Organized Travel Made Fun!

Vacations are supposed to be fun...right?  As a bit of perfectionist, I used to find it hard to relax and enjoy time with my family on vacation because I was so focused on everything being just right.  I'd plan a jam-packed schedule, stage the perfect pictures, and get mad if everyone wasn't having a good time.  In the summer of 2016, we took a vacation to Atlanta, Georgia and had a fantastic time!  When I got home, I made a list of dos and don'ts from our trip, so the next vacation could be just as fun. The next time I got ready to plan a vacation, I re-read that list to help make that trip just as good as the last.  Now every time we get home from vacation, I add to the list.  I now have two years of tips from big and little trips.  Not only is it helpful to plan future low-stress trips, it's also a lot of fun to reread the list and reminisce about past vacations.

Planning

• Talk as a family while planning your trip to decide on top things you want to see.  Make sure everyone has at least one thing they are really excited about.  Anticipating the trip is a big part of the fun!   Don’t worry about not doing or seeing EVERYTHING. 
• Look into options for discounts as you're planning.  For example, we purchased a Costco membership and used their vacation services to get a deep discount.  Make a list of restaurants where kids eat free.  Be aware that some attractions offer discounts in the late afternoon.  Consider a city pass or bundle deal for multiple attractions.  Look for Groupons in the city you're visiting, and research free attractions.  If you want to fly one way and drive the other,  there's no additional charge to drop off rental car at different location as long as it is airport to airport.  (Verify this with your rental car company.)
• If you're going to a major theme park, skip the line passes are SOO worth it!
• Even though most things can be accessed via an app on your phone, I always take screenshots of any electronic boarding passes or tickets so that if I have poor cell reception and no WiFi, I can still access them.  I like to have contingency plans, so I usually also take paper backups and store them in plastic page protectors (read about the binder system for more info on this!)  I usually have several:  airline (or other type of travel), hotel, rental car, attractions, ID documents for kids, empty one for receipts and postcards.  Keep all of the page protectors in a folder and carry in a backpack when you visit attractions.  
• Maximize time at your vacation spot by arriving early the first day and leaving late the last day.  Ask about early check-in/late check-out at the hotel - you can usually get extra time in the room for no extra cost.  If that's not an option, ask the hotel if they have baggage storage for pre-check-in or post-check-out.
• Don't assume your hotel has the amenities you want - pool, microwave, refrigerator, guest laundry, continental breakfast, etc.  Even if you book on a travel site, you can still call the hotel directly after you've booked to request bed size, a cot, etc. or verify amenities.  You can also ask for an upgrade when you arrive at the hotel.  It's often cheaper to upgrade onsite than it would be to book that way.
• Give yourself at least one day before and one day after vacation off from work to pack and unpack and recuperate! 
  
• Tidy up your house before leaving so it’s that way when you get home.  If you can afford it,  have a house cleaner come while you are gone – great to come home to clean house!
• Have someone water the plants, feed the animals, and get mail while you're gone and maybe even pick you up some bread and milk for when you return.  If you're gone longer than a week, hire someone to mow the yard.  Less stress when you get home!  
• Plan to get carry out the day before vacation.  Don’t have delusions you’re going to cook the night before you leave!

Packing

• Pack clothes that can be reworn.  Consider using packing cubes or vacuum bags to save space.  Take one nice outfit for a nice dinner out.  Pack hangers for all the clothes that you normally hang up at home.
• Get a travel size bottle of Febreze - spray things that are moderately stinky and hang over shower curtain rod overnight.  
• Take very little jewelry and leave expensive stuff at home.  I buy a cheap wedding ring set with a giant cubic zirconia before a trip - something flashier than I'd ever wear in "real life" but I don't worry about losing.  
• Take plenty of snacks.  If it's a road trip, pack a cooler for drinks and perishable foods, and pack a bag or tote for other food.  If you're travelling by air, pack a few snacks in carry-ons and other snacks in a hard plastic container in a suitcase (so nothing gets smashed.) Open bags of snacks, remove extra air, and fasten with a chip clip before you leave.  This will allow you fit more in your container and keep your snacks fresh.  Take at least 2 plastic cups per traveler and a sharpie marker.  Label cups so each person has one for drinks and one for snacks. Use the sharpie to label water bottles throughout the trip. Include some hand sanitizer and baby wipes for cleaning hands before and after snack time.  Take plenty of plastic shopping bags for trash.  Pack a small insulated bag that folds flat that you can take into attractions for cold snacks/lunches.  Take some microwave popcorn for a movie night at the hotel.
• Take trash bag(s) for laundry (I've figured out a formula that works for our family - 1 for every 2 people for every 4 days.)  
• Make sure to pack a backpack and/or fanny pack  for taking to attractions.  
• Take more sunscreen than you think you’ll need – it goes fast!  A sunscreen stick for the face is nice and easy.
• Don't forget:  books and/or magazines, sunglasses, a journal, small blanket for car or plane, neck pillow, 
• Pack all medicine together (pack small amounts of vitamins, antacids, cough drops, etc. in small ziplocks.  Take a small bottle of pain reliever that can be carried in a backpack. If you have kids that take liquid medicine, don't forget medicine cups)
• If you have kids who need tear free shampoo, take one more travel size bottle than you think you’ll need.  Kids tend to take lots of baths on vacation.
• If you're picky about soap, take your favorite bar and plan to leave it at the hotel.  If you prefer body wash, you can get a travel size body poof for about $0.50 - just leave the used poof at the hotel when you leave.
• Take a swimsuit cover-up – hotel towels don’t cover up enough for a walk through the hotel!
• Bring only makeup and hair necessities, take a medium sized curling iron (can be used to straighten or curl) and use the hairdryer at hotel.  Use a heat resistant bag to pack your hot curling iron without damaging your luggage.
• Pack a collapsible bag that you can fill with souvenirs if you buy more than you can fit in your suitcase. Just a note from experience:  apple butter is considered a liquid and WILL be confiscated if you try to pack it in a carry on!
• Don't take a regular camera if your phone's camera is adequate.

