When faced with the task of planning a vacation, you:
a. Take a deep breath, ask friends for suggestions, and muddle through the details as best you can.
b. Say “Bring it on!” and proceed to scour the internet for information and deals.
c. Write a check to the highest-rated tour company and call it a day.
d. Decide that a staycation is just fine.
If you answered:
c – You may change your answer after reading this post.
b – I’m about to make your day.
a or d – These tips will help you get find the courage to tackle that vacation planning without breaking into hives.
I gathered these resources while planning a two week family vacation to Italy and Switzerland – our first overseas trip ever. While I invested time and energy into the planning, I know that I saved money and developed an itinerary that was tailored to our family.
Many of these resources are useful for domestic vacations as well. Pin or save this post so you can reference it the next time you plan a trip!
Itinerary planning
The most challenging part of planning a European vacation was deciding where we were going. How would we narrow down all the amazing cities to just a few? I started by reading Rick Steves’ guidebooks, particularly this Best of Europe one (affiliate link). We wanted to spend a few days in each place instead of speeding through 7 cities in 10 days. Google “Europe itinerary” and you’ll find many articles and suggestions; I found this Steves’ article a great way to start.
If you’d like to use our itinerary as a resource, I outline our stay in each city in these posts: Rome, Rome Part 2, Florence, Venice, Wengen (Swiss Alps).
Airfare
It’s smart to take a look at airfare while planning your itinerary, in case you are flexible and can adjust your arrival and departure cities to get the best deal.
Sign up for flight notifications from Airfare Watchdog; you can indicate a specific departure and/or arrival city, and set up alerts that will notify you when fares fall below the norm.
There are many airfare comparison websites, but Kayak is my favorite. I booked directly through the airline, but Kayak helped me sort through the dozens of flights. Search nearby airports for lower fares or direct flights. Instead of choosing a nearby airport, we drove to Philadelphia in order to take a direct flight. The extra hour in the car was worth avoiding a lengthier layover, re-checking luggage, and the hassle of boarding another plane.
Keep an eye on airfares, but don’t obsess for too long. I watched the fares for a few weeks with little fluctuation. I booked in January for June flights, and then never looked at fares again. Okay, I peeked in February, but to my relief the fares were the same. But then I never looked again. Really.
Travel Insurance
I rarely purchase travel insurance, but Matt and I felt that this trip warranted a policy. Check out Squaremouth, which compares over 100 policies from over 20 providers.
Lodging
One hotel room for our family of four adult-sized people was not an option. Fourteen days is a lot of family togetherness, and we needed some personal space. Renting through Airbnb was significantly cheaper than staying in a hotel, and we had much more space.
Pros: We had a washing machine, a kitchen, and two bedrooms in apartments in Rome, Florence and Venice. We were in residential neighborhoods with a much more authentic feel than a Marriott.
Cons: After our host gave us the keys, we were on our own – no concierge in the lobby. This can be a bit scary, but the trade-off was a much less tourist-y experience.
Tips:
- Read all the reviews carefully before deciding on a rental.
- Be aware that some renters just like to complain. However, comments about location, condition of the rental, amenities, and communication with the owner before and during the stay can help you decide if the place is the one for you.
- Particularly when staying in a foreign country, the availability of the host and his or her English skills are important. They aren’t your concierge, but they can be lifesavers. Our host in Rome called the cab company for us to arrange our ride to the train station when we were heading to Florence. I’m sure that would have been quite challenging for us to do in our limited Italian!
Booking.com was the site I used to book our hotels in Switzerland, and I confirmed my choices using TripAdvisor. (Trip Advisor also came in handy when we were looking for restaurants; turn on location services and you can find ratings for almost every restaurant in your immediate vicinity.)
Ground Transportation
We traveled between cities and countries via train, but I had no idea where to start in terms of booking. The map on the Eurail website gives an overview of the railway routes in Europe, and is a good place to start planning ground transportation. I also found the website The Man in Seat 61 very helpful in doing research. Train travel can be efficient and affordable, particularly if you book in advance while the lowest fares are still available. To get an idea of cost and travel time, here is what we paid for three adult and one child’s tickets using Trentalia and ItaliaRail:
High speed train from Rome to Florence (1.5 hours) $83
High speed train from Florence to Venice (2 hours) $126
Train from Venice to Milan (2 hours, 45 minutes) $73
Getting to Switzerland was more complicated, but after a few more train transfers, we were there. Switzerland is very expensive, so it is worth exploring the travel passes. A good resource for understanding all of the options is the website My Swiss Alps. I asked questions on the forums, and the moderators were very helpful. This site has a wealth of information about traveling throughout all of Switzerland, not just the Alps.
Sightseeing and Touring
Once you form an itinerary that is realistic for your family, research each destination and make a list of your must-sees and may-sees. Check museum and attraction websites, and buy tickets in advance if possible.
I was astounded by the number of tourists who just show up and hope to get in to hugely popular attractions. The line to see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia in Florence was blocks long, but we were inside in less than five minutes because we already had tickets. All major attractions have websites; make sure you are purchasing tickets on the official site.
