We all need vacation at some point. Time out from the stress of everyday life, from the office and the hustle and bustle that surrounds us everywhere every day. And by everyone we really mean everyone: singles, couples and families with children. But not always the planning of the trip or the trip itself is crowned by relaxation. Usually, however, the stress does not start at the destination, but some time before: At home while planning your trip!
Here are some tips on how to get to your well-deserved holiday relaxed (and not ready for a holiday!).
Tip 1: Finding the right destination
Many people mean many different opinions and this can also be the case within the family. If you already know (your) holiday destination: wonderful, then nothing can go wrong!
But often we have no idea where our next (hopefully relaxing) vacation will take us. When choosing a destination, good advice can sometimes be quite expensive. Therefore, the following must first be explored:
What should our holiday look like?
Even if you don’t know a specific destination, you can weigh up in advance what kind of holiday it should be: do you want to spend a beach holiday by the sea, in a nice resort or apartment? Or should it be an active holiday in the mountains, where you can see and experience as much as possible? Or is the family drawn inland for sightseeing in different cities? Once this first hurdle has been cleared, then further planning will (almost) take place.
Another important question is:
How long can the arrival time be?
This question alone narrows down the potential travel destination very narrowly. If the travel hours do not matter, you are flexible and can consider distant places. But if you only want to be on the road for a certain maximum number of hours, it becomes more difficult. It is still important to consider: why travel far away when the good is so close?
Closely linked to the question of travel time is also this one:
How do you want to travel?
Do you want to go on holiday with your own car and be as flexible as possible on site or would you prefer to reach your destination by train or plane in a more relaxed way? When choosing the means of travel, you should always keep the needs of all travelers in mind, especially for families with children, either nerves can be extremely tense or a relaxed start to the vacation can take place.
Tip 2: Well packed is half the battle!
Once the destination is set, half the battle is already done. Now it’s time to adapt the luggage to the destination and the travel time. Various packing lists on the Internet can help here and significantly shorten the preparation time. But not only should you think about the right clothing, but also about the healthiest possible travel food for the whole family.
Tip 3: Plan (and book) joint activities on site
But not only the luggage should be well thought out and organized. A lot of stress can also be taken out of the destination itself if some destinations, for example sights in cities or attractive offers especially for families, etc., are planned before arrival and the tickets for them are booked in advance. So you can not only start your vacation free and drive to a foreign city without pressure, but usually you can also find the best combination offers of tickets for sights and public transport online. In Rome, for example, you can use the Rome Pass , it is definitely worth making an online comparison to see which ticket is best suited for the family.
Another valuable tip (especially for families with children):
When planning excursions, you should always have an alternative ready in case the weather conditions change unexpectedly.
Tip 4: Nothing is a must, everything is possible!
At home you are tense and constantly under pressure. This is not only due to the many to-do’s that you have and also burden yourself with – from household to family to work – but also to the constant accessibility that the age of information technology has given us. Yes, a smartphone can be a blessing and a curse at the same time, because no matter where you are, you can be found anywhere and thus contacted. But not only that: you yourself also very easily fall into the comparison trap! Quickly check the social media channels and you will see many beautiful pictures of fantastic vacation spots or accommodations of friends or just people you follow, and start drawing comparisons to your own life – usually these are not positive. In order to avoid all this and rule out another stress factor, you should actually do one thing on vacation: put your smartphone aside, turn it off and don’t let social media and other messages get carried away by comparisons of your own life with those of others. Just enjoy the newfound (smartphone-free) family time and get to know each other much better on a different and new level. Not only the psyche, but also your children will be grateful if you don’t constantly look at the small screen, but devote your full attention to them.
If you follow these tips, nothing stands in the way of a relaxing holiday with the whole family. We wish you a safe journey!
