It’s Not Too Late to Plan a Summer Family Vacation

There are two types of travelers: One who meticulously plans out every detail in the itinerary, right from the places to visit the food to eat. And much before the travel season begins, you’ll find them hunting for the best tour packages, cheap flight tickets or the most attractive looking villas. Call them super-efficient, very organized, or whatever nomenclature you want to put them under, they plan it all in advance to get the best deals, and for peace of mind.

The other one procrastinates due to a lot of reasons. They believe in the thrill of spontaneity and somehow find the best summer vacation plan for their families. Perhaps they don’t enjoy the luxury of time. Or they don’t want the hassle of looking everywhere to find a deal only to find a better one after having made all the purchases.

Gone are the days where we would totally rely on the tour operators for the most exciting tour packages. About 20 years back, they would boast that about 35% of their summer packages stock had been sold in January itself. And last-minute deals – at least during the school holidays – were a way of selling the last few seats on chartered flights. Now, January accounts for about 20 percent of summer sales as a lot of us, travelers, leave things till the end.

With armchair traveling in vogue, satiation is merely some clicks away. The Expedia.com data keepers reported that last minute booking of some end-of-summer hotel deals has reduced to one to three days out, instead of seven days in advance. With a plethora of options available online, it is remarkable to see the mindsets of today’s holidaymakers and how late they prepare for the holiday season.

What we’re trying to say is, that whether you see yourself in the first or the second category, you’re still not that late to plan a summer family vacation with your loved ones.

Here are four basic guidelines that should result in a pleasant and memorable trip for all of you:

Narrow Down to a Destination

Do take time to discuss destination options and preferences together with your family. Zero in your vacation spot to a place that everyone agrees on. You surely wouldn’t like to be in a place where your loved ones are contemplating between camping or cruising. In that case, you could either choose one trip for the upcoming summer vacation and earmark the next summer for the other option, or settle for a third option that everyone agrees on.

Plan the Budget

It is prudent to decide on a vacation budget and adhere to it so as to avoid any speed bumps during the actual trip. After deciding on a destination, you can start researching on the lodging, restaurants, places of activities and interests in and around the vicinity. If you feel you are going out of budget just go for Personal Loan for travel.  Follow these two steps to avoid overspending.

Mindful Packing

You should be able to find the balance between what you’d like to carry and what is essential to carry. In the ripe age of technology, you could use apps on your smartphone and tablet to hold your tickets, e-books/ e-magazines, and movies. However, do keep all your electronics close enough and encrypt personal and confidential information as much as possible.

Don’t Forget the Chargers… Or to Step Back and Breathe

Speaking of important electronics, please don’t forget to carry their support system. What’s the point of bringing your smartphone or iPad without its charger? On the other hand, use this much needed time to relax and detach from the monotonous routine. Isn’t that the purpose of the entire vacation? Let go of the need to follow the itinerary to the ‘T’ and just, surrender.

To sum it all up, quoting Ellen Goodman as she once said, “What do I want to take home from my summer vacation? Time. The wonderful luxury of being at rest. The days when you shut down the mental machinery that keeps life on track and let life simply wander. The days when you stop planning, analyzing, thinking and just are. Summer is my period of grace.”