Planning a family getaway can feel overwhelming with so many destinations, itineraries, and travel styles to choose from. How do you make sure you pick a trip that keeps everyone happy without feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation?
In this episode of the Travel Talk podcast, Allison shares the essential framework every family needs before booking their next trip. She reveals 5 crucial questions you should ask yourself to clarify your family’s travel personality, balance downtime with adventure, and prevent vacation burnout.
Plus, Allison breaks down four major vacation styles—Theme Parks, Cruise Vacations, All-Inclusive Resorts, and Guided Travel—showing you how to match your answers to the perfect getaway. Tune in to uncover the exact steps to planning a stress-free trip tailored specifically to your family!
1. What Does Your Family Like Doing?
Every family is different, and the answer doesn’t necessarily stay the same from one vacation to another.
You might be planning a spring break trip, an extended family vacation to Alaska, a 50th anniversary celebration, a getaway with friends without the kids, or a trip with just you and your spouse.
So, think specifically about the trip you’re planning now. What does your family like doing?
Are you a family that likes to relax and doesn’t want much of a schedule? Are you explorers who always want to go somewhere and try something new?
Maybe you love rides and attractions and want to try the latest and greatest. Perhaps food is an important part of your vacation. Or maybe your family loves outdoor adventures like whitewater rafting and ziplining.
You might simply love discovering new places and want this vacation to take you somewhere you’ve never been before.
Knowing what your family enjoys helps narrow down the different categories of vacations that could work well for you.
2. How Much Structure Do You Want?
Some people love structure. They want a detailed itinerary and like knowing where they’re going, when they’re going, and how they’re getting there.
Other people want to be very independent and don’t want much of a schedule at all.
Unfortunately, sometimes these two people are married to each other!
For the vacation you’re planning, think about whether you want a lot of independence or prefer a more structured itinerary.
Also consider how your family likes to start the day. Are you able to get everyone up and out the door early? Or are you a more laid-back family that doesn’t want a get-up-and-go kind of morning?
How much structure you want is an important factor when choosing the right vacation.
3. How Much Moving Around Sounds Enjoyable?
There are some amazing itineraries that allow you to experience several different places during one trip. But how much moving around do you actually enjoy?
Would you be happy spending two or three nights in one hotel and then switching to another? What about one night here, a couple of nights there, and continuing to move throughout your vacation?
Some people find that exciting and adventurous—like my husband.
Then there’s the question of how much packing, unpacking, and organizing you’re willing to do. That’s not necessarily something everyone enjoys—like me!
Again, these two people are often married to each other.
That’s why it’s important to find a happy compromise.
On one end, you might stay at one resort for your entire vacation. A cruise could allow you to see several destinations without repeatedly packing and unpacking. On the other end, a land tour might have you changing hotels every couple of days.
Talk with your family or travel group about how much moving around everyone can tolerate—and enjoy—during the trip.
4. What Are the Ages and Stages of Everyone Traveling?
Who is coming on the trip plays a big role in what type of vacation we recommend and what might be a good fit for your family right now.
You may have young family members, including babies or children who need naps or afternoon breaks. You may also be traveling with more mature family members who prefer a slower pace—or who might also enjoy a nap with the little ones!
Most family groups include a mixture of different needs.
When you’re planning both the type of vacation and the details of your itinerary, it’s important to make sure there is something for everyone and that everyone’s basic needs are being met.
Are people getting enough rest? Are they getting the meals and breaks they need? Do they have enough downtime away from all the exciting experiences?
When those basic needs aren’t being met, the trip can quickly become uncomfortable for everyone.
And remember: a family vacation doesn’t mean everyone has to stay together all the time.
Sometimes it makes sense to break into smaller groups and do different activities.
We experienced this on a larger family trip with 12 people, including cousins, in-laws, and a wide range of ages and stages.
We spent the bulk of the day together and had our family dinner together. After dinner, however, we split into two groups. One group wanted to return to the resort, relax, and have some downtime. The other group still had plenty of energy and wanted to keep going.
My husband isn’t the biggest theme park fan, so he was happy to take the group back to the hotel. I was ready to keep going, so I stayed with the group that wanted to do more.
Especially with larger groups, splitting up can be a great way to make sure everyone’s needs are met and everyone has a good time.
5. How Much Downtime Does Your Family Need?
Finally, think about how much downtime your family needs.
Maybe that means taking an afternoon break. Maybe it means ending your day a little earlier so everyone can relax in the evening.
There are many different ways downtime can fit into a vacation.
