If you’re thinking about booking your first big family vacation, you might be worried about dealing with stressful situations on the road. But traveling as a family does not have to cause you anxiety – with the right approach, it can be a lot of fun, especially with expert advice from The Action Story! Here are a few guidelines you can use to map out your family trip.

Head to Washington, D.C.

Wondering where to go for your family trip? You might want to plan a vacation in Washington, D.C., where you’ll find lots of activities for kids and adults alike. If your children are school-age or older, they’ll love D.C.! You and your family can learn all about the history of the United States in this city. Where the Wild Kids Wander recommends visiting the free Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall or venturing outside of the city to check out Mount Vernon. You could also take a tour of the White House!

Book a Trip to Houston

What if you’re too far from Washington, D.C. to make a family trip feasible? Consider heading to a city like Houston, Texas instead! There’s plenty for families with young children to enjoy in Houston, like visiting the Space Center, the Children’s Museum, or the Downtown Aquarium. And if your children love sports, you could also get tickets to a baseball game at Minute Maid Park!

Check out New York City

The city that never sleeps has something to offer everyone. If you enjoy the arts, there are the theaters of Broadway and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you’re set on singing “Take me out to the…Yankees game!”, there are plenty of tickets available online. You can also enjoy the hundreds of delicious restaurants or take in a day at Central Park.

Create a Packing List

When you’re traveling with young children, you definitely don’t want to leave anything they need behind! If your children are older, you can encourage them to pack up some of their belongings on their own. You can even give them their own special backpacks for the trip! Family Vacation Critic recommends putting together a comprehensive packing list ahead of time with essential categories for different items, like first-aid gear, outdoor equipment, toiletries, clothing, and entertainment.

You can even bring your favorite four-legged companions. You can check out information on the best cat backpacks that make traveling with your cat easy.

Book Accommodations

If you’re traveling as a family, you’ll want to book spacious accommodations well in advance. Trying to find accommodations might leave you with few options, and you want to ensure that your whole family will be comfortable during the trip! You can look into hotel rooms or rental homes. By renting an entire house, you will have access to a kitchen, so that you can cook meals for your family and save money.

Pick Out Kid-Friendly Activities

What will be on your itinerary for your trip? This all depends on your kids’ ages and interests! Traveling with children who are in kindergarten or older opens up lots of possibilities. You could visit zoos, aquariums, national parks, beaches, museums, theme parks, and more. Just don’t try to squeeze too many activities into one day – that can quickly get overwhelming for kids. Leave a little downtime in your itinerary so that your family has plenty of time to eat and rest up between activities. You don’t have to see every attraction in the city – just choose what your kids will be most interested in!

Making big plans for a family trip takes time and thought. It can be a big undertaking! But if you’re willing to put a little extra effort into the planning process to iron out key details in advance, you can book a trip that your family will remember forever!

Interested in learning more about potential travel destinations? Check out The Action Story!