Short trips are great for families. Your children (and you) do not get so exhausted. You save money on lodging and meals so you have more to spend on all those fun activities that seem to cost a fortune. Plus, you have more time to rest and relax at home before you have to go back to work.
I think it's a great idea to learn about the history of the area that you will visit before you go. Let your school-age child do some research on the Internet to share with the family. Then, when you get to your destination your child will find the historical attractions much more interesting.
Another idea for travel planning on the Web is to explore the local Web sites of the location you will visit. About's Cities/Towns sites are especially useful for learning about a city from an insider's viewpoint. It's like being shown around the city by your best friend rather than a travel agent. Explore these to find the inside scoop on a destination so that you won't come home feeling like you spent your entire trip in tourist traps.
The state tourism and travel sites are a good place to find historical information, events in that state, and even discount coupons. You can also order free travel packets online from most of them.
I am always looking for ways to avoid wasting money when we travel so that we have plenty for the really important things we want to do. Some of these links give great information for saving money and others let you see where you will really want to splurge - the perfect mix for a great family vacation!
Web Resources for Planning Your Family's Vacation
- About Travel with Kids The best site for planning family vacations is on About!
- About Hotels, Resorts and Inns (check out Kid-Friendly Hotels)
- About Theme Parks
- About Budget Travel
- About Adventure Travel
- About RV Travel
- About Camping
- About US/Canadian Parks
- Family.com: Travel
- The Travel Channel
- Family Travel at Travelocity.com
- Family Travel Forum
- The Family Travel Files
- Family Travel Guides
- The Family Travel Network
- Family Vacations at Frommer's
