narrow down the potential locations. Once you’ve narrowed it down, go online! Use Google or Pinterest to check out other family travel websites, sample itineraries and blog posts. Join a facebook group, there are tons dedicated to family travel, and ask for advice. No matter where you choose you will be able to find resources to help you determine whether it’s the right spot for you!
- Confidence: Think about how confident you were as a traveler before baby. Traveling with a baby, especially your first trip, can be overwhelming. The last thing you want is to be in a location that is emotionally or physically exhausting or makes you feel nervous or uncomfortable. Having a successful first trip as a family will give you the confidence to stretch yourself a little further with every trip you take.
- Transportation: Do you plan on renting a car? Are you comfortable driving on the other side of the road? Are you comfortable with public transit or do you want your destination to be walkable? Deciding what you’re comfortable with when it comes to transportation and navigating from one location to another will narrow down what kind of destination will work best.
- Climate: What time of year do you plan on travelling? Are you looking for a warm destination to escape the snow? Do you want a temperate location so you don’t have to worry about an overheated baby? Look at the average temperatures and how much precipitation your potential destinations get at the time of year you plan on going.
- Expectations: Do you want to relax by the beach? Hike? Spend every afternoon exploring a new art gallery? Are you into a specific style of food? Think about how you want to spend your days and what kinds of things your family enjoys. If you want to lounge by the pool, then Paris in November is probably not for you.
Sitting down with your partner and making a list of what you want and expect out of your trip will help you narrow down the potential locations. Once you’ve narrowed it down, go online! Use Google or Pinterest to check out other family travel websites, sample itineraries and blog posts. Join a facebook group, there are tons dedicated to family travel, and ask for advice. No matter where you choose you will be able to find resources to help you determine whether it’s the right spot for you!
Be flexible: You may have a destination in mind and then find a seat sale to another location. Or you may find that your research about one destination piques your interest about a completely different spot! It's okay to switch up your plan or delay heading to a specific place until a different time or year or until your kids are older.
Need some inspiration? Here are few ideas to get you started:
For the Not So Confident Traveler
Want to see culture and history and stay in one city for most, or all of your vacation? London, Paris or Rome would be great options. If you are looking to spend a bit of time relaxing in the sun check out Lisbon or Barcelona both of which have beaches either in the city or accessible by public transit. Want to stick closer to home (for us that's Toronto!)?Montreal and Chicago are both midsized cities with public transit, parks, arts, culture and great food!
Interested in a road trip? California, with its beautiful cities, wine country and unbelievable national parks really has it all (it's on our list of next trips to take!) Want something closer to home? Boston and Cape Cod mix a beautiful city rich with history with beaches and whale watching that will excite the whole family! Want to stay in Canada? Vancouver Island has beautiful hiking, small town charm and even surfing!
For the More Confident Traveler
Ready to drive on the other side of the road? Plan a road trip around Ireland to sip Guiness, see castles and do some beautiful hikes. If you aren't interested in driving, considering island hopping around the Greek Islands by ferry! Want something a little more off the beaten path? We road tripped from Zagreb to Dubrovnik and it remains one of our favorite trips to this day! We did it before kids but feel like there is lots along the way that would entertain little ones.
Ready for More?
If you are feeling even more confident, there are families who are stepping out of their comfort zone and traveling to places like Thailand and Laos . Want something a little closer to home? If Zika isn't a concern, consider Central America. We are positive that Costa Rica has something for everyone and we are dying to get there!
How do you pick your next destination? What is important to you when you decide where to go on vacation together?
Need some inspiration? Here are few ideas to get you started:
For the Not So Confident Traveler
Want to see culture and history and stay in one city for most, or all of your vacation? London, Paris or Rome would be great options. If you are looking to spend a bit of time relaxing in the sun check out Lisbon or Barcelona both of which have beaches either in the city or accessible by public transit. Want to stick closer to home (for us that's Toronto!)?Montreal and Chicago are both midsized cities with public transit, parks, arts, culture and great food!
Interested in a road trip? California, with its beautiful cities, wine country and unbelievable national parks really has it all (it's on our list of next trips to take!) Want something closer to home? Boston and Cape Cod mix a beautiful city rich with history with beaches and whale watching that will excite the whole family! Want to stay in Canada? Vancouver Island has beautiful hiking, small town charm and even surfing!
For the More Confident Traveler
Ready to drive on the other side of the road? Plan a road trip around Ireland to sip Guiness, see castles and do some beautiful hikes. If you aren't interested in driving, considering island hopping around the Greek Islands by ferry! Want something a little more off the beaten path? We road tripped from Zagreb to Dubrovnik and it remains one of our favorite trips to this day! We did it before kids but feel like there is lots along the way that would entertain little ones.
Ready for More?
If you are feeling even more confident, there are families who are stepping out of their comfort zone and traveling to places like Thailand and Laos . Want something a little closer to home? If Zika isn't a concern, consider Central America. We are positive that Costa Rica has something for everyone and we are dying to get there!
How do you pick your next destination? What is important to you when you decide where to go on vacation together?