Because we were able to save money planning our own vacation, we splurged a bit with the tours. In retrospect, they weren’t splurges at all; they were well worth the money to experience these once-in-a-lifetime places with a guide to enrich our visits. We did four tours in three cities with Walks of Italy, and I highly recommend them. Their blog is also an excellent resource for trip planning.
Our one food tour (in Rome) was amazing! Eating Italy also has branches that offer tours in London, Amsterdam and Prague. I will book a food tour in every European city I visit from now on; it was such a fun way to see the city and taste food I may never have ordered in a restaurant.
As we explored each city, we knew we weren’t fooling anyone; we were clearly tourists. I used a crossbody bag and my husband wore a narrow waist pack under his shirt for our money and passports (we had copies of our passports that we left in our lodging). Many churches require shoulders and knees to be covered; I saw women being turned away at St. Peter’s Basilica because they were wearing tank tops and shorts.
Packing
Because we had a washing machine in the Italian cities, it was fairly easy to pack light. Limiting the shoes made a big difference; I wore sneakers on the plane and only packed one pair of sandals and a pair of flats. Capris and shorts were fine for the summer, and we each took one nicer outfit (sundress for the girls, khakis and a polo shirt for the guys). I purchased much of our luggage on Ebags (pairing it with Ebates will give you at least 8% back – that’s my referral link), and we brought three rolling duffles (a 21 inch, 25 inch, and 30 inch) and a large tote bag as a carry-on. The kids each brought a backpack to tote their non-clothing essentials, knowing that they had to carry whatever they packed.
I included the CindaB tote bag and a helpful USB device to transfer photos in my Love List post HERE.
Cellular plans
It’s important to set up your phone correctly, so you don’t get billed thousands of dollars! Read this article to get the scoop.
We have AT&T, and opted to buy the 30-day international plan for two phones. The kids turned off their data for the whole trip. Matt and I only turned on data when we needed it, and closely monitored our usage. By having the international plan, we had enough data for navigating when we needed it, and our texts were free. Per minute cost for phone calls was minimal, and we only made one or two calls to make reservations. We used texts or Facetime (on wifi) to touch base with family back home.
General planning/preparation
Rick Steves again. Steves’ offers many travel tours, but he also has lots of tips about traveling independently. You could spend days on his website, but start with his travel tips and the travel forum. I know not everyone is a fan, and his way is not the only way to travel, but the guy has been doing this for years. Here are links to itinerary planning, and travel tips, and how to handle getting the right currency.
Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments! If you revisit this post in the future and comments are closed, reach out to me via Facebook or email.
this was so helpful! i’ve traveled all around the world and been to europe several times, but each time, i feel like i need a refresher! where do i book? how do i get from point A to point B?
we are actually planning a week-long trip to europe this summer (without 2 year old franco) and it was great to read this. i’m still trying to figure it all out!
That sounds like a wonderful trip, Catherine! Can’t wait to hear about it.
Wow! Dana, this is a lot of really helpful information. I can see why some people would opt to pay for a travel company to do all this leg work, but it looks like you were able to save a lot of money doing it on your own!
I really think we did save quite a bit. And we customized the trip to do exactly what we wanted to do.
This was amazing! What great tips. We’re planning a family vacation to Vietnam for December and while it’s very different from Europe, your suggestions for planning make it all less overwhelming. Thank you!
My pleasure, Lisa. That sounds like an amazing trip. Thank goodness for the internet; I’m sure you can find a wealth of information to help you plan specifically for Vietnam.
Fantastic list, Dana! We purchased Rick Steve’s online book for Istanbul. Was so helpful! We even did a little walking tour of his with the book. (Since it was on our phones, we didn’t look quite as much like awkward tourists — just slightly). We did Airbnb there too and it was great! The only downside, as you said, was not having someone to give suggestions. (Thankfully TripAdvisor is amazing.) Definitely pinning 🙂
We did a few of Steves’ walking tours on our phones too – yes, only slightly less touristy!
This is REALLY awesome, Dana. Can I plan my trip from last summer again? 🙂 And I’m with you…I love Steve’s sites! HUGE resource.
It really was! You did a fabulous job planning your trip too – we could go into business together.
—can you plan all of our trips for us…??
and Mr. L’s soccer team?
Thank you!! It will be much appreciated.xxx
O, and have a WONDERUL time, darling!
No thanks, Kim – although I have considered becoming a travel agent. Does anyone use them anymore?
I am certain that lots of folks (myself included) will be pinning this post for future reference. I love the suggestion about buying museum tickets in advance to avoid lines. And I agree that guided tours are well worth the money. Great job, Dana!
Thanks, Mo!
Bookmarking this for when I finally get around to taking a trip to the UK!! hehe! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Thanks, Gingi!
<3
Great tips! I am a planner, as you know, and David is a much more “figure it out as we go” kind of guy when we go on vacation. We learned the hard way about cell phones when we went to Paris. He has an international plan through work, but I didn’t. A couple time we downloaded my emails thinking we were on wi-fi and it would be fine – then, I got a $400+ phone bill for just me for the month! Ouch!
Oh no! That’s what I was afraid of, so we were super vigilant. Turning off data all the time was a pain, but it kept the bill down.