Getting there and back​
If you're flying:

• Download airline app and enable push notifications or sign up for text notifications. 
• Get to airport nice and early.  It's better to eat a meal there and use the airport's WiFi to watch a movie than worry about missing your flight.
• Plan at least 2 hour layovers if changing planes.  If you do happen to miss a connecting flight due to a weather delay, the airline doesn’t normally pay for hotel, but if you look pitiful enough and are polite, they will.  (This happened to us after an epic run through the airport and JUST missing our connecting flight.)  
• Chewing gum will help with ear pressure on flights.
• If you have a young child, don't forget about a car seat.  Some airlines allow you to check a car seat for free.  If you don't take your own, some taxi and rental car companies have car seats for rent.

If you're driving

• Plan a couple of stops on the way to your destination that include an attraction or a special restaurant to break up the trip.
• Store your snacks and drinks in an easy to access area (not the trunk!)
• Don't forget music - CDs or a playlist on your iPod.
• Let the kids pack their own activity bags, and include more than just electronics -  coloring book, dot to dots, puzzle books, drawing paper, books, toys, etc.  If you do plan to watch movies during travel. make sure you have them downloaded so they can be watched without WiFi.
• If you have boys, pack an empty laundry detergent container for bathroom emergencies.
• Show kids pressure points on their wrists for motion sickness before leaving, and remind them to look out the window if they feel yucky.   ​​

Once you've arrived

• Text/email family when you arrive (and return) so they know you’re safe.
• Unpack completely at the hotel if you're staying longer than 2 nights, and pick up each morning. Hang up clothes on the hangers you packed, and consider using  wrinkle release spray or the hotel's iron if needed.
• Take a small bin to corral toiletries on the bathroom vanity.  
• Public transportation is fun – use taxis, buses, trains, trolleys, etc.  Look into day or weekend passes, but if you pay cash, you may need exact change.  Look for free trips (example sometimes hotels and attractions have deals for free taxi or shuttle rides.)  Car rental is nice, but if you're in big city, you may not need it the whole time.  Plan your itinerary so all attractions that you need a vehicle for are scheduled close together.  
• Eat at local restaurants as much as possible. Try new or local foods (we discovered our love of chicken and waffles while in Atlanta!)  Plan at least one breakfast away from free hotel breakfast!  Consider sharing meals when possible.
• Be sure to check booth/tables each time you leave a restaurant for bags/souvenirs and check seats on public transportation to make sure you don't leave a jacket or purse.
• Take a picture of where you park and of the license plate and car if it's a rental.
• Carry a backpack to attractions.  Take in food and water if allowed, include hand sanitizer, sunscreen, power pack for your phone, tickets, a few plastic shopping bags for wet clothes or trash, and ponchos or a small umbrella if you're going to be outdoors and the weather is questionable.
• Take  extra outfits, shoes/flip flops, and plastic shopping bags for kids anywhere they may get wet.  You never know when there's going to be a splash pad!
• Look through pictures each night and delete the ones that are no good or are duplicates, and upload to Google Photos (or your preferred cloud photo storage.)  Send the link to family so they can see what you are doing each day.
• Plan a low-key day mid-vacation, build in time to swim at hotel and rest a few times during the vacation.  Rent a movie on the hotel room TV and have pizza delivered for a really relaxing night!
• A 15 minute walk is very doable to get places!  The more you walk, the more you can eat and not feel guilty!  If you walk a lot, to avoid chafing, use deodorant or vaseline on any area that may rub.
• Book a hotel with guest laundry facilities. Take travel-sized laundry detergent and cash for change, and do all of the laundry the night before leaving.  Fold laundry before putting in the suitcase keeping each family member's clothing together.  It's very nice not to have a ton of laundry to do when you get home!  If doing laundry at the hotel isn't an option, pack all dirty laundry in one suitcase on the way home.

I hope some of these tips will help your next family vacation be a little more organized!  Consider making your own list of travel dos and don'ts.  My list has helped me not to forget things, plan for the unexpected, and have a better plan so I can relax and have fun!  If you have more tips, please share in the comments.

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