4 Tips for Organizing the Perfect Family Luxury Vacation

Vacations are an excellent way to bond with family by getting out of the house and spending quality time together, assuming the vacation itself doesn’t become a source of strain and conflict in and of itself. Think about the horror stories that are so common that the National Lampoon Vacation movies simply build upon and add a little more humor. That isn’t the type of trip you want to have with your family, which is why spending a little more for a luxury vacation that suits your family is the best type of family vacation. Here are four tips for organizing the perfect family luxury vacation.

Set a Budget that Everyone Will Support

Set a budget for the vacation that everyone will be able to not only live by but support. For example, it isn’t fair to ask a family member with limited means to pay several thousand dollars to come on a luxury family vacation planned for a reunion. Don’t plan on grandparents paying for things unless they’ve explicitly agreed to do so. Set a budget for travel, lodging, food and activities that won’t cause the bills for the trip to tarnish the memory of the vacation as you struggle to pay them off over the next few months. Set a budget for activities and let the family choose who will do what. This has the side benefit of reducing stress because you aren’t trying to rush through numerous expensive activities, potentially cutting a fun one short because the more expensive one starts in a few minutes.

Plan Amenities and Facilities that Fit Your Needs

If you like being in the outdoors but hate setting up campsites, consider renting a fully stocked cabin or glamping instead of roughing it. For those with the money, a luxury resort in the wilderness allows you to see the glory of nature without the massive work of managing the campsite at the end of the day. If you hate navigating a foreign destination, book a hotel that is located in the immediate area of the sights you want to see, even if it costs a little more. For example, if you’re staying in Quebec City, book the Chateau Beauvallon at https://www.chateaubeauvallon.com instead of renting a cheaper hotel on the outskirts and trying to plan for travel time despite the language differences.

Vet for the Right Type of Services

When you research hotels, find out which have family support services like babysitters with background checks or a “kid’s club” that is supervised by qualified childcare professionals. The best hotels can arrange for baby gear upon request. It may be worth it to pick the Four Seasons hotels over a different chain because of their good “kid’s club”.
Don’t assume that sending your children to the pool is enough to keep them busy, since many resorts don't allow children in the adult’s pool and may not let your preteens go swimming unless you’re there. In some cases, they may require you to hang out by the kid’s pool and prevent all of you from being in the nicer adult pool.

Plan Your Schedule

Traveling with children adds time to getting ready to get out the door and packing up to go on to the next activity. Allow for extra time when traveling with children at the start of each day and between activities. Plan for your child’s naptime, since nothing ruins an afternoon like a cranky, crying toddler. Remember that your two year old will not adjust to the time zone change in one day, so arrange activities so you are staying at the hotel or a quiet place so the little one can rest. Return to the hotel with at least half an hour before bedtime so the children have time to wind down; otherwise they won’t be unable to get enough sleep at night.
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Keep the above tips in mind and you should be on your way to a perfect family vacation.