I’m planning a trip to San Francisco and Yosemite this summer… definitely not Switzerland, but these tips are extremely helpful. Hubby has been in charge of airline tickets… I’m going to share your resources. Thank you, because I tend to fall into the option A or C category.
Smart putting your husband in charge of airline tickets! I love San Francisco, but have never been to Yosemite. You can go for a run over the Golden Gate Bridge! I wrote a post about our vacation a few years ago – we biked over the bridge.
I’m generally a “B” person with just about anything and everything. That may just be one of the reasons I’m so slow to actually get things done! These are awesome tips though – especially about getting tickets in advance. Whenever we make it across the pond again, I’ll be sure to come back to this post!
I have a feeling a family trip may be a bit far off for you! Maybe just you and your husband?
Wow, Dana! This is definitely one for my bookmarks. I hope to travel to Europe in the next two years and your post will be a wonderful resource. Have always wanted to visit Italy and Switzerland! Thank you! Very thorough! What an experience it must have been to actually put it together! I can imagine the discoveries you must have made! As someone else said here in the comments – great for an ebook! Thanks for joining us this week! 🙂
My pleasure, Vidya! Planning it all on my own really did make the trip more meaningful.
I am SOOOOO GLAD you put this together!!! I’m totally pinning it for future reference! WOOT. I really want to plan a trip like this when my kids are older. 🙂
Mine were almost 14 and 17 – perfect ages. They could carry their own luggage, and they will never forget this trip.
I’m definitely bookmarking this for the future!! This is a ton of information!! Thanks so much!!
My pleasure, Roshni!
Holy Moly – such a wealth of great info here, Dana. I love Kayak and airbnb use them routinely. However, Squaremouth is new to me. Thanks, Dana. Off to share.
Thank you for sharing, Kelly. Squaremouth was so helpful in choosing an insurance plan; I love sites that let you compare and contrast packages.
This is awesome Dana! I’m so using this for when we go. I especially love the idea of staying at homes in neighborhoods (plus, washing machines). So glad you linked this up!
The washing machines were awesome, although there were no dryers, so we hung all our clothes all over the place! Bring clothespins; they were very useful!
You could write an ebook on this!
I guess I could… but it sounds exhausting!
Oh MY! Bookmarked this. I have vacation in distant future – but these tips will still apply I’m sure.
Awesome
Thanks Mardra!
Amazing. SO much good information! Thank you. I an a devotee of Trip Advisor, as well . And I’m off to check out AirBnB. I’m getting some crazy high rates for hotels for this summer’s road trip. Thanks Dana!
We are using VRBO this summer in Seattle; hotel rates were really high there. I do like that Airbnb holds your deposit until you check in, but I was less worried about that domestically. And we stay in a VRBO rental each time we go to Disney – three rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen…for significantly less than one hotel room.
Umm, can I just hire you to plan our European vacation? Seriously, we’ve been sort of thinking about trying to plan a family vacation to Europe, but the thought does overwhelm me. Plus, I’m afraid to spend that much money on a vacation, because I’m not convinced my three dudes would be appreciative and would fight the whole time like they usually do…BUT, this post was great – I’m pinning it!
I get lots of requests to vacation plan, Emily! I hope this posts helps some, because planning my own vacations are plenty, thank you 🙂
My kids were almost 14 and 17 when we went, and they were fabulous. No fighting, appreciative – really great. And they aren’t always, trust me. We included them in the initial planning, so they were very excited about where we were going. I hope you can make it happen – it’s the best family vacation we’ve ever had, and I know it gave my kids the bug to study abroad.
I hate looking up air fare; I’ll have to remember Kayak. Meanwhile, awesome pictures.
Thanks! Yes – Kayak is a great place to start pricing airfare.
I STILL don’t want to ever plan it. But if/when I do I have the best reference. I want you to do one of these for Disney. I can’t even handle that.
I’ve written a few Disney posts – they were some of the first travel posts I wrote! It is a lot to handle, but preparation is KEY for Disney, especially during busy times.
You’re such an incredible planner. I love how well your mind is suited to attention to detail, and thinking of all the things. Mine is not at all, and I think (were you to witness my preparation for trips) you’d tear your hair out at the chaotic way I do things!
Ha! Maybe, but I’m sure my way would drive you crazy too.
I have no doubt – WonderAunty is very much like that lol
This post is awesome! I’m really hoping to travel some this year 🙂
I hope you can too!
Great information! I second the recommendation to rent an apartment. We have done this many times. The comfort level and price can’t be beat. I always look at the photos of the beds and I can tell if it will be comfortable.
You can tell from the photos? That’s impressive. And I know who to ask whenever we make it to England and Ireland!
I think I’m an A. On a good day. Or a C or D on a bad day.
This is our dream trip. Well mine is Alaska, but I mean with the amount we spend on Disney, Cassidy and I think we should just go to Europe one day!
Meet you there?
Absolutely! Drinks, my treat.
This seriously is awesome and going to have to keep in mind this in mind when we do decide to go to Europe in the future. Also sure I will be picking your brain when that time does come 😉
I would love that, Janine!