Family Travel: Tips For When You Can't Decide Where To Go

Now is the perfect time to start planning your summer vacation! But one of the most frequent dilemmas I hear is “We can’t decide where to go.” With 195 countries and 372,000 miles of coastline in the world, it’s no wonder. Indecision can lead to choosing fall back destinations, instead of discovering where in the world is right for your family at this time.

Here are some family travel planning tips that can help you gain perspective and make decisions. Remember, the “perfect” destination is a myth. I firmly believe that you can find surprises, delights, and wonderful discoveries anywhere you, as long as you are open to looking for them. So don’t get too caught up in finding the perfect place. Choose a place that works for your budget, interests, and purpose, and make that experience perfect, no matter what happens, hiccups and all. That’s kind of the point of traveling- looking beyond perfection to discovery. 

#1: Consider WHY you want to travel

We often first think about WHERE we want to go, but a better first question is WHY we want to travel. What are you (and your family) feeling now as you imagine your upcoming travel? Are you looking more for relaxation, or exploration, or a little of both? Are you longing for cultural immersion, physical challenges, or serenity? Is it a moment when you need tranquility to focus on relationships within your family? Or a time for adventure and encountering the new? How far outside of your comfort zone are you hoping to stretch? If you’re traveling with family members, give everyone, including the kids, the chance to express what they are looking for. Your purposes may or may not overlap, but can point you towards certain destinations over others.  

Antigua was a great choice when we were overworked and wanted beach play and relaxed family time.

#2: Consider your family interests

What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing together as a family, or as individuals? Write those down, then look for the places that these are most readily available. The book series that your kids are reading or the languages they are learning in school can point you to destinations where they can further these explorations. When our older daughter started sailing, we often looked for places where she could rent a sailboat to practice her skills in different waters (Croatia, Zanzibar). When I started swimming, we looked for locations with beautiful open water swimming (Greece, Australia, Michigan). Understand that there may not be one place that’s perfect for all family members and there may likely be conflicting views, but some destinations will be better matches at certain times than others. Bring out a world map or globe and explore it with the children as you consider different destinations.

#3: Look at your budget

For most of us, budget is a reality. There’s a variety of destinations available at any budget. Factor in not only the cost of the flights, but also the costs in country- primarily lodging, food, activities. For example, an activity such as horseback riding can cost up to eight times in Hawaii what it costs in Ecuador or Cuba. A beer in Vietnam will cost 1/10 the cost of a beer in most of Europe. I once had a co-worker who convinced himself that he didn't have the money for international travel. But he flew from New York to Los Angeles for vacation several times a year. He  hadn’t understood that for about the same cost as flying to LA, he could fly to many destinations, for example in Central America, and while there, spend a fraction of what he spent in LA.

Greece was ideal for us when the kids were reading Percy Jackson books and mom was first into open water swimming.

#4 Factor in practicalities

Practicalities may help you narrow down your list:

• Weather: Think about what weather you want to enjoy, then look for places that have comparable weather at that time of year. Or: have a short list of places, then check to make sure the weather will be amenable when you are traveling. This is especially true in South East Asia where the monsoon season strikes different areas at different times.

• Flight distance: If you are flying with young  children, how long of a flight they can handle at their age may narrow down your options. Each child is different, it’s not necessarily true that all young kids can’t handle long flights. And kids can sometimes adjust to jet lag time differences easier than adults.

• Transportation: Do you prefer a place that’s walkable or will you want to have a car? If the former, which places are easily walkable for strollers and little kids.

• Vaccinations: While it’s not out of the question, places that require vaccinations for malaria and similar diseases may be better choices once children are older.

• Special events: Remember to check seasonal event calendars. Paris, the 2024 Summer Olympics host, may not be the place to go this summer unless you are willing to plan ahead and pay more. On the other hand, local festivals may drive you towards a certain destination.

#5 Think beyond the obvious

Don’t pay too much attention to the “Top Places to Go This Year” lists. These are fun to look at for inspiration, but at the end of the day, these are always a writer’s subjective choices. Think more intentionally what YOUR top places would be. Consider destinations beyond the most popular of the moment. There are dozens of beautiful places in Thailand beyond Phuket, and in Indonesia outside of Bali. There are wonders of Europe to explore beyond the hot places of the moment like Iceland and Portugal. While all of these are AMAZING locations, there are so many other options, especially if you are looking to avoid the summer crowds and over-tourism.

Egypt was on our wishlist, so when we saw incredibly discounted airfares to Cairo, we knew we could jump on those quickly without too much research or family discussion.

#6 Crowdsource suggestions once you have ideas

It's best to ask for advice from friends, family, and social media groups once you already have a shortlist of places that you are considering. This way the feedback and suggestions will be targeted and more helpful.

We made this list together in 2018 and still refer to it.

#7 Don't be attached to a single destination

We keep a running list of 6-10 places that our family wants to travel to, with input from all family members. Have fun talking about it, maybe even debating which countries make the list and which don’t. Some places may fall off or be added to the list each year. When it’s time to book airline tickets, we save a lot of money by searching on Google Flights and Kayak.com to find the most affordable flights to places from that list for when we want to travel. A lot of money can be saved if you’re not intent on one destination. This is one way that we have been able to travel affordably over the past ten years.

#8 Go with your GUT

Our brain can get in the way of our making decisions, especially when presented with an overload of choices. So instead of overthinking it,  listen to where the voice inside of you is leading you. 

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Whether you've narrowed down your destination possibilities or not, Fortuna Redux Travel Experiences will work with you to envision and plan all the details of your family trip. We focus on personalized itineraries for responsible and eco-sustainable independent travels centering exploration and growth.