When I talk to To & Fro Fam readers and followers, I often hear that parents want to travel more with their kids—but they simply don’t know where to go for family vacations. You might feel the same. Maybe you’re not used to picking destinations based on what the whole family will want. What’s more, you might feel overwhelmed researching kid-friendly vacation destinations. Well you’re in luck: Today I’m sharing 9 ways to pick where to go for a family vacation.
I’m betting you’ve fallen down the google or Pinterest rabbit hole before, spiraling deeper into articles on the top family vacation destinations in your area. (You’re so not alone!)
If you don’t know where to start, simply read this article (and pin it for later, or share with a friend who might feel similarly overwhelmed). Here, I’m teaching you multiple strategies to help you pick where to go on a family vacation, no matter your location or your budget.
(If you just want straight-up recommendations for specific places, check out my guide, Top 10 U.S. Family Vacation Destinations, which is a part of my family travel checklist bundle.)
Ready to find an amazing spot for a family getaway? Let’s do this.
1. Fill in the blank: I’ve always wanted to go ____
If you’re interested in travel, you probably have a few bucket list destinations you’d love to visit. Not all of them will be terribly family friendly or affordable, but you’d be surprised at the kid-friendly activities and attractions you’d find in many places.
For example, maybe you always wanted to go to Las Vegas. At first glance, Sin City wouldn’t likely be your top family vacation destination. But as we recently experienced, Vegas has days’ worth of fun, kid-friendly things to do.
So don’t write off the places you want to go just because they’ve been on your bucket list since before you had kids. With a little research, you might discover these spots are the perfect place for a family vacation.
2. Ask nearby friends for recommendations
This tip is especially relevant if you’re on a tight budget or don’t have a ton of vacation time. Simply start a text thread or go on social media asking local friends where they’ve vacationed recently.
To help them point you in the right direction, give some parameters. Try, “I’m looking for a top family vacation destination within a 2-hour drive.” Or, “Local friends: Can you recommend an awesome hotel at less than $125 a night with cool things to do nearby?” Giving your friends a little information to work with will spark their ideas and make their recommendations more relevant to you.
3. Follow family travel bloggers
Yes, I’m a family travel blogger, and I hope you follow me on social media! But don’t stop with just me. Find other family travel bloggers and influencers who fit your values, travel style or preferred travel type.
There are so many different ways to travel as a family. Some family travel bloggers focus on a region; others do luxury travel or camping; some focus on traveling with big families or with the grandparents, too.
No matter what you’re looking for, you can find great bloggers and influencers. When you follow them on social media, you’ll get ideas of where you might want to go on your next family vacation.
4. Find cheap destinations for the time you can travel
Technology is making it easier to find deals these days. So if you know when you can travel but aren’t sure where to go for a family vacation, check out sites that recommend destinations by price.
Google Flights, Skyscanner and Escape can all be used to plug in your home airport and your timing. Then with a single click, these sites will show destinations, starting with the cheapest.
Not every one of them will be a slam dunk, but you might be surprised at the deals you can get when you’re flexible!
With restrictions around the coronavirus, you might not want to fly these days—but this strategy can work with other kinds of family travel, too.
Check the usual travel aggregators (like Expedia) for deals they are promoting. You can get huge discounts—like up to 80% off—if you’re not committed to one particular place.
Poke around and you might surprise yourself!
5. Look at direct flights of about 2 hours
I’m all about making family travel easier. And I know you’ll agree that taking a short, direct flight with kids is a lot easier than lugging them clear across the country with multiple layovers.
So do a quick search of direct flights from your airport. Look at ones that last only a few hours. The 2-hour window is perfect for young kids—just long enough for them to watch a movie or go through all the new toys you packed in your carry on, but not so long that they’ll go crazy from being cooped up.
You’ll get some fresh ideas of family vacation destinations! (Even if you might need to hold off on air travel for the time being, keep this tip in your pocket for when COVID is more under control.)
6. Look at destinations within a 2-hour drive
The same thing can be said of road trips. A 2-hour drive is typically manageable for young kids. They’ll likely only need one potty break or diaper change, and it’s short enough that you’ll arrive before the entire family questions why you left home at all.
(If the idea of road trips feels overwhelming, I have two great resources for you: #1 is my post on road trip supplies so your trip is easier and more organized; #2 is my new course Rock Your Road Trip, which teaches parents the three strategies to make road trips way less stressful and way more fun.)
You’d be surprised at how many undiscovered destinations are near where you live. We travel a ton, and still there are towns and other attractions we’ve never explored.
That sounds like a perfect recipe for a family road trip!
Thinking of where to go on a family vacation through this lens can uncover fantastic ideas that are also cheaper to travel to, since your transportation just requires gas money.
And you’d be in good company if you opted to take a road trip. Nearly 50% of Americans said they’re going on more road trips than usual. It’s understandable why: It’s much easier to be socially distant when you’re road tripping.
7. Visit friends for a cheap vacation destination
If you’re not sure where to go on family vacation, why not visit out of town friends? Chances are, you haven’t seen them in a while. Plus, they’ll have the inside scoop on the best kid-friendly activities, restaurants and tips in their town.
You may even be able to stay with them, saving money on lodging! (If, of course, you’ve been similarly careful about minimizing your risk and share comfort levels with how much contact you’ll have.)
One caveat: I recommend being really clear and up-front on the time you’ll spend with your out of town friends. If you go during the week, don’t expect them to play tour guide: They likely have jobs, schedules and other commitments. So assure them that you’ll show yourself around, though you’d appreciate recommendations.
Then you can spend the weekend all together, catching up and making up for lost time!
8. Draw inspiration from a children’s book on travel
I’m always reading with my kids (I admit we usually read to them through most meals). It makes sense, then, that we sometimes get inspired to travel by the books we read!
Maxine and Edie are often asking if we can visit different places that are settings in the books on our shelves and at our library. So if you’re looking for a place to travel together, see what destinations most intrigue your kids.
Not sure where to start? Order a handful of our favorite children’s books about travel and see where your imagination takes you!
9. Follow your kids’ passions
When you’re looking for family vacation destinations, dive deep into something your kids are learning or what they’re most interested in. Is there something they’ve been studying at school or in lessons you could build a trip around? Are they currently obsessed with a hobby? Use their interests as clues for a family vacation that’s guaranteed to keep them engaged and excited.
(Not sure? Ask them! They’ll have plenty of ideas.)
For example, Maxine has been obsessed with cheetahs for ages. So we’re planning on visiting Wildlife Sarari in Southern Oregon, which is home to the country’s most successful cheetah breeding program!
If your child is into science or engineering, plan a road trip with stops in each city’s science and hands-on museums. There’s truly no limit!
Finding the best family vacation destination for your family
I know you have way more ideas on where to go on a family vacation after reading this article. Is your mind already buzzing with possibilities? Do you have a direction for your research? I bet you do—and I know that’s better than spending hours aimlessly wandering Pinterest and Google!
If you’re still feeling stuck, I designed a mini-guide to 10 top family vacation destinations in the US. It’s part of my Complete Family Travel Checklist Bundle, which includes PDFs that outline exactly what to pack for all sorts of family vacation scenarios, from road trips to carry-on packing guidelines. The bundle also includes a pre-trip checklist so you never forget to find a pet sitter in time or turn down the heat before you leave.
No matter how you pick the spot for your next family vacation, I’m so glad you’re going. We both know that making time to be with your family is one of the best ways to bond and make memories together.
Happy travels!
Where are your favorite places to vacation as a family? Your recommendation just might inspire another To & Fro Fam reader!
