Families For Life | How to pick the right travel destinations for your family
Riding the rollercoaster at Disneyland with Mum and Dad; playing in the sand with our siblings on a beach in Bali; or eating hot street food at night markets – for many of us, family trips abroad have given us fond memories for life.
As parents now, you might be thinking of helping your child create these memories with family trips of your own! However, planning trips can be tricky when your family has different interests. For example, one member might be more active than another or someone could be picky with food and avoid certain cuisines.
To help you decide where to go as a family, try creating a family bucket list! This list should help you plan destinations for the year or even a few years in the future! Read on to find out how to create your family bucket list.
Step 1: Start by penning down your dream destinations
Let’s begin with a list of places you’d like to visit as a family. Remember that this is a list for your family unit! Set aside destinations that would be better experienced solo or with a partner (you can save these for quality time with your spouse).
As you build your list, think about the memories you’d like to make with your children. Whether it’s Disneyland, beach days, or hikes, keep them in mind as you pick your destinations.
Don’t forget to ask your partner for places they’d like to visit and involve your children in the planning too!
Step 2: Determine the best age for each destination
Not every destination is suitable for children. It would be difficult to take a young child of 5 to the jungle and go ziplining over the canopies! For adventures like these, it’s best to plan them for a later date and find more accessible locations to visit in the meantime.
Here are some things to consider as you sort through your list of destinations:
Ease of accessibility and ease of travelling within the country
Activities suitable for your children’s ages
Attractions and activities that appeal to adults and children
Once you’ve figured out the right ages for each location, you’re halfway to finishing your family bucket list!
Step 3: Calculate travel budget and frequency
Now that you’ve got a workable list, it’s time to determine your budget and the frequency of your trips. Some families prefer to take one big family trip every few years while others like to take smaller trips spread out across the year. Maybe your family likes a mix of both, taking shorter trips between bigger ones. Ultimately, it depends on your budget and how often you and your family are willing to travel.
Step 4: Lay it all out and start planning!
With your destination list and your travel frequency determined, you can align them with your children’s age and create a rough timeline for your family trips.
And voilà! You now have a personalised list travel destinations for your family!
Step 5: Don’t forget to leave room for change
Congratulations on creating your family bucket list! Planning for future trips is easier with your list, but ultimately, it’s just a guideline to help you work towards a goal. Keep it flexible and adjust it accordingly if your budget shifts. As your children grow and their interests change, your bucket list might also need an update to make sure everyone’s interests are covered!
With your bucket list in hand, plenty of family memories are waiting to be made! Make sure you’ve got everything packed with our travel checklist for kids and enjoy your trip!