Planning Makes Perfect

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Define Your Travel Experience
Now it's time to get started. I suggest, at the risk of sounding corny, sitting in a quiet place and trying to visualize how you want to feel on your vacation. What kind of a vacation experience are you looking for? This decision can feel overwhelming and confusing, even for the most well-traveled person or family. I have developed a short work sheet for helping you determine what kind of trip you want to take, where you want to take that trip, how much you want to or can spend on such a trip, and when you want to go. You may know the answers to most or all of these questions. Fine. Simply use the work sheet to assemble your information in a clear, concise way, which will help you begin to plan and organize.

How much mental stimulation do you want? Are you looking for sun or snowy cold? Do you want to be physically active or no? These are basic but important questions that will help you achieve your vacation dream and avoid having an experience that no one really planned on having -- I call this the vacation regrets -- which too often means that you end up returning home more exhausted than when you left and need a vacation to recover from your vacation. Yikes!

I advise that you sit down with a clean sheet of paper or blank computer screen and read through and answer the questions below. As you do so, you will begin the selection process.

1. What is your travel mood: energetic, quiet, or a mix of the two?
2. Do you want to visit a warm or cold climate, or does it matter?
3. Do you and your family enjoy doing a lot of activities, such as sightseeing or touring? Or do you want to spend time primarily resting?
4. Do you and your family enjoy the outdoors, or do you prefer full amenities?
5. Do you already know your dates of travel? With school schedules, many families know well in advance when they are taking vacation. If you know your dates, you have valuable information for determining the costs, availability, and other details about your trip. If you have more flexibility around when you can travel, seasons often help determine the type of trip. If it's February and the days are cold and short, you might be in the mood for a warm hiatus down south. If it's summertime, you may feel more up for an adventure. Then again, if it's winter and you and your family enjoy winter sports, you may want to consider a destination that provides such activities.
6. How old are your kids, and do their ages preclude some trips? For example, if your kids are under five, then you probably do not want to plan a soft adventure in the outdoors. But if your kids are teenagers, they may want the thrill of a backroads experience. Keep in mind how your entire family can enjoy a particular trip.
7. Do you want to stay in a hotel, small inn, or bed-and-breakfast, or do you want to rent a condo or house? Your choice of accommodations in part depends on the ages of your children. If they are very young, then you may be more comfortable in a condo or house. Then again, you may want the services and amenities of a hotel or inn.
8. What is your budget? It's important to decide beforehand exactly how much money you want to spend on your vacation. Determining this figure will help you narrow your field of options -- regardless of how much or little you want to spend. Remember, no matter your budget, there is a perfect vacation for you. By choosing an all-inclusive resort or a cruise vacation, you can predetermine to the penny what you will spend, before you even leave your house!
9. Are you flexible enough to consider off-peak travel? All resorts, hotels, and packagers offer specials during off-peak times. Off-peak can mean midweek or off-season. So if you have flexibility with your vacation dates, then it is very well worth your while to find out rates during these off-peak times. You can receive a significant discount -- and enjoy your vacation with a lot fewer crowds. This is true whether you're going north to snowboard or south to sunbathe or to a city to be a culture vulture for a week. But don't worry, if you have to travel during peak times (during holidays and summer vacation), there are plenty of ways to maximize your travel dollar and find added value. Keep reading!

After assembling all your information, you may still not know exactly where you want to go, but you are probably a lot closer to knowing how much you can spend, when you are traveling, and what type of vacation you want. Keep this information at hand as you continue the planning process. Sometimes narrowing your choices is hard because you want to do everything during one seven- or ten-day period. Try to remember that you can and will take many vacations in your lifetime, and that the one you are planning for now should fit your family now. If your family includes babies and toddlers, for example, it may be too soon to visit Disney World, and you might have a more relaxing and enjoyable time at an all-inclusive resort or on a cruise that provides babysitting and organized activities for toddlers. If your kids are no longer toddlers but are under twelve, then certain soft adventures may be too strenuous for them but perfect for when they turn fourteen. Consider the ages and makeup of your family and let these factors help pare down your choices.