Family vacations are fun and beneficial for health. The memories that are made last a lifetime. Unfortunately, many families do not get to take a family vacation very often due to the cost. If you are planning on taking your family on vacation any time soon, you are probably trying to estimate the cost. A variety of factors go into the cost of a family vacation. Here are some tips on how you can determine the general cost of common expenditures.

Destination

The destination plays a significant role in the cost of your vacation destination. Popular destinations for families (e.g. Walt Disney World) are notoriously expensive because the companies know that families will be willing to pay the money to give their children the experiences. For example, the average family vacation to Disney World costs well over 3,000 dollars. However, other destinations that are not as popular or targeted towards families (e.g. Atlantic City or an Alaskan Cruise) are more affordable. For example, you can get a room at an Atlantic City, New Jersey casino that holds two guests for as little as 32 dollars per night. That does not mean that popular family vacation destinations are out of the question. You may just have to make efforts to reduce the costs of the other factors. How Much Family Vacation

Time of Year

Summer is considered “peak time” for vacations because children and school employees are off and businesses are slower. Christmas week, Easter week, and any other time school is out for break are also peak times. While you may care about your children’s instruction time and keeping up with business at work, it may literally cost you when it comes to vacation. Resorts and airlines rack up their prices during peak times because travel is in higher demand

Transportation

If you are taking a vacation that is close to home (e.g. to your state’s coast), transportation will not cost a lost because you will be driving. You may spend 10 to 40 dollars in gas. If you are taking an airplane, the average price for a round-trip is 400 to 500 dollars per person. For example, flying from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport to London costs 444 dollars per person. Researching the different perk and amenities like finding DFW hotels with shuttle service can help lower your stress, and save on the cost of transportation because you will have a ride to and from the airport.

In order to avoid flying, you can consider renting a car or a RV to travel across the country, but if you are going out of the country, expect to spend over a thousand dollars on airfare for a round trip

Food

You will need to eat while you are on vacation. Expect to spend more at resort restaurants than you do at the restaurants at home. Getting dining plans, all-inclusive, or making your own food can help save money on food.

Accommodations

If you stay at a higher quality hotel, you will most likely spend more money per night. Keep in mind that all hotels are dirty because numerous other people have stayed in the rooms, regardless of the star-rating. You should also consider how much time you will realistically spend in the room. Cleanliness is also not the only factor that goes into star-rating. A variety of other amenities that may not be important to you (e.g. 24/7 room service) play in to the star rating.

Activities

The cost of the vacation is only half the battle. You will need to bring a plethora of cash and/or credits cards with you to spend on activities and souvenirs. Looking into how much activities cost before you get there will give you a rough estimate on how much money you will be spending when you there.

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