where do you want to go?

Yosemite National Park, California

Seems almost too silly to ask, but the first question to ask (and answer) is where to vacation.

First, what is your goal?

To focus on relaxation, a trip to the beach, mountains or small tucked away location might be best. A "foodie road trip" is best planned for a major city (New York, San Francisco, New Orleans) or specific region (the southwest, the northeast, etc). A vacation centered on history or culture would consider places like Washington, DC, New York, Paris or Rome. And of course, theme park vacations define themselves -- the question there is which theme park is best for your family (we'll cover that in another post).

Second, what is your budget?

For a family of four in the United States, a budget of $2,000 for a week rules out far away places like Paris and Rome, but we still have many options. The higher the budget, the greater the options. Knowing your budget from the outset, though, helps you plan effectively.



I'll get into each of these in more detail in future posts, but factors to consider when budgeting include:

• method of travel (car, train, bus or plane)
• lodging (campground, hotel, bed and breakfast, vacation home, all inclusive resort)
• expenses at the location (metro passes, event tickets, parking, concierge, rental car)
• food (per person per day)
• shopping (souvenirs, antiques, etc)

Having a budget provides the framework to make decisions as you plan.

Our family likes to fly and spend as much time as possible vacationing -- not traveling. However, when the budget is smaller, we end up driving to provide more for the other categories. Knowing in advance that we only have X amount of dollars to work with helps us make the wisest choices for a great vacation.

Paris, France

Third, what time of year will you travel?

Families often travel over the holidays and during summer. Some locations have peak seasons (Mardi Gras in New Orleans, October in the eastern mountains, winter months in the Rockies, and summer at the beaches). Not surprisingly, travel is more expensive during these times. Can you travel off-season to a location and still accomplish your goal (question one)?

For instance, if your goal is to relax and reconnect as a family, you might want to consider a mountain vacation during the summer when rates are lower there. Or, if you want to travel over the holidays and aren't a huge fan of swimming in the ocean, winter rates at the beach are much lower than peak summer rates. You can still walk along the beach, enjoy marvelous sunsets and sunrises, and eat fabulous food at the restaurants the locals enjoy year round. Not only that, but with fewer tourists, there's less congestion on the roads!

Once you know the answer to these three questions, the real vacation planning can begin!

Bon voyage,
Karen