Considered going on holiday with your extended family and then decided not to go ahead with the trip? Worried about how everyone would get on? We feel you. The stresses of going on holiday with more than a couple of family members fills some of us with dread. However these type of vacations are perfect for making lifelong memories. If you’ve all got busy lives, what better way is there to spend quality time with your kids, gran-kids, parents etc? Don’t you just love it when all the generations come together?
So to help you out, we’ve got some awesome tips to make sure that you finalize that family holiday you’ve been planning for years!
Firstly – consider your accommodation type. Because everyone needs their own space, we recommend choosing a villa. Villas are perfect for large groups because everyone can have their own room. Nothing’s worse than sleeping on the sofa bed in a small hotel apartment and being woken up early in the morning by someone who wants to go for a 5-am run around the block. Villas usually come with lots of amenities, giving everyone the opportunity to be active. No one want’s the children bored and hungry, do they?
This leads us on to our second point of advice – activities. Try to find accommodation with added extras such as paddle board, bike or kayak rental (depending on your location of course). This means that there is no time wasting trying to think of things to do. You can just pick up a bike and go to town if you want some space. What about encouraging the kids to try paddle boarding down by the ocean? Make sure your accommodation is close to the town also, otherwise grabbing some croissants in the morning will be difficult! Hiring a golf cart or bicycle can make this easier.
The layout of the house or villa is important. Having the kitchen, outdoor seating area and pool all on one floor and connecting to each other is perfect. Why not sit back and read a book whilst the grandchildren are splashing around the pool? They say that too many cooks spoil the broth but if you go against that motto, having a large kitchen is perfect for cooking a delicious communal meal together.
Next, think about where you want to go. Spend a while discussing possible destinations. You might just want to pick a beach town where everything is in close proximity if there’s a range of young ones in your group – this way they don’t have to sit on long journeys to sightseeing locations or get restless in the city. If there’s teenagers or young adults, you might want to think about being close to nightlife, shops or adventure activities – it’s great for them to have the opportunity to participate in activities they wouldn’t get to do at home such as jet-skiing or scuba diving. Is Great-Grandma coming with you? She might not want to walk around a whole lot. In this case pick somewhere with interesting sights that don’t involve a whole lot of travelling from place to place!
In general, try not to build a rigid itinerary. It’s good to have plans if you want to see somewhere in particular, but don’t expect the whole family to go along with it.
It’s better all round if you accept that people are going to want to do different things. What’s nice is if you can think of a few events to involve everyone, such as taking a day trip to the beach or going out for lunch to try some local delicacies. Schedule a couple of these activities and leave the rest of the time free for whatever comes about! That way there is no pressure on anyone and you’ll all be more relaxed.
Contact us now and we can help you plan your next vacation. If you’re thinking about taking a break close to home, don’t forget to check out the rental properties on our sister site – Breakaway Vacations. We look forward to chatting with you soon!
Written by Hannah Poaros