Where Should Your Family Go On Vacation

Last Updated:

We may earn commissions for purchases made through links on our site. Learn more on our about us page.


Sometimes the hardest part of a vacation is planning where to go so that the whole family has a good time. Should it be domestic or international? Will the kids be able to keep up the whole time? These are just a few questions you must ask yourself while planning.

Luckily, many places in the U.S. and across the globe are perfect for the whole family. 

All-inclusive resorts like those in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, are popular but so are day trips to places like Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Keep reading to get more ideas on where the family should vacation next.

 

How Should You Pick the Location?

Picking the location can be difficult, but there are some good points that you can think about to narrow your search. These might include things like:

 

  • Is the country safe to travel to?
  • Do we need passports to get to the location?
  • Will I need to exchange currencies and bring cash?
  • What is the rest of the family interested in doing on vacation?
  • How long are we going on vacation?

 

If you have limited time for a family vacation, you probably don’t want to choose a faraway place that takes up half your time just to travel to. Similarly, you don’t want to waste your short time at a place that doesn’t interest the majority or the whole family.

 

Which Trip is Best for a Family Vacation?

The age of your kids often dictates what kind of vacations you might want to consider. Between work and other daily responsibilities, you can often save the headache of planning a whole vacation by booking an all-inclusive resort.

Cruises are another great option because you are unlikely to lose track of your kids while on the ship, and many things are included in your price, like meals, entertainment, and alcoholic drinks for the adults.

What is best, though, is what your family will enjoy the most. If your family likes to stay indoors on their devices, a wilderness excursion is unlikely to please them but would be great for active families.

 

Should Everyone Vote on the Location?

It can be a great idea to poll your family members to see where everyone would like to go. However, it can create a gridlocked situation where each person chooses a different location.

If possible, you should try to ask everyone what kind of things they would want to do on vacation more than where they would like to go. This creates an opportunity to find activities everyone will enjoy doing together and doesn’t limit you to certain, expensive areas.

In the end, most people will agree that the activities done with the family are more important than where the activities were held.

 

Which are the Most Popular Family Vacation Places for Family Trips?

The most popular family vacation places for a family trip in the U.S. typically revolve around one big objective. For example, visiting Disney World. 

This means you are headed to Orlando, Florida, and you can then plan other things around the intent of going to the theme parks.

Other extremely popular family vacations focus on spectacular sights like the Grand Canyon National Park or Yellowstone National Park. Younger kids may not appreciate these trips as much at the moment, but they will remember them fondly as they get older.

 

Are There Any Places You Should Avoid for a Family Vacation?

Yes, there are some places that you should avoid for family vacations. However, these kinds of places are fairly recognizable because they have an established reputation.

Check out the U.S. Department of State website for travel advisories on countries. 

They often update the listings of countries with different levels. The higher the level, the more hazardous a visit to that country might be for various reasons, such as kidnappings or active war zones.

Even within certain countries deemed safe for international travel, places like Brazil’s favelas can be dangerous for a family.

 

Final Thoughts on Where Should Your Family Go On Vacation

Family vacations are great opportunities for strengthening the connections between family members and creating wonderful memories, but they can also be a pain to book.

The biggest thing to think about when deciding where to go on a family vacation is what the majority of the family will enjoy or have the energy to do. Museums and historic sites may not interest young families as much as those with older kids etc.

As long as you and your family stay safe, you will have something to look back on no matter where you end up going.