family travel

Summer is an awesome time to take a vacation with the family. Whether you decide to hit the beach or explore new parts of the country, there are lots of ways to travel as a family.

There's no better way to travel as a family than in an RV.

Choose Your Style

The first key to a successful trip is to determine what style of travel works best for your family and your budget. For example, do you prefer to fly or drive? Are you a camper or a resort glamper? By answering these questions first, you’ll set your trip up for success.

Here are some options to consider:

Take A Road Trip

One option is to take a road trip. This can be a great way to bond as a family and see different parts of the country. You can plan your route so that you hit some major tourist attractions or go off the beaten path and explore some smaller towns and villages. Either way, a road trip can be a great adventure for the whole family.

Go On A Camping Trip

You could take your road trip a step farther and make it a camping trip. This is a great way to get back to nature and spend time together as a family. There are many beautiful campsites around the country, so you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for your family. Camping can be an especially fun option for families with young children, as it allows them to explore nature and get some fresh air. Follow these steps to choose the best campground.

Take A Cruise

If you’re not interested in either of these options, there are also plenty of other things you can do with your family this summer. For example, you could take a cruise or a ferry ride, try out some water sports such as Aqua Surf School, kayaking or snorkeling, or go on a cultural tour of one of the world’s great cities. The possibilities are endless, so think about what your family would enjoy most and start planning!

Here Are Some Tips For Planning Your Next Trip:

Choose where you want to go

Are there any theme parks that you’ve always wanted to visit? Or maybe you’d prefer to stick close to home and spend some time exploring local attractions. Whatever your preference, make sure everyone in your family can agree on a destination.

Book your accommodations ahead of time

Waiting until the last minute could lead to unpleasant surprises like overbooked hotels or high prices at popular destinations during peak season. These same problems apply to campgrounds as well. Be sure to do your research and book your accommodations well in advance.

Make a budget

Once you know where you’re going and where you’ll be staying, it’s time to start thinking about how much money you’re willing to spend. Keep in mind that vacation costs can add up quickly, so it’s important to set a budget and stick to it.

RV Travel is a great way to save money. We’ve created this list to help you find ways to save money on all the major expense categories like gas and campgrounds.

Pack wisely

Don’t wait until the night before your trip to start packing – this will only lead to stress. Instead, start packing a few days in advance and make sure you have everything you need for your trip. From clothes to toiletries and travel documents, make a list of what you need to pack and check it off as you go.

Get everyone involved in the trip planning process

Remember, a vacation is a family affair, so make sure everyone gets to have their say when it comes to choosing destinations and activities. This will help ensure that everyone has fun during your trip and that no one feels left out or excluded from the decision-making process.

Stop us if this sounds familiar. You like to travel. Maybe you take a couple of vacations to a sunny resort or campground every year or maybe even plan to travel full-time. Then, you have children and life gets really busy. Kids can be expensive, they need a lot of stuff and you may be afraid the experience of travel will be lost on them.

While there’s no doubt that traveling with kids poses a bigger logistical effort than your carefree couple’s vacations, there are huge benefits to traveling with children, for them and for you.

RV travel and camping with your kids and grandkids is a great way to expose them to new places and experiences.

We traveled often with our sons while they were growing up and can’t wait to have grandchildren to taken on adventures too. If you’re lucky enough to be able to afford to travel regularly, then you will be providing your children with a fantastic opportunity to learn about the world and develop helpful life skills.

Here are some of the lifelong benefits to children that traveling and camping as a family can provide.

How to make traveling with children easier

The key to successfully traveling with children is all about preparation. The more thoroughly you plan, the more in control you will feel. From the places you stay to the travel insurance you buy, you want to make sure that you are ticking all the boxes when it comes to preparedness and safety. Children tend to be accident-prone so make sure you have spares of new glasses, medications, and a first aid kit.

While planning is vital, it’s not realistic to expect everything to run smoothly. So if you are thrown off track by something, try not to stress about it too much, it’s not the end of the world. Retain a flexible attitude and the little challenges will just slide right off you.

There are so many terrific family travel bloggers out there sharing their top tips and ideas to help make traveling with children simpler and more fulfilling. One of my favorites is Crazy Outdoor Mama. She offers tons of great tips for camping with kids from infants to teens.

The world gets bigger for them

It’s very easy to get caught up in our own little corner of the world, thinking it is the be-all and end-all of everything. Learning about geography in school or seeing it on TV is no substitute for actually being there. You don’t have to go thousands of miles away, even a short road trip will expose them to different locations and types of people. Travel is invaluable for getting perspective on the world and your place in it.

It encourages independence

Kids can learn many life skills that they won’t at home. Getting your kids involved in the planning and packing for the trip will build their independence and critical thinking skills.

Traveling and camping give your children and grandchildren a sense of independence.

They develop respect for other cultures

Tensions in the press and on social media are a huge indicator that we are becoming less respectful of other cultures. Travelling lets children experience various cultures and traditions.

Camping with your children and grandchildren is a great way to help them become more social and make a diverse group of friends.

While it’s not possible to protect our kids from intolerance and stereotyping, we can raise them to know how to deal with this in an open-minded and tolerant way. They may also make some new friends along the way.

They learn about history

When you travel, you are exposing children to a rich history of the country you’re visiting. Young children are sponges for knowledge so take them to see historical buildings and artifacts and teach them (and you) the history behind them.

By igniting their interest in history, they will begin to grasp how cultures change and evolve.

Encourages adaptability

Travelling requires kids to leave their routine and get out of their comfort zone. Learning to cope with change, even embrace it, is a fantastic skill to develop in your children. It will serve them well as adults.

It sparks their imagination

It was Bruce Barton that said ‘if you can give your child only one gift, let it be enthusiasm’. Developing your child’s imagination and lust for knowledge is a great thing that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Curious and imaginative people get things done, they ask the right questions and they change the world.

It teaches them to appreciate experiences

When you have children, it’s hard to fight the consumerist culture that is all around us in the modern world. Children want things. Toys, clothes, electronics. It can feel like an uphill battle to get them to appreciate something that isn’t tangible.

Regular traveling, with positive experiences, will teach your children that life isn’t all about the things you buy them, but the experiences you give them in their lives. This is what they’ll remember when they are older and looking back on their childhood.

Allows you to spend quality time together as a family

Modern life is busy. Between work, school, homework, and camp, it can feel like you don’t get to spend much time together. Family time is vital for kids. It not only strengthens your relationships, but it helps them to become well-rounded, confident adults who can connect with people.

Travelling gives your family time that extra level of importance and excitement. You’re experiencing new things together for the first time. Connecting outside of your usual home life lets you focus on your kids rather than the distractions that we all have.

Conclusion

Your wanderlust doesn’t have to end when you have kids, in fact, you hardly even need to postpone it. Yes, the thought of traveling with kids can be expensive and daunting. After all, we’ve all been on a flight or a bus with the screaming kids. We worry that this is going to be us. Many people choose to stop traveling altogether while others choose to play it safe and head to kid-friendly resorts.

Whatever you decide to do, you need to remember that there a huge advantages to your children seeing and experiencing the world. Their personal and emotional development can benefit hugely and you will expand their view of the world and other cultures.

Though traveling at the moment is not easy due to the global restrictions around COVID-19, it will give you plenty of time to research your next trip and reignite your wanderlust. You could even get your kids involved too, and they can start learning about other places while you are waiting for your vacation to come around.

Traveling with kids is tough, but it can also be life-changing, for them and you.

Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer