Family vacations are high risk and high reward. With 10 people, come 100 preferences. Some are willing to let it go, some stick by their word. Cousins fight, men gossip and women are left with all the labour. What if you could keep all the high reward fun and get rid of the high-risk factors? Here are 10 things to keep in mind when planning a family vacation. Follow the step and avoid the confusion later!
1. Decisions decisions
The spark of a family trip soon turns into a raging fire of suggestions. Before you know it, the beach vs mountain argument ends in a walk out. When no one is willing to compromise, the planners have no choice but to give up and can the plan. Instead of starting a discussion on the family WhatsApp group, catch hold of 2 people, put them in charge and trust them with most decisions. Ravan probably lost because there were 10 voices in his head, and he didn’t know which one to follow.
Also read: Guide To Bring Your Family On A Residence Visa To UAE
2. Choose the destination
Keep in mind that 60-year olds are more compromising than 16-year olds. Consider everyone’s preferences and if you don’t know what they’d like, don’t ask! Stalk them and find out and then try to include their likes and dislikes. Before floating an idea, make sure it’s one that, if not everyone then, a majority would be excited about. There should be arrangements for kids and the elderly; it should be party worthy destination for the teens and the energetic; the overworked should be able to max out on the relaxation. Find out how I Went To Sri Lanka With My Family For 6 Days Under ₹50,000 Per Head Including Flights.
3. Book everything
Pre planning means nothing without advance reservations. Firstly, big groups are unlikely to make their way through a full-blown vacation without people waiting to make their lives easier. From cabs to restaurants, everything is an on the spot nightmare. When it comes to hotels, everybody reserves rooms. Secondly, if you leave room for debate, debate it what you’ll get. Remember Ravan? Compress disagreement lanes as much as possible and save all that planning time for pina coladas.
4. Managing the travel documents
Safe and handy is the first travel tip that anyone would throw your way but, how would you accomplish this and what’s at stake when 6-year olds and 60-year olds are all involved. There are tools for this like e-copies, passport holders and physical photocopies too. However, we think you should focus on a little how-to guide for your lesser travelled family members, specially the young ones. Explain to them the consequences of losing their documents in a foreign country. It’s better if every person is in charge of their own documents instead of one person safeguarding them for the whole group. In case anyone finds themselves alone, they’d have something to fall back on. Further, no need to carry all documents wherever you go. Also, mark out tourist places where it’s common for people to lose their bags to theft or bad luck like the Euro rail so that you’re better prepared.
5. Spot specific
The dos and don’ts in Delhi would be to carry pollution masks, cover skin to protect oneself from the sun and stares and visit Chandni Chowk. There are ways to get around at every place. We have learnt the hard way not to mess with Goan cabbies and rely on Mumbai cabbies completely. Like one must cover their heads in Gurudwaras, one must adhere to several norms in each cultural context. The better your research, the better your experience.
6. Travel light
Big groups get carried away when it’s time to pack. The image in your head of a perfect insta-worthy picture in every location might manipulate you to pack both your swimsuits. You’d probably manage yourself very well no matter how much you pack but, on group vacations, responsibility is shared. Make sure to carry only one check in and one hand bag per person. We’re not talking cabin sized hand luggage but just a bag enough for your passport and earphones!
7. Living for the gram
While it’s important you create some social media content on your trips, it’s also important that your experience doesn’t become slave to your social media needs. Travel, document and display, but every once in a while, put down the phone and breathe in the moment. Time moves quicker on vacation; blink and you’ll miss it. An easy way to do this is to just swear to completely get off the internet for a part of your trip. This way you can go nuts on content at other places.
8. Rely on card over cash
You can’t lose what you don’t have. In Seattle, USA, locals religiously follow this trend because they’re more likely to get cornered if someone spots cash in their wallet. Tourists are even more vulnerable because they’re usually on a spending spree. Evaluate your cash needs according to the economy of your family vacation destination.
9. Buy a local sim
Just do it. You’ll save money and headaches. You can often get a sim right at the airport. It might take a little motivation to jump into lines as soon as you land but, this little sacrifice will go a long way once you’re in your hotel room and don’t have to worry about errands. The connectivity will also be better on a local sim. On foreign family vacations, it’s important everyone is always reachable in case of emergencies.
10. Going with the flow
Despite all the planning, you cannot control everything. Somebody will get a bad tummy, a child will ruin your late-night plans, traffic and weather might surprise you or someone might just not be in the mood. It’s great to have an itinerary. It’s even better to follow the vibe. Some of the best stories come out of spontaneous choices!
We live for food and travel and we can safely say that all this planning is worth it. If you’re looking to Get Quality Family Time This New Year’s Eve Away From Delhi’s Hustle then head to These Gorgeous Getaways! The chance to take a big family vacation comes rare and you should definitely latch on to it if it presents itself. Don’t be shy to step up, it’ll all be worth it!