4 Tips for Enjoying the Sunny Holidays

With the colder months behind us, we can finally enjoy the sunny, summer holidays. However, choosing what to bring, where to go, how much you need to spend, etc. can prove to be an extremely stressful ordeal, especially if you are going on holidays with kids! 

A lot of people like to prepare for every situation while on the road. If you or any of your family members have pale skin, sunny trips can cause all sorts of issues. Knowing what to wear, and what the kids should be wearing in these hot conditions is vital. One small mistake can ruin the whole trip, so organizing carefully before you leave the house should prove worthwhile. 

1. Booking Accommodation

Where would we be without the internet? It is hard to imagine planning a summer vacation without having the world wide web readily available. Nowadays, there is lots of content published online about almost every tourist destination on the planet. With the click of a button, you can find all you need to know about where you want to go. 

It seems like most people book their accommodation before arriving in the area where they are going on holiday. Although it might be tempting to book a trip through a travel agency, there are lots more options online. Prices tend to be more competitive on the internet, so take your time and shop around. There is a wide range of websites that advertise rooms available online, however, these sites work as the middle man. They take a percentage from the cost of a room every time someone books a hotel. So, if you want to find an affordable hotel room while visiting Atlanta, you should consider sending an email or calling the hotel directly and ask them for their current rates. Sometimes the price is the same as the websites, however, you might be able to get a little discount, there is no harm in asking.

If you are traveling with a family, a lot of people rent out their entire homes to tourists. If you want to have a private holiday and you don’t want to be cramped up in a hotel room for the duration of your trip, consider renting out a house or, if you happen to be going to Hawaii, check out some of the Maui luxury homes for rent instead. These homes are ideal for a large family, especially if they have young children.

Depending on your destination, you might also want to consider what you’ll do in case of needing somewhere for your luggage while waiting to check in. After all, you don’t want it to impact on your exploring time. With that being said, look for options like Paris’ Gare du Nord luggage storage for example.

2. How to decide which Restaurants to Dine at

One of the best parts of a holiday in the sun is eating out in different restaurants. However, unlike restaurants in your local area, you won’t know anything about the restaurants in the area you are visiting unless you have been there before. 

Asking locals where it is good to eat is always a great idea. They will have inside information about the best restaurants in town or city, so they normally point tourists in the right direction. 

There are lots of platforms and websites where previous customers can review the restaurants they have dined at. Although it is hard to distinguish honest reviews from genuine reviews, you should get a good indication by checking out what others have to say. You can expect every restaurant to have a few negative reviews, so it's best to have a look at what people have been saying about the business over the past couple of months. There is no point in obsessing about a negative review posted three years ago. Since then, the restaurant could have changed hands or new staff could have been brought in to improve things. Avoid restaurants that have a long list of unhappy customers complaining about food and service online. 

3. Make a Checklist of things you Need to Bring

There is nothing worse than spending hours packing, queuing in line in the airport, and all of a sudden realizing you left your passport on the kitchen table. To make sure you have everything, before you start packing, get a pen and paper and write down a checklist. Here are a few examples of items you might like to add to your checklist:

• Power bank: If you are going on a vacation with your family, the chances are you will be bringing a lot of electronic devices that need to be charged. Having a portable power bank allows you and others to easily charge your devices while on the move. 
   
• Sunscreen: Getting burnt is bad, but having screaming children covered in sunburn is a lot worse. Make sure that you pack sunscreen and after sun.
   
• Mosquito repellent: Mosquitoes and other insects can prove to be extremely dangerous. Diseases like Malaria and Dengue Fever kill millions of people around the world each year. To reduce the risk of contracting these dangerous diseases make sure that you bring plenty of repellent with you.
   
• Tanning products: After the winter and spring, you might have very pale skin. A lot of folks nowadays like to apply tanning products to make them look good in sunny weather. For more information about self-tanning check out Anastasija from Thirsty for Tan.
   
• Face masks and hand sanitizer: Even if you and your family members are all fully vaccinated against Covid-19, don’t forget to bring protective face masks and hand sanitizer. A lot of stores only allow people who wear a mask into their stores.

Consider storing your checklist on your smartphone. This way you will have easy access to it, and if you think of anything else to add to the list, it won’t be too far from you.

4. Make a Checklist of things you want to do

Before arriving at your destination, researching the different activities and places to go in the area may prove fruitful. If you're planning a family trip, especially with kids, exploring available kids holiday programs in Melbourne can add excitement and enjoyment to your vacation itinerary. Having a schedule for each day of your trip will help you know exactly what to do on your vacation. A lot of people feel bad when they are returning from their trip and then realize they forgot to do something they really wanted to do. Although most people who travel without children don’t bother creating a timetable, as they just want to go on a holiday to relax from the real world for a while, others feel it is important. Here is an example of a vacation timetable with those traveling with young children:

• 8 am: Breakfast at the buffet in the hotel
• 9 am: Shower, apply sunscreen and get dressed (make sure to get cold water that has been stored in the fridge)
• 9.15 am Play outside
• 11 am: Arts and crafts
• 11.30 am: Snack time
• Noon: Clean up the bedrooms and do the laundry
• 1 pm: Go swimming in the pool
• 1.30pm: Lunch
• 2.30 pm: Go to the swimming pool again
• 4.30 pm walk down the beach
• 5 pm Get ready to go out for dinner
• 6 pm Dinner at a restaurant
• 7 pm Watch a movie
• 8 pm Bedtime

Although it might prove challenging sticking to a timetable, especially on holidays, it gives you and the children a good chance to do everything you want to do on your vacation. Most families want to make the best out of their holiday, so making a timetable and sticking to it can help. 

Conclusion Traveling with a young family is not easy, especially if you are going on a trip to an area that you and your kids don’t know very well. Make sure you check to see where the emergency services are located. In case one of your traveling parties was to get ill or sustain an injury while on vacation you will want to know where to go. If you are traveling abroad, find out before your trip what the emergency telephone numbers are, just in case.