Going on a family vacation? Congratulations–maybe. Like the Griswolds in National Lampoon a family vacation can mean one of two things: a time of memories to be cherished forever and always, or a familial disaster full of fights, grumpiness and general misfortune. Luckily, the latter is largely preventable if you approach your next vacation the right way.
Here’s how to have the family vacation of your dreams:
Location
Of course, the first question is: where do you want to go? This largely depends on how many family members you have, who old your children are, and how much money you want to spend. Generally speaking, family friendly condos are an excellent option for those looking to save money and have more space. You can avoid costly beachfront dining and cook in the comforts of your own accommodations instead. Additionally, if you have small children, be sure that your location has family fun activities or kid-friendly things to do at the hotel!

Plan Your Days Accordingly
While a jam packed vacation schedule seems like a great idea, it will soon lead to grumpy, begrudging teens and cranky toddlers. Around four or five in the afternoon, designate an hour or so of ‘alone time’ for everyone. If that means beachfront happy hours for the adults and an hour of smart phone or tablet time for the kids back in the the beachfront resort room, so be it. If everyone has an hour to get away from one another and unwind, you’ll be amazed how much happier and more readily together everyone will be come suppertime.

Let Everyone Have a Say
Everyone has different ideas of what makes a great vacation. To have the perfect trip, take everyone’s needs into account. For example, if your partner has a hankering for elegant beachfront dining, be sure to schedule that in for one night of the trip. Then, to save money, buy ingredients and make your own meals the rest of the nights.