Planning a Summer Beach Family Holiday
If there is one thing many of us look forward to every year, it’s a holiday abroad. While some people go trekking in the mountains or hitting the slopes in the Alps, others enjoy lounging by the beach and soaking up the rays. If you resonate with the latter, listen up!
Before whisking the family off for a beach getaway, it’s a good idea to get your organisation head on. Being prepared for your trip will take the weight off your shoulders and allow you to truly sit back, relax, and enjoy some quality time under the sun with your loved ones. Here are some of our expert tips that will be a huge help in pulling off the best summer beach family holiday.
Find a Suitable Destination
When it comes to family-friendly beach resorts, the world is truly your oyster! Because there’s so much choice, finding somewhere suitable can be challenging. To whittle down the list and make things easier, it’s important to create a budget. When you know how much you can afford to splurge on your family getaway, you can pick destinations that won’t break the bank.
For example, if money is no issue, then go ahead and book somewhere like Bali. But, if you’re counting the pennies, it’s wise to stick somewhere closer to home, like Spain, Greece, or Turkey. Some of the most popular family-friendly beach hotspots include Crete, Majorca, Cyprus, and Malta. Before you make your mind up, it’s wise to read reviews from other families on these destinations and others so you can make a confident final decision.
Choose the Right Time to Go
Timing is everything when booking a family beach holiday. While you may be drawn to heading to such hotspots in the July and August months, you’ll find these tend to be the most expensive times to go. What’s more, popular destinations like Majorca can get incredibly busy. If you want a bit of peace and to save some cash, why not look into going away a little earlier?
If your kids aren’t of school age yet, there are no issues taking them away in June or September. However, if they are in school, you will need to request the time off. Even if it’s granted, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay a fine for the privilege. Even if you head away in early July, just before the summer holidays start, you could save a ton of cash!
Know What to Pack
Although t-shirts, shorts, and summer-themed attire are part and parcel of a summer family holiday, there are other essentials you must pack. Failing to do so could see you having to shell out a fortune once you arrive at your destination. Not sure what we’re talking about yet? It’s sun lotion! You’ll be surprised how expensive it can be to buy when you are overseas, so pack plenty of the stuff to avoid getting sunburn.
As well as sun lotion, make sure to pack a phone charger, insurance documents, and an iPad to keep the kids entertained during your downtime. If you have toddlers, they’re naturally not going to be able to pack their cases themselves. Therefore, give yourself plenty of time to pack and organise everything. Other essentials that need to be on your checklist include swimming goggles, swimming costumes, a first aid kit and toiletries. How much you pack will depend on the length of your family holiday and how many people are in your party.
Your attire should be fitting for the destination you’re heading to, but also make sure you have plenty of comfortable footwear. Wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt in a tropical setting is a perfect example of dressing appropriately and having some fun with it. What’s more, it’s important to make sure you’re comfortable when exploring the area or partaking in fun activities. Being uncomfortable will take away from your enjoyment of the holiday and may even cause injuries!
There’s nothing that quite beats jumping on a plane with your loved ones and heading somewhere to soak up the sun. Wherever you venture to in the world, you’ll want to have plenty of bonding time with your kids and ensure you all return back to blighty with fond memories to look back on.
We must reiterate the importance of thoroughly planning out your family beach getaway. Doing so will mean there aren’t any nasty surprises during your trip and, ultimately, help you get the most out of your time away.
Get Saving
To have the family holiday of a lifetime, you’ll want to know you’ve got plenty of funds behind you. After all, you don’t want to be halfway through your trip to find you’re on your last legs regarding cash. To stop this from happening, now is the time to get saving. Putting money away each month for your holiday will mean you’ve got the funds ready and raring to go. What’s more, you’ll be prepared for any unexpected expenses along the way.
If you want to give yourself more financial reassurance, it may be worth taking out a short term loan. You can use this to either foot the bill for the holiday or so you’ve got enough spending money while you’re there. Sunny can help you find short term loans. They work with a range of loan providers to get you suitable quotes.
Book Flights and Accommodation Early
As you can imagine, popular family-friendly beach resorts get booked up fast. Because of this, it’s crucial to book your flights and accommodation well in advance. If you leave things till the last minute, your choice of options is going to be severely limited. What’s more, prices can rise enormously and could see you paying a fortune.
What we don’t recommend is to settle on the first flights and accommodation you find. Sure, the price tag may be alluring. But, they may be cheap for a reason! Regarding accommodation, it’s always best to check ratings and reviews first. For flights, will an early morning plane journey be suitable for the kids, or will it throw their body clock out the window? These are important things you’ll need to think about so you can get from A to B with little stress!
Look For Age-Appropriate Activities
Wherever you plan to take the kids on a family beach summer holiday, you’ll want to ensure there are plenty of fun activities they can get stuck into. Of course, if you’re going to a beach resort, you can spend many an hour by the ocean. But, if you’re going somewhere a little further inland, having things to keep the kids occupied is a must for their entertainment and your stress levels!
If you’re heading to a family-friendly resort, many have kids’ clubs on-site. This means your kids can go off and have fun while you have some much-needed sunbathing time! There may be attractions the whole family can visit too, including theme parks and waterparks. Obviously, the more fun things there are to do, the better!
Be an Admin Pro
When planning a summer family holiday, there is always lots of paperwork and documents to get sorted out first. For example, you need to make sure all your passports are in date, otherwise, you won’t even be able to step foot on the plane! Factor in plenty of time to apply for passports and account for potential delays.
While you’re in admin mode, make sure to take out travel insurance too. This will protect you against things that could go wrong during your getaway, such as a medical emergency, delayed departures for reasons beyond your control and missed transport. Regarding boarding passes, many airlines let you store them on your smartphone.
