How to Plan the Perfect Holiday

The memories from a great holiday can last you a lifetime. However, planning a great holiday can be a difficult challenge—especially if you are planning the holiday for your family or group of friends.

There is no reason why you should stress yourself out on the planning process, and here are some reasons how you can plan the perfect holiday without bursting into tears (or completely cancelling because “it’s just to difficult!”).

Choosing the destination

If you are taking several people along for your holiday, chances are you will have a large pool of destinations to choose from. If you are tasked with the (often unpleasant) task of deciding which destination to choose, you have to accept the fact that not everyone will be happy about your decision. There is no way of pleasing everyone. However, this does not mean that you will be completely inconsiderate of the others’ choices—make sure to talk your family members or friends about the things they want to do or see. Better yet, compile a list of priorities and decide on the location from there.

There will be complaints, but you should not dwell on them as most of the time the people who have moaned and groaned about your chosen destination will be enjoying themselves a day or two into your vacation.

Research

Once you have chosen a destination, you can start researching more about it. What are the sights to see or the activities that will be fun to do? Compile the information in a list (or you could simply copy-paste them into a spreadsheet or a Word document) for itinerary considerations.

You should also research the costs of going on a holiday to a certain destination. Look for cheap flights, inexpensive yet reliable car hire companies, hotels, and the costs of services that your party might need. Get quotes and book your tickets and reservations before leaving home, to reduce the stress you might experience while on the road.

Be organized

Planning a trip with a group of people is often stressful for people who did not plan ahead. Making sure that everything is in order before you leave for your vacation will definitely make your life easier on the road. Ask your friends or family members to pack ahead of time—make sure that everyone has weather-appropriate clothes, medication, device chargers, etc. Traveling with children needs a lot of organization, as you have to make sure that the kids have everything they need for the trip.

Put all the necessary documents, tickets, and receipts in an easily accessible yet portable folder, and medication in safe containers to avoid spillage or contamination.

Do not forget to have fun

Designing a perfect itinerary is impossible—make sure to plan, but do so loosely. Do not pack your itinerary tight with activities or destinations that will hinder the others from having fun. As the saying goes: “expect the worst, but hope for the best.” You can plan loosely and take it from there to ensure that everyone is having a good time. Just make sure to not skip meal times.