This is a collaborative post.
There are two kinds of family holiday: the long-planned-for vacations that you might take yearly, with time booked off work during the kids’ summer holidays, and those more impromptu, shorter trips taken on Bank Holiday weekends or when there are a couple of days of holiday for the parents to use up. Looking at the latter, this article should prove useful for any families looking to seize the day – or days – to make exciting trips, either from their home on days out or abroad with last-minute flights purchased for a little bit of a family treat.
Keep it Family-Friendly
Most parents at some point learn the hard way that holidaying with children is a game of give and take. You’re not able to do and see all the things that you want because of restless kids – and they’re not able to dictate everything you do, either. Finding the balance of short family trips, with something for the parents, for the kids, and for everyone mixed into one exciting and memorable excursion, is the trick to keeping happy families at all times.
Research in Your Spare Time
If you do happen upon a short period of free time in which you could make a short trip with your family, it pays to have done some research beforehand. In your spare time, you can prepare for this eventuality by scouring travel and tourism websites and bookmarking those things that you’d most like to experience with your family. That way, you can surprise your children and your partner with a plan that’ll be all the more enjoyable because it came out of nowhere but your love and spontaneity.
Consider Cheap European Destinations
Air travel is these days incredibly affordable, even for families booking tickets last minute. This rule is especially true of UK flights to European destinations. Have a rented car sorted for when you land to make the most out of your trip and to save yourself the stress of organising transport – just remember to stay on the right side of the road!
Be Ready with a Packing List
Packing your family away for a short trip, either abroad or inside of the UK, can be an agonisingly drawn-out procedure, which saps all of the excitement and spontaneity out of your last-minute decision to visit somewhere new. You should compile a quick checklist for the essentials, and keep it on your smartphone or laptop, so that you’re able to pack in an instant. This should include:
- A small first aid kit
- Toiletries for all the family
- Towels, sunglasses, and other holiday essentials
- All the documents you’ll need to fly
- Entertainment for the kids – like books and games
With a packing list established, there’s no reason why you can’t get yourselves packed and ready within an hour or two, forgoing all the stress that comes with frantic and disorganised packing.
If you’re the kind of family that enjoys heading out on impromptu short trips, this essential guide will have you ready for action at a moment’s notice, so you can start making memories with your partner and your children.
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