How to plan a big trip for the whole family
E
very time we take a family trip, my mom asks the same question on the flight home: Where are we going next year? We don’t do it annually, but every few years, my family of six manages to take a big trip to another country. We’ve had both good times and mishaps; the former keep us motivated to jet off again, and the latter force better planning and travel skills upon all of us.
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In Iceland, we rented a Range Rover that fit all six of us just fine. No one stopped to think about our luggage, though — not until we were at the rental agency in Reykjavik trying to cram big roller bags into the back. Mom wanted to rent a trailer (they had one!) just for luggage. The drivers vetoed her. My little brother, jammed into the back seat with luggage under one arm as we piloted this cargo ship of a rental car along Iceland’s southern coastline, was the only real victim of the family not traveling lighter on that trip.
We could have saved ourselves some trouble if we’d consulted with Korina Miller before even buying our plane tickets. Miller is the author of 40 or so Lonely Planet guidebooks, and she has traveled all over the planet with her kids and her extended family.
My family has done some good trips, but we’re amateurs by comparison. Still, when all six of us gathered in the same city for Christmas last week, the conversation turned
to travel once again. We’re not sure where we’re going next — Berlin? Beijing? — but we’ll follow some of Miller’s advice for our next adventure.
Here are her tips: Start with brainstorming.
Not sure where to go with a big group? You’ve got to start somewhere. “What I’ve done in the past is, you get everyone to brainstorm what it is that they want,” Miller says. “They really want to go to the beach, or they want museums, and then you find the place that has all of that.” From there, use cost and season to narrow it down more.
Pick a place where there’s plenty to do.
Cities are great for family travel because there’s usually something for everyone, Miller says. But you can find the right balance in smaller towns, too. “One of my sisters isn’t as into doing outdoor activities as I am, so a place where she can go to movies and I can go take my kids for a hike works really well,” she says.
Aim for places that offer a lot to do in a small area. She likes Crete and Sardinia for that reason, as well as London and Beijing, she says. Besides, “Everyone wants to go to the Great Wall.”
Set up a base camp.
When Miller thinks back on the best trips she’s done with her kids, there’s a home base, she said. “They’re sleeping in the same bed every night — they can get comfortable.” Having a base, like an apartment or cabin with multiple rooms, also solves some of the other issues that can come with traveling with a big group. Everyone has a little bit of personal space, which helps with crankiness levels. Traveling together once you arrive can be taxing, and staying in one place keeps that at a minimum.
“If you can stay somewhere that has a kitchen, that’s great, especially with kids,” Miller says. Plus, she says, “You don’t have to find a restaurant that everyone agrees on.” It’ll also save you on meals — orange juice isn’t 12 euros a glass at the local grocery store.
Do things alone, then come back together.
When traveling with the family, “It’s good to have a little space,” Miller says. To make this even easier, rent more than one car — the expense might be worth it. “If you can each have your own rental car, you’re not as dependent on someone else.”
That said, “If you’re going on road trips, make sure everyone really knows where they’re going.” Getting split up on the road when only one car knows where everyone should be heading just adds to the stress of driving in another country.
Don’t do too much.
Try to keep your to-do list under control. “Going off with this huge checklist … it’s exhausting, it makes everyone super grumpy,” Miller says. Choose one thing you’re all going to do together — not five.
Less luggage is more.
Everyone packs too much the first time, but if you do it once, you won’t do it again, Miller says. “If you think about it, when you travel, you tend to wear the same three outfits. You just don’t need the same amount of stuff as you need at home.”
And you certainly don’t need to rent a trailer for your luggage.
Make a family packing list and go through it together, she says, and remember: “You need room in your luggage to bring things back.”