Family vacations always start out with the best of intentions, but can often end up extremely stressful. To make your next family vacation not only calm and stress-free, but also plenty of fun, OROGOLD has some top family vacation planning tips for you.

Let Your Kids Have Their Say
If you have children of different ages, it can often be hard to try to accommodate everyone’s wants and needs. If you have already chosen a destination, OROGOLD suggests allowing each of your children to choose one thing in particular that they would like to do on vacation. Help them to do some research on the internet to find out what is available and give them some choices. This will make sure that everyone feels involved and excited right from the start.

A Flexible Itinerary
Over-scheduling too many activities during your family vacation is a sure sign that there will be problems ahead. Children in particular don’t tend to enjoy too much sightseeing, so keep this at a minimum. Try to have a couple of goals for each day, with things that you are hoping to do or see, so that if one doesn’t work out, you will still have a backup plan and won’t be left with absolutely nothing to do. When you do plan particular activities, remember to keep at a comfortable pace for everybody, keeping each family member’s preferences in mind when planning dining options, activity choices, and even wake up times in the mornings. OROGOLD also strongly advises that you set some time aside for private time, especially if you have teenagers with you.

Expect the Unexpected
Whenever you are traveling, it is always advisable to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to travel delays and long waits. This is even more important when you are traveling as a family, with boredom leading to arguments, which then starts the vacation off on a sour note. To overcome this, pack a carry-on bag with a change of clothes for every family member, as well as medicines and necessary toiletries. You should also pack a good variety of travel games and snacks, as these will come in use when you are busily trying to keep the children occupied during a long wait.

Vacation Memories
Everybody loves snapping photographs when on vacation, and it is likely that your children will be no exception. Consider giving each family member a disposable camera and a journal, where they can keep track of their vacation adventures. It is also a great way for the family to share memories after the vacation is over, by looking through and discussing each family member’s journal and photographs. If everyone in your family has a smartphone with a camera, consider purchasing a pocket-sized printer, to help bring everyone’s photos to life at the end of each day.

Planning a family vacation can be difficult, especially if everyone in your family is quite particular about what they like to do when on vacation. By planning a flexible trip, and including everyone’s preferences in your vacation activities, your family vacation is much more likely to be a great success, resulting in precious memories that you will treasure for a lifetime.