Planning a great family vacation can be easier than you imagine with a little planning and thought.

Include Everyone
It is essential to involve every family member in vacation planning. Make a list of every location, attractions, theme parks, and amusement parks that every member would like to visit first. Check if you can discover any similarities, then combine them into one trip. For example, does an amusement park pop up in several lists? Perhaps Las Vegas appeared in several of the lists. You could combine the two by staying at the hotel/amusement park Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Or, if Disney World and water sports are on your lists they can very easily be combined by staying in a hotel near the beach.

Even the smallest child in the family should be involved in vacation planning. If your toddler hates water, it’s probably best to give the beach a miss. If he or she adores the snow, maybe a ski break with plenty of sledding is the perfect vacation.
And don’t forget, toddlers and babies will require lots of naps and rest stops, so don’t jam-pack your days, and avoid putting family on a strict activities schedule. You may want to plan to put your tots and kids in “vacation care” while you and your spouse go out to dinner or dancing. Many cruise lines and some hotels provide these programs. Such age appropriate programs are intended to keep youngsters happy and entertained while allowing their parents a break.

Think of Safety
Many parents don’t consider safety as a top family vacation planning step, but it should be. be sure that the hotels you stay at have toddler safety devices on patio doors, a high place or safe where medicines can be put, and gates around pools. Also be sure that the banister around any upper-level balconies is high enough that your child will not be able to clamber over and that the spindles are close enough that your child will not be able to fall through.

Many hotels offer 360-degrees previews of the rooms on their web sites. If you cannot obtain the information you want from the website don’t be afraid to e-mail the hotel. Most will be more than happy to provide you with the details you require.

More and more hotels are making their facilities child and baby friendly. Many are supplying mini fridges and nursing rooms for new mothers, cribs, play yards, and calming music for the baby and toddlers to make for a more relaxing family vacation.