Plan away for school holidays -

Its not too late to plan a last minute family getaway for the Easter School Holiday break. Just be prepared to pay a little more if travelling to popular destinations. Airlines and Hotels know that families are on the move during school holiday periods so you will often find an increase in the rates and fares. However there are still be plenty of things to do that won’t cost too much.

A quick suggestion – rent a coast house or rural getaway, or search the many travel sites for a last minute deal and just book it on the day you see it. Our booking engine helps you find great hotel accommodation filtered for families, often a great starting point!

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Here are five tips to ensure you have a great Easter holiday with the kids.

Decide your destination (keep a second or third option in case availability is limited)
Set your budget early and stick to it
Research your chosen destination and the activities – especially wet weather options
Timing – during school holidays you may need to be flexible
Book leave with your employer.

Destination planning – Are you planning on a camping trip, an all-inclusive resort or a tropical island? Our tip is to decide where you would like to go, and give the kids a couple of options (no more than two).

Set your budget - Setting the family travel budget will help determine where you will end up with the kids for the school holidays and it’s best to action the budgets early. If you’re a planning nut, open up a spreadsheet and work out the following. How much is it going to cost you travel to your location? How much do you want to pay for your accommodation per night, how much do you want to spend on meals for the trip, how much do you want to set aside for entertainment and attractions etc. Be sure to include an emergency buffer “just in case”.

Research – Researching the family holiday can be something that you can get the whole family involved with. Get yourself a good guide to the destination. Nothing beats Google for a wealth on information, but if you prefer a bound copy you can take with you there should be plenty of choice at your local book store. We recommend checking out simonseeks.com which has 1,000s of guides and reviews written by independent travellers for overseas travel or takeabreak.com.au for domestic accommodation.

Timing – School holidays are usually locked in but think about travelling a day earlier or returning a day later. This approach could also help save a little on the family travel budget. Also think about where you are going and research the expected weather patterns. You don’t want to rush off for tropical family holiday in Bali to only discover you are staying during the middle of the wet season.

Book your leave – Probably one the most important tips, especially if you work for a small to medium sized business, is to book your leave early. Get in early to avoid disappointment.

If you are a family that loves to go camping for the school holidays or stay at a rented self contained house. We would like your tips for getting away. Is it a team approach or are you the one left doing all the planning? Drop us your thoughts and comments below.