Family Travel Planning
Part of the fun of the trip is in the planning. Some experts say that people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their future! That’s probably not good, however, preparation for your trip can help you avoid inconvenience, unanticipated expenses and missing a must-see attraction while there.
Involving the children in the family travel planning process provides some valuable teaching and here are some suggestions:
Order a Visitors Guide from the tourism bureau of that area, addressed to your children.
They can anticipate the trip by pouring over photos and suggestions of what there is to do.
Prepare a budget for the trip.
They learn the value of how much it costs vs. entertainment value
Compromise if they can’t afford it all.
Prioritize their money and time for what the family really wants to do.
Consider all others involved.
Mapping out the trip
Learn why it takes so long (hopefully can end “are we there yet?”)
Planning where to stop for breaks and food.
How often would they need to stop for gasoline (good math problem)
Meal Planning
What items are good to pack (non-perishable and less messy).
Eating packed food vs. eating out goes back to a budgeting too.
Packing
Only so much will fit in the car and whatever you pack you must carry, unpack and repack.
What emergency items do we need to have on hand?
Scheduling
Planning the schedule can teach time management. For instance, we may spend too much time at one attraction and run out of time to get to the beach.
So when it comes to family travel planning, allow the kids to get involved. They will get more out of the trip and no complaints, since they were responsible for some of the decision-making. Happy travels and when they ask “are we almost there?” you can ask “I don’t know, are we?”