10 tips to make a family holiday fun and stress-free

Product Guides – 20 Dec 21 By bountyteam

Because you deserve it!

Travel is back on the agenda and if the global pandemic taught us anything it’s that, when you have a young family, exploring your own back yard can be as good as spending $$$$$ to fly overseas.

Don’t get us wrong – you don’t need to lose sight of Italy, France, the US, Canada, Croatia, Fiji, Bali… but Melbourne, Uluru, Flinders Ranges, the Warrumbungles, the Monkey Mia, Fraser Island, Hobart, Kakadu… should be high up your list right now.

The ages and stages of your family will likely dictate where, how far and for how long you want to holiday – not to mention school and work playing major factors – but what you want most of all is to have a fun and stress-free break from your everyday life.

Here are 10 tried and tested tips to help you plan and create a trip that your whole family will enjoy with memories that you’ll treasure for years to come.

What do you want from your holiday?

Holidays serve a variety of purposes – post-lockdowns, simply a change of scenery might be a priority. But it might be for relaxing, family bonding time, or a sporty adventure with lots of outdoor physical activity – or a mix of both. Maybe you want to spend a chilled vacation with family friends, or loved ones; or you want a terrific kids’ club so you can read your books and enjoy the spa.

Once you know what you want to get out of your holiday, it’s easier to narrow down where you want to go.

What’s your budget?

If you’re a family of seasoned campers, then you really are spoilt for choice with incredible national parks and camp sites all over the country. With businesses like Airbnb operating all over Australia, there is no shortage of accommodation ranging from cheap and cheerful to luxury residences. At the other end of the scale is private resorts and hotels that cater to your every need and provide exceptional childcare facilities while the adults relax and regroup. Shop around on last minute websites or talk to you local travel agent for specific pointers.

Your family’s interests and personalities

So you’d love to spend time at an all-inclusive beach resort where you are waited on and you can relax after a busy school term and running around after a toddler or baby. What about your partner and kids? Consider what makes them tick and try to factor in a little something for everyone. You don’t have to sacrifice you own needs at the expense of your family’s, but if one of your brood hates the feeling of sand between their toes, or is terrified of the ocean, Surfer’s Paradise might end up being the opposite.

Remember that your family is only as happy as the unhappiest child, so try to factor in basic likes and dislikes so you can relax and enjoy your holiday knowing everyone is getting something out of it.

Get the kids involved

Even the most settled child can be unsettled by a big change of routine or environment. Once you’ve narrowed down where you want to, get the kids involved with options that you have already vetted for things like places to visit, free and paid outings, where to get the best ice cream, pre-booking surf lessons, mountain biking or pottery painting.

(Image: Getty Images)

It’s easy for families to travel safely with 13cabs

Travel time

If you only have four days to play with, you don’t want to travel too far – or if you do, you want to get there fast. For a few weeks’ break, you might plan to hunker down in one place, or you might want explore further afield and stay in a couple of different locations. A great way to get around when you want to go further afield from your accommodation, home from dinner or out to a theme park is to book a 13cabs, which has a national average pick up time of just seven minutes. The company is renowned for its hygiene standards, professional, uniformed Drivers, exemplary safety standards and their reliability. Plus, they don’t charge cancellation or waiting fees and you get a price guarantee, which means no hiked up surge fees during busy times.

Timing

When you have preschoolers, while you don’t have to consider things like term times, you might want to consider how busy the place you want to go is going to be. For example, does the state or territory you want to visit have the same term terms, and when is the local ‘schoolies’. Popular times of year get booked up way in advance and if you plan to holiday during the school break you’ll not only find it busier but possibly more expensive too.

Packing right and light

Once you gather all the trappings of a young family it can sometimes seem easier to stay home where you have everything you need! Look into borrowing or hiring items at your accommodation (hire chairs, cots, strollers) so you have less to pack. Call out on Facebook (Bounty Parents!) to ask parents where you can borrow larger pieces of equipment once you reach your destination. Give older children some responsibility for their own packing, but check their bags before you leave so you have more than one pair of swimmers and 20 soft toys…

Surprises and wet weather days

The movies are always great for a rainy day, so if the weather looks dicey, check out what’s on and keep it up your sleeve. To get from A to B on your vacation, it’s easy to opt for a 13cab booking. Make sure you download the app on your phone (although you can book online and over the phone too) so you can get reliable and secure transport for your family wherever you are.

Getting there…

Your accommodation is booked, your bags are packed and now you just need 13cabs to get you to the airport. You can travel confidently knowing that you’re in the safe hands of a professional Driver who is government accredited and police checked. Sydney and Melbourne taxis can take the express and bus lanes to get your to the airport or your destination in plenty of time, for faster, hassle-free travel. Request a MAXI TAXI from 13cabs for your family or larger groups and accommodate up to three child seats. They can also supply expertly fitted child and booster seats upon request. Note that child booster laws vary from state to state, so check when you make your booking.