Journey Around The Globe

It may seem a little bit soon to be thinking about the summer holidays, but it’s incredible how time really does fly. It’s almost impossible to believe that we are already nearly a week into March! The days are getting longer; the nights are getting brighter, which means one thing – Summer is just around the corner.

So, it’s time to get your thinking caps on. If you haven’t got anything organized yet, you need to decide what you actually want to do. If you require booking leave from work, then you ought to do that as soon as possible. There are so many choices! Do you want to get away from home and venture onto foreign soil? Or are you planning on staying at home? The choice is yours.

picture: Janie H

Whatever you decide to do, you’ve got to keep your offspring busy. The refrain of “I’m bored!” is not something you want to hear from your children in the holidays. Attempting to keep kids amused when they’re off school can be a difficult task. And it’s also expensive. If you haven’t started trying to save some cash for the holidays then now is a good time to start. Even if you can only afford to put aside a few pennies each week, you’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up. And every little helps, especially when you’re trying to entertain the little ones. Once they get bigger, children seem to cost even more than ever. A toddler might be over the moon with a sweetie that costs 50p. Your teenager is likely to be less impressed; they often only reach such levels of joy and gratitude with something expensive.

Vacationing in a resort where there is entertainment laid on for kids is a good idea to keep them amused. This can be done with not much effort on your part. It’ll give you some time to yourself too. Relaxing on holiday can be difficult when you’ve got your kids around all day and night.  You can go all inclusive, too, which might just save some money. If you prefer less intense surroundings, then there are other options. Why not take them exploring? Scoping out a place you’ve never been to before is educational and fun. Touriocity offers a bespoke “guided tour” service from natives of places all over the world. Getting shown round by someone who knows your destination like the back of their hand will save you time. You’ll certainly get the lowdown on what somewhere is really like.

If you’re staying on home turf, then there is likely to be a whole load of stuff going on that you didn’t even know about. Check local listings, libraries and newspapers to get all the details on child-friendly activities in your area. Many places like swimming pools and museums put on special events aimed at kids (and parents!) during the holidays. Your local Children’s Centre may have fun things planned too, so pay them a visit!

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start getting ready for the summer holidays. Make the summer of 2016 your best one yet!

A family vacation is an amazing experience. Your kids will see more of the world (and hopefully learn from it!). You can escape from the everyday reality offered at home. Adults always remember the holidays they had with their parents when they were younger. Now you have an opportunity to gift unforgettable memories for your own children.

Source: Flickr

But if you’re not organized, then a trip can become an absolute nightmare! Planning everything out meticulously sometimes feels like a lot of effort. It’s tempting to avoid it. But when a family fail to adequately plan the holiday is just going to end up longing for home!

So here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Pick a place to go

Best if the parents decide this one. Children will probably pick ‘the moon’ or ‘the Land of Ooo’ from Adventure Time. Having said that, you do need to pick your holiday destination with the kids in mind. For a lot of people, this means going somewhere with a lot of tourist-heavy theme parks. But what if your kids are afraid of rollercoasters? Before picking your destination, make sure everyone is going to find something that will make them happy. The kids might not be too enthused by pure sightseeing!

2. Look at things to do

Make up a list of all the awesome family activities you can reach at your destination. Don’t think about time and money restraints at first; just get as many possibilities down as possible. Then, once you’ve got them all in a big list, go through them with your family. Have discussions, take votes, research each one. Once you have a top three, five or ten (how many activities do you want to do?), then you can start making arrangements.

3. Make your travel arrangements

Going by plane? Be sure to buy plane tickets them well in advance to get the best fares. You can get great deals in you buy tickets months in advance. If you want to book a little closer, you should try to get them about six to eight weeks before the leaving date. Airfare comparison websites like Skyscanner are great for finding good deals at the best time. As you’ll be taking the entire family and all their luggage, we doubt you’ll want to take public transport to the airport. A car is the best travel method. With this in mind, you should find cheap airport parking.

Source: Visual Hunt

4. Keep your luggage light and neatly arranged

Try not to take too many things that aren’t essential. You’ll of course need tickets, passports, and travel documents. Travel-sized toiletries, tissues, travel appliances and personal care items. Investigate packing organizers. Pack clothing, socks, underwear and personal items in plastic zipper bags. This prevents them from creasing. It also helps keep the clothing separate from everything else! The same goes for the toiletries; keep them in a see-through storage bag to keep other items protected, in case of unexpected spills.

5. Keep all your travel documents in a single location

Contact information for airlines, car rental agencies and travel agents, passport and itineraries. Keep it all in one place so you can easily refer to it whenever required. Consider getting a big folder or keeping it all in a lightweight briefcase.

Now get out there and have the vacation of a lifetime!