If your children are old enough, ask them what kind of vacation they would enjoy. What are they looking for in entertainment? Are they interested at all in the weather, or can they take it hot or cold? Take their input and try and balance it with your own preference. If there is a wide chasm in the choices, perhaps you can agree to do one this year, and the other one next year.

Your options are as endless as your imagination. Besides the traditional ski trips for Christmas vacation or March break from school, there are also great packages that provide accommodations at lodges where you can enjoy sleigh rides, snowshoe treks, Nature hikes, and even outdoor skating.

If you’re tired of the cold, go south, the Deep South of America, or the southern islands of the Caribbean. Make a warm visit to California and enjoy rock-climbing between visits to places like the Mojave Desert, or hit the beaches of islands where the sun is warm, and so are the welcoming smiles.

Family vacations are times for relaxing and enjoying your family in new exciting surroundings, and there are lots of different places to go for your family vacation getaway each year. But to make sure that everyone enjoys the trip some advance planning is necessary. So here are some suggestions on how you can plan out the perfect family vacation the next time you travel:

* To make sure that the vacation will be enjoyed by everyone in the family, why not let all the family members provide some input as to what they would like to do or where they would like to go on your next vacation? Perhaps you could give them a list to choose from rather than just opening it up to random ideas if you want to keep everybody focused and not waste time. Then be sure to really consider everyone’s input as parents, making the final decision with having considered everyone’s individual feelings. You will often have more support and overall success if all in the family feel as if they contributed to the decision.

* Set out a clear budget for the trip in advance. This is an area where a lot of families spend way too money on vacation only because they really didn’t budget everything out like they should and didn’t realize how much they had spent until the vacation was already over. If you don’t want that to happen to you, sit down and establish clearly how much you will allow for travel, lodging, meals, activities and so on and then monitor your expenses as the trip progresses.

* Shop around thoroughly for accommodations in the area you want to visit rather than just book the first hotel or resort that you come across. There are often great deals that can be had in most all family vacation spots, but you have to look for them. The internet is a great source of information for finding cheap family vacation deals, so make good use of it well before you leave to get all your arrangements set up. Then before you actually leave place a phone call to make sure that all the reservations you have made online are confirmed and everything will be waiting for you as planned when you arrive.

* Finally, planning is a great thing, but don’t try to overanalyze everything and jam every minute with a planned activity or it may actually turn from your perfect family vacation into a hurried mess. So leave plenty of time in the schedule for just spending quality time with your family and enjoying one another’s company.

Planning the perfect family vacation is easy if you go about in an organized fashion. And when all the parts of a family vacation getaway come together in harmony, you may have one of the best family vacations of your life.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including vacation travel. You can find out more about finding the best family vacations and fun family vacations by visiting our Vacation Guide website.

At Disneyland, FastPasses are available for Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin, Autopia, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear.

Eating in your rooms at least for breakfast and lunch, is a smart choice. You get off to a good start whenever you want, and are able to prepare sandwiches and drinks to take for day excursions whether it’s hiking, skiing, or a theme park visit. Freezing juice boxes and water bottles not only keeps food cool, but provides cold drinks as they thaw throughout the day. Don’t forget a backpack for at least one parent, or two if you will be splitting up.

A lot of resorts now offer complimentary breakfasts as well, but you should check into the details before booking for a feature like this. Some hotels will only allow X number of breakfasts per room, and others will not extend this benefit to anyone booking through an online service. But it can be a very handy way to start out your day. If the selection of food isn’t satisfactory (i.e. too many carb based foods), stock your room with fruits, bagels, yogurt and other healthy extras.

When traveling to foreign destinations, remember that there are places where it’s not safe to drink the water. In fact, even where water is considered safe, it can easily upset little tummies that are already rolling from excitement and strange food. It is wise to restrict children to bottled water, juices, pop and milk, and if the water is suspect, make sure they understand that they should also not accept a drink with ice cubes in it. In these locations, it is smart to only buy fruits that can be peeled, since others may have been washed.

Baby Bother - Traveling with a baby? Before you go, find out where the nearest pharmacy/department store is for buying diapers and other supplies. You’re not going to want to pack a huge bag of disposables. Also find out whether you’ll have access to a crib, and highchairs in the restaurants.

Montezuma’s Revenge - This can happen in more countries than Mexico. Just a change of diet, let alone bugs in the water, can cause miserable intestinal upsets, especially with kids who are willing to try almost anything in the way of food and local treats. Be sure to pack diarrhea remedies, stomach soothers, and pain relief tablets for both adults and children. These may be available at your resort, but in foreign destinations can be outrageous prices.

Did You Pack - The sunscreen, windburn cream, bug repellant, etc.? According to where the family is headed, you’re bound to need extras like this, and in tourist destinations you can be miles from town without a car, and the victim of a captive market for necessities. Don’t forget the other personal extras that can mean comfort over long days, including hats for the sun, extra cotton socks to change when you’re doing a lot of walking or hiking, and spare gloves for winter vacations because sooner or later somebody will lose theirs,

Money Matters - Carrying a large amount of cash, is never wise. Not only can you lose your wallet or have it stolen, but people have a tendency to spend more with cash in hand. Use traveler’s checks, a debit card, or credit card instead. Remember to carry these in a safe place, such as a money belt worn under your shirt, so that it can’t be taken from your hotel room, or drop out of a pocket. When traveling outside of the country, find out what the currency is at your destination. Decide if you will acquire some before you leave home, or exchange U.S. dollars when you get there. Before you make any exchanges, check with the hotel/resort, as well as local stores/banks. There are often better rates with merchants, than where you are staying.

