8 Tips for Planning the Best Summer Vacation Ever

Bring on the sunshine! It’s the season of summer family vacations and we’re adding flavor to ours by embarking on our longest trip yet. As I’m knee-deep in sorting out the itinerary, I thought I’d share my best family vacation planning tips for staying organized, finding flight deals, packing and staying healthy on the road so that maybe you could add some flavor to your summer with travel, too.

Start Planning Now

Travel is on the rise and I’ve personally found that waiting to book until the last minute only results in higher pricing especially when it comes to flights and hotels during peak seasons like summer.

Get Everyone on Board with the Destination

I find that if there is someone in our family who isn’t keen on where we’re going, things can get a bit difficult. Make sure the itinerary includes something each person wants to do or make concessions accordingly.

We’re staying a bit out of the way in Crete because the resort we chose has a number of water sports and a cool pool for my daughter who at age 9 is not that keen on Greek history (yet).

Find the Best Flights

Be sure to clear your browser each time you search for flights. The airlines are sneaky like that and it’s not unheard of for prices to go up based on search habits in order to panic you into booking. It happened to me just a few weeks ago to the tune of about $100 per person.

In planning our European adventure, I found that Google Flights was able to pick up budget carriers that travel sites like Expedia could not. Perhaps it’s because Google is not a travel agent but rather directs users directly to the airline for booking. So, I now search routes for best prices with Google Flights.

Also, TSA airport lines are expected to be quite awful this summer due to an increased number of travelers and understaffing. Based on what I saw last weekend while passing through both San Diego International Airport and DFW, this is likely to be true.

Hurry up and apply for Global Entry to skip airport queues (truthfully, it might be too late but I’m an advocate of travelers having this so look into it anyway). Also, plan a decent layover to avoid missing a connecting flight.

Chart Your Itinerary and Print Back-Ups

With seven sets of flights, six hotels, and four countries, staying organized is totally key and admittedly challenging.

I first go old-school by sketching everything out by the day on a piece of paper so that I can draw arrows, make chicken-scratch notes and other changes before inputting a final itinerary into a Google calendar as I book it. (Yes, there are travel apps for this but frankly, they’ve never worked for me.)

As someone guilty of running down phone batteries, I always keep printed copies of airline tickets and other reservations just in case I can’t access them digitally. It is also wise to securely scan and upload a copy of passports or other ID to a cloud for easy access anywhere in the world in case of loss.

Stay Healthy and Hydrated

I pack everyone’s usual daily vitamins and some healthy snacks like granola bars for each journey. I also make sure we stay hydrated in summer heat. During the times plain old water gets tiresome (when you need so much of it while hiking or on a beach), we opt for sparkling water like Sparkling Ice Essence of Water, which is comes in 4 natural flavors. Staying hydrated is also key for beating jet lag.

Sleep is critical to overall happiness and for keeping our immune systems in check during travel but can be difficult in hotel rooms. I always pack an eye mask to block out unexpected light (great also for adjusting to jet lag) and earplugs just in case.

Carry hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes to quickly wipe down airplane armrests and things you might touch for long periods of time. Getting sick on vacation can ruin it (here’s how to stay healthy on vacation). I also pack pain reliever and fever reducer that is age-appropriate for all of us, just in case.

Make Lists and Use Packing Cubes

It’s a bummer to forget something important. I used to be a constant leaver of toiletries at home and in hotel room showers. Making a list of essentials that I actually keep in my makeup bag to tick off each time I depart somewhere has prevented me from forgetting expensive face soap and razors in showers more than once.

I’m also a recent convert to packing cubes, especially when bouncing from place to place. People use them to organize outfits by day, but I find it helpful to pack t-shirts in one, leggings in another, etc. to help keep my suitcase organized.

Find Packable Toys and Travel Games for the Kids

Headed to the beach? These days, packable sand and water toys can include collapsible buckets, small Waboba balls (they bounce on water… highly recommend for exercise), inflatable pool toys and much more.

I really do need to make a list of best travel games for kids to share, but my 9-year-old currently loves traveling with Mad Libs, Spot It! cards, Bananagrams and other compact games that are great for road trips and hotel rooms.

See also: Best Travel Games for Kids

Let (Some) Things Slide

It’s tough to keep some rules that are non-negotiable at home in force while on the road especially when kids are in tow. I let my daughter use the iPad for longer than usual while on planes and road trips. There might be a bit more dessert ordered and later bedtimes.

Flexibility goes a long way when people are out of their normal routines. Take a deep breath, have a refreshing sip, and let (some) things slide.

Where We’re Headed this Summer

At the end of the month, my daughter and I are headed on a little llama trek and summer mountain fun in Vail, but our big vacation is as follows:

• Madrid: We’ll stay in the fabulous Ritz Madrid, recover from jet lag and eat a gazillion tapas for a few nights.
• Crete: My husband the history buff is keen to visit Knossos and we’ll stay at beachfront Blue Palace Resort and Spa.
• Athens: We’ll eat, drink, take a day trip to Delphi, see the Acropolis and more over nearly a week based at Hotel Grande Bretagne.
• Venice: Here, we meet up with friends and stay in a restored palace.
• Antibes: We tour the area with friends who live there.
• Paris: Time split between Mandarin Oriental, Paris and Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.

After that, it’s road-tripping to Los Angeles and enjoying the San Diego sunshine. If you decide to add flavor to your summer with a San Diego vacation, I can help you with that.

How will you add flavor to your summer?