Family Vacation Ideas

You're trying to plan a vacation for your family, but you have no idea where to start. Do you go to a place where everyone can participate in sporting or hiking activities? Is a beach destination ideal? Is everyone excited about trying a new amusement park this year? Here are some vacation ideas that you can share with your family that may help you to narrow down your choices.

One of the first things you can do when you're planning family vacation spots for the whole family is to be age appropriate. You may have gone to Disney World for the last five years, but if your kids are teenagers now, they may want a change--even though the theme park has many attractions for their age group now. So, if Orlando, Florida is your yearly vacation destination, try going to other places like the many shopping centers the city has to offer, or Busch Gardens for a different 'theme park' experience. If you're going to be traveling with parents or grandparents, cruise ships that leave from Florida and go to places like Aruba or the Bahamas may be ideal. Each member of the family will have something to do on the ship, and there is live entertainment and casinos on most ships if the older members of your family enjoy these activities.

Keep in mind that your vacation ideas do not have to involve you spending a lot of money or traveling outside of the country. If you have a theme for your vacation, this will help you to save money and can make your travel plans more efficient. For instance, if you want to take your children on a vacation for spring break and want to make sure that the trip is educational, you can go to U.S. cities like Boston or Philadelphia to let your kids see copies of the Constitution and artifacts from the colonial period. If you're learning about the different ecosystems that are present in the world and the animals that live in them, you can travel to Texas to visit great attractions like the San Antonio Zoo, as well as other desert areas in the state that are home to lots of cacti and coyote. If you live close to these areas, you can drive instead of having to book a plane ticket, which will save you a considerable amount of money that you can use for shopping and restaurants once you get to your destination.

For international vacation ideas, try visiting places like Aruba, which has beautiful beaches and live music for you to enjoy. You can even take scuba diving lessons while you're there, or go on a boat ride with the whole family. Or, you can visit Belgium, where you can take the Brussels sightseeing tour, or visit the various plazas in the area for shopping where you'll find street vendors selling everything from lemon ice cream to beautiful jewelry.

Still need more family vacation ideas? Check out www.tripadvisor.com to find out what other travelers are saying about some of your favorite places. Bon voyage!