When planning a vacation, give some consideration to the time of year. Summer is a truly peak period, which not only means accommodations are at a premium, but there can be traffic problems inside Grand Canyon National Park, and leading up to it as well. You may also encounter problems booking such activities as river rafting or horseback riding if not done well ahead of time. There can also be weather concerns with storms in July/August. Winter is not as crowded, but is subject to cold temperatures and snow/ice on the roads.

There are hotel/motels both inside the park and around the perimeter. Depending on how far ahead you book, or whether your agent/service has specials, there may not be a significant difference in price. Your decision may come down to whether you want to stay in-park and closer to the scenic South Rim. The campgrounds inside the park are an extra opportunity for the kids to experience something new, especially when you sit outside at night and watch the stars.

Much of the park is viewable from your car, but for a closer look at the river, you’ll need to hike or take a mule ride to the bottom of the canyon. There, you’ll find Phantom Ranch, which not only offers horseback riding, but historic and nature programs. The park also has a junior ranger program for children ages 4-14, where taking part in various activities/programs can earn them a patch, certificate and badge. Check the park site for information on seasonal availability.

One thing you really need to check when booking accommodations is the availability of Internet access, whether it is Wi-Fi, and if there is a charge. While it is extremely popular, particularly with business people, not all hotels or resorts will have the same level of connection. Places where there is only dial-up can even have a variance in connection speed, according to where you are located in the building. And occasionally that “Internet available” only means there is a shared computer station in the lobby, and not access in every room.

Beware of hidden costs as well. Check online and confirm again when you register, what the charge is, and for what period, before you let the kids get on there for hours of play and chat with their friends. What is quoted as a flat fee, can actually be the price per hour or per day, and you’re presented with an unexpected bill at checkout.

Of course, there is still the old-fashioned way to contact someone - the telephone. But even that has some caveats. When booking accommodations be sure to ask and get written confirmation about phone charges. Some facilities charge for each call, even if it is a local one for pizza delivery. Others, like the Internet fee, may advertise a specified amount that turns out to be per minute, and not per call. And phone cards, which seem like good buys to start with, can end up costing you more because the hotel charges you to use their phones to reach the 800 number.

By all means, let your family stay in touch while on vacation. But touch base with your travel information source first to see what is the best and most economical method for you.

-Shelter: a tent, travel trailer, or RV and all the accessories that go with each one, like stakes and a hammer for driving them to put up a tent, or emergency flares, signs, and a good spare tire for the RV.

-Cooking facilities. Either the ability to build a campfire, conditions permitting, or a grill or cook stove.

-Cooking accessories: one large pot for stews or casseroles, two smaller pots, a slow cooker, a Dutch oven, fry pan, unbreakable plates, bowls, cups and glasses, forks, knives and spoons, storage containers and bags, spatulas, butcher knives, cutting board, potato peeler, dish pan, dish liquid, tea towels, dish cloths.

-Bedding: May include air mattresses, sleeping bags, sheets, blankets, comforters, pillows.

-Clothes: Basic wardrobe for everyone that can be easily washed. Bright colored tops for young children that are easily seen. At least one outfit for the opposite weather conditions to what are expected. Spare socks, underwear and shoes, laundry bag for each person.

-Personal items: soap for washing, toothpaste and brushes, mouthwash, deodorant, bathroom tissue, razors, towels, facecloths, personal prescriptions.
-Odds and Ends: Flashlights and spare batteries, candles, first-aid kit, snack foods for when power fails or a fire can’t be lit, rope, an alarm clock, sewing kit, fire extinguisher, baking soda, garbage bags and duct tape.

First, consider how many people there are, and whether you will be using that same tent in the years to come. A good quality tent should last several years, but children grow, and so does the amount of luggage and extras that get carted along on a trip. You may want to consider buying something slightly larger than your present needs, in order to make an investment in future vacations.

Most tents come with a suggested occupation capacity, i.e. six person tent. But with the various shapes, the actual space can differ quite a bit. One way to estimate whether it really is adequate, is to lay out the floor measurements on your lawn, by drawing them with flour or just using string and pegs. A 10′ x 12′ may sound really good, but with three children and the dog, it becomes crowded, especially when it rains and everyone is indoors and active.

Do some research on tent models online and check consumer reviews and customer feedback for such things as the tent’s performance in different types of weather, and if things like zippers are durable or not.

Consider the little “extras” as well, such as tents that have a zippered divider for a boys and girls section, a “porch”, or an attached screened in section for eating/cooking outside while being protected against the sun and bugs.

If kids are older, you might even want to invest in a separate tent for more privacy and better sleep for everyone.