Family holidays are stressful even at the best of times. From attempting to keep everyone happy whilst planning the itinerary to navigating the airport process with young flyers, they always require a great deal of preparation. That’s why many parents are looking for ways to simplify the family holiday experience. Keeping the stress at bay helps you to relax and focus on what’s most important about these special occasions – making lifelong memories with your family.
One of the most important factors to consider when trying to limit the stress that often comes attached to family holidays is the itinerary. And one of the best ways to approach this potentially stressful element is to, believe it or not, simply shirk the responsibility. We’re not talking about leaving the kids to decide on the important details. Instead, consider heading on an escorted touring holiday.
In the company of like-minded travellers and a local expert, going on an escorted tour takes a lot of the stress out of the process. In this post, we explore how.
The plans are made for you
When travelling to a new destination, there’s likely to be so much on your to-do list, with plenty of new sights to see. So much so, it can be difficult to know where to start in order to get the most out of your time away. That’s the first reason why escorted tours are useful in reducing the stress of family holidays – someone else worries about this for you.
A guide will carefully plan a detailed itinerary, taking you between the must-see spots whilst also providing an expert insight into the local area. What’s more, these types of tours also often have free time factored into the itinerary, meaning you’re able to explore any places they don’t visit in your own time.
Logistics are taken care of
Particularly when travelling with young children, having to organise your own transport to get around can be a pain. Often, the best course of action is to hire a car, but driving on unfamiliar roads whilst also keeping an eye on the children can be difficult. On escorted tours, all of the necessary travel arrangements and logistics will be taken care of for you, meaning you don’t need to worry about driving or organising alternative transport yourself.
On top of the transport, often these types of excursions will have some of your daily meals planned and included as part of the package. As any parent will tell you, deciding where and what to eat on holiday is a daunting prospect when travelling with young children. Having some of your meals already organised can help to minimise the stress that inevitably comes with planning what and where to eat.
VIP treatment
Have you ever stood in a long line of anxious tourists waiting for their turn to get up close and personal with a local attraction and wished the queue would just disappear? Well, in the company of a local tour guide, you will generally be given the opportunity to skip lengthy queues, giving you a more streamlined experience.
Family holidays are often geared towards keeping boredom at bay for the youngsters, and there are few things more boring than waiting in a slow-moving queue. Keeping things moving will help to keep the little ones on side, and prevent any unwelcome tantrums from spoiling a day out.