Vacationing With Small Children Tip #2

Considering accommodations.

There is so much that goes into the decision of where to stay when vacationing. Price, location, amenities all play a role in your final decision.  When vacationing with small children I would suggest you consider space and food.  Ask yourself, does the location provide one or more free meals for the day.  There are many hotel chains that offer continental breakfast.  If your lodging takes care of one meal a day that is one less meal you have to worry about and chances are breakfast would be the easiest meal to catch at the hotel prior to venturing out for the day.

The other thing that is very important when traveling with children is space.  Get the largest accommodations your budget can handle.  Small children are very wiggly and if your family is confined to a small space for very long time it can be frustrating for both you the parent and your children.  If you are staying at a traditional hotel consider a suite or a double room, that  will give you a few extra square feet. You can send the kids in one room while the adults occupy the other.  There are some hotels now that are more like miniature apartments which you may find ideal as well.  This type of lodging will generally have one or more bedrooms a living area with a sleeper couch and a small kitchen.  You may be saying, Tiffany suites and double rooms are so expensive.  Yes, I agree larger spaces push the cost up but with travel sites like Priceline you the consumer can set the maximum price you are willing to pay.  Hubby and I have booked all of our hotel stays this way for several years and you would be amazed at the deals we get. 

Lastly, a vacation rental home may be a perfect fit for your family.  If traveling with close friends you could pool your resources and rent a nice big home with several bedrooms and baths.  The bonus here is there is a full  kitchen, and a backyard.  Where you can send the kids outdoors to play.  (Backyards vary by location) When we have traveled in a group setting before.  The families got together prior to departure and created a food plan where each family would be responsible for one breakfast and or one dinner for the entire group.  So if you went away with five families for five days.  One family would prepare one meal for the entire group for their assigned day.  Then everyone is responsible for all other meals for their individual families.  Staying with several other families can get hectic but it can work.  Typically when I am on vacation I don’t want to cook.  Hello I’m on vacation, which means I would like a break from my daily routine.  But this set up may be ideal for you. There are plenty of websites dedicated to helping you find a home away from home.

Join me tomorrow for my post about realistic expectations.