Considering your family’s activity levels and how much downtime everyone needs is important not only when choosing your destination, but also when refining your itinerary and planning the finer details of your trip.
Once you’ve thought through these five questions, you can start looking at how your answers fit into some of the major vacation styles.
Four Major Vacation Styles to Consider
Theme Park Vacations
Theme park vacations are generally high on both itinerary and activity level—but they don’t always have to be.
We often picture a theme park vacation as starting at rope drop first thing in the morning, staying through the nighttime spectacular, walking 20,000 steps, and packing as much as possible into long days.
That can absolutely be a wonderful theme park vacation. You can get a lot done and see a lot.
But it doesn’t have to look that way.
If your family needs naps, breaks, or downtime away from crowds and activity, you can build that into your trip. You might take a midday break or have part of the family head back to the resort after dinner.
You can even add days off in the middle of the vacation to regroup.
Theme park vacations can work for many different family styles as long as the resort and itinerary match your family’s needs at that time.
Cruise Vacations
Cruises are great for people who enjoy adventure and want to see different places.
They fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to itinerary. There is some structure because the ship will be in certain places on certain days, but there is also a lot of flexibility.
That makes it easy for different members of your group to choose different experiences.
One group might go on a ziplining excursion while someone else stays on the ship and rests. In the afternoon, some people might nap while others go to a pool party, visit the casino, play trivia, or find a quiet part of the deck to read a book.
Cruises can work especially well for larger family groups because there are so many different options within the same vacation.
You also don’t have to pack and unpack very often while still getting to experience several different places.
And there are different styles of cruising to consider, including river cruises and ocean cruises. Some itineraries are very port-heavy, while others include more sea days. Some focus more on history, while others offer more adventure.
All of those details can be fine-tuned when choosing the right cruise itinerary for your family.
All-Inclusive Vacations
When we think about all-inclusive vacations, we’re generally thinking about someplace warm and sunny, often in the Caribbean or perhaps the South Pacific.
For the most part, an all-inclusive resort vacation is on the more relaxed side and is definitely lower on the itinerary side.
There aren’t a lot of day-to-day demands or planning. It’s generally a very laid-back vacation.
That doesn’t mean more active travelers will be bored. There can be excursions and adventure options depending on where you’re staying.
For example, in Jamaica, there are resort areas that are very relaxed and laid-back, while other areas offer more outdoor adventures, waterfalls, and hikes. Depending on what your family likes to do, you can choose a part of the island that gives you access to the experiences you want.
Overall, an all-inclusive vacation usually means unpacking once and enjoying a more relaxed itinerary.
If you don’t want to plan much, you don’t have to. You can simply enjoy the pool, beach, spa, and other amenities right at your fingertips.
This can be a great vacation style when your goal is reconnection or relaxation.
It’s also an opportunity to turn off the devices. Some theme park and cruise vacations can be technology-heavy because you’re frequently using an app. At an all-inclusive resort, you may be able to put your phone in the safe and barely look at it again.
Instead, you can unplug and reconnect with your kids, family, spouse, or whoever you’re traveling with.
Guided Travel
The final category is guided travel, and this one covers a wide range of vacation styles.
There are great family options, multigenerational options, and different considerations when it comes to mobility and adventure.
In general, guided travel tends to be more active and more itinerary-heavy.
You’re also more likely to change hotels. Some shorter guided trips may keep you in one city for the entire stay, but many guided vacations take you from point A to point B to point C.
The difference is that you have the assistance of your guide and travel company throughout the trip. You can experience several different places without having to manage all of the logistics yourself.
It’s still important to consider your tolerance for changing hotels. A good average might be around three locations during a week- to 10-day trip, although some itineraries may include more changes.
Guided travel can be a great fit for people who have plenty of energy, want adventure, enjoy discovering new places, don’t mind switching hotels, and are comfortable with a more structured itinerary.
You can plug in, see it all, do it all, experience new places, and have your guides take care of much of the stress and logistics along the way.
Finding the Vacation Style That Fits Your Family
Your family isn’t necessarily going to fit into one vacation style all the time.
Our family bounces around between all of them!
It depends on who we’re traveling with, the goal of the trip, and the ages and stages of the people traveling with us. With the right adjustments, we can fit into all of these different vacation styles.
That’s why knowing what you need and answering these five questions is so helpful.
Your travel advisor can then use those answers to make recommendations and modifications within each type of trip to help create the most magical, memorable, and special vacation for you.
The goal is to make sure your vacation meets your family’s needs so you can have a wonderful time together with as little stress as possible.
We’re here to help with exactly that, and we’d love to hear from you.
