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A family tour package is a great way to explore the world with your children. Family vacation package tours make visiting a destination easy. Basically a tour package bundles together your accommodations, schedules activities or sightseeing for you. Depending on the specific tour package, other necessities like transportation, gratuities and even guides many also be included in the price. Family tours are group adventures. Your family will be traveling in the company of others. If you are planning a reunion or have a large group of friends that want to join you, Vacationkids can arrange a private group tour for your party.
In the past, most tour package included activities geared toward adults interests. For example adults would enjoy a wine tasting while touring Italy. Family tours may pair that wine tasting for mom and dad with a pasta cooking class for the kids. Now you have an experience, and a great meal that the entire family will enjoy. Vacationkids is very pleased to offer these type of family tour packages that cater to the specific needs of parents and grandparents traveling with children.
Vacationkids is pleased to report there are more and more family tours and family adventure trips now available to some of the world's most exciting destinations...USA, Europe, Latin America, South America, Asia, Canada. Besides these wonderful locations we can offer different types of experiences from luxury family tours with 5 star accommodations to budget family adventure trips including hiking, biking and the great outdoors.
Generally speaking, there are three types of family tour packages. Each type of tour offers a different list of pros and cons...
Escorted Family Tours - The big inclusion here is a tour guide who will greet you upon arrival and "escort" you throughout your entire vacation. The tour companies we recommend employee english speaking travel experts who usually have a back ground in teaching or child care. Your guide will remain with your tour group 24/7. You basically have someone to hold your hand every step of your journey. Escorted family tours can seem expensive but they tend to include the most features like meals, sightseeing and transportation. If this will be your first time traveling out of the country or perhaps your a single parent traveling alone with the kids, an escorted tour would be a great choice for your family. Tour guides are experienced and trained professionals offering a wealth of knowledge and insight about your locale, the history and local customs. Having a guide allows parents
the opportunity to relax and enjoy the journey alongside their kids.
Guided Family Tours - means you will have a local guide with you for certain activities or sightseeing but there is not the same level of hand holding or personal attention that you would receive with an escorted tour. Depending on the specific destination, a guided tour is often less expensive than an escorted tour. Generally a guided tour offers a set daily schedule but includes more independent free time or optional excursions.
If your family members are experienced travelers who are used to currency exchange or using public transport, then having a balance of scheduled activities and lots of free exploration time would be a great choice for you.
Independent Family Tours - This is when one of our family travel experts arranges main reservations but
it's up to you and your family to go off exploring on your own. This option is great for intrepid, experienced travelers who are patient, flexible and who embrace adventure. Folks often assume this is the least expensive of the three options. Indeed an independent tour will often price out cheaper initially on paper but when all is said and done, a guided or escorted tour works often out in the end to be less stressful and less expensive. Tour companies get preferred rates for hotels, local sightseeing and transportation that parents won't find on the internet.
Also novice travelers fail to calculate the actual additional costs of things like feeding teenage boys in a country with an unfavorable exchange rate!
When it comes to travel industry lingo, the three tour options mentioned here are all land based tour options. There is however another great option for family tours certainly worth mentioning here...
Family Cruise Tours - The cruise lines offer many great options for families who are looking to cover a great deal of territory in a short amount of vacation time. A cruise tour is somewhat a hybrid between all three tour options. You have a cruise staff and director on board while at sea to attend to your family's needs. While in port, local sightseeing can be arranged with a guide so that you get the most out of your port visit or you can be as independent as you wish and go off exploring on your own while in port. This is a great option for many destinations like Alaska or Europe. In addition, an escorted or guided land tour can be booked as either a pre or post cruise vacation for your family offering the very best of all options.
What are some key points to keep in mind if you're interested in planning a family adventure or escorted family tour for your family?...
Understand the Fine Print - Be sure you read and understand the fine print. It will spell out for you exactly what is and what is not included in your family vacation tour package. Vacationkids works with established reputable tour companies that spell out everything you need to know to avoid surprises.
Travel dates - Escorted and guided family tours, as well as family cruises, depart on very specific dates for a specific number of days. Parents may not have the option of traveling on the exact dates they prefer. Bear in mind that most tours that cater to families depart throughout the summer when most kids are out of school. Depending on the specific destinations, there may be a few escorted tours departing during Presidents week or Spring Break. There are even fewer tour choices during the December holidays so keep this in mind when trying to select your travel dates.
Guaranteed Departures - This is very important travel industry lingo that you need to know....most tour companies require a certain minimum number of passengers confirmed for each departure date in order for the tour to carry on as planned. If the tour does not have the minimum number of passengers, the tour company will cancel the tour for that date. This can create havoc when it comes to rescheduling, non refundable airline tickets and refunds. This is why it's important to work with one of our experienced family vacation experts at Vacationkids who can help you avoid such problems.
Age - For the fun, comfort and happiness of all passengers, it's important that we match the right kids and families to the right tours.
Many tour companies offer age limits or restrictions. These age requirements are based on many factors. We appreciate this can be tricky for blended families or families who want to cater to the needs of both younger and older kids but it is a rule by which we must abide.
Reality Check - Be realistic with your travel expectations. Dad may love camping and hiking but mom prefers 5 star hotels. It may be your dream to visit Paris with your child but your three year old will most likely be bored to tears in the Louvre while the rest of the tour group throws you evil stares. A zip line adventure in Costa Rica is great fun for your 15 year old son but probably not something your 80 year old father in law wants to partake in. Make sure your travel dreams match the life stage and expectations of everyone in your family. Get everyone involved in the planning and be sure everyone is on the same page.
Accommodations - Depending on the type of tour you choose this could mean a luxury hotel or a tent on the Inca trail. Sleeping arrangements can be different in many locations. For example in Europe, not all hotel rooms are air conditioned. Because many of the buildings are older, the rooms are smaller and they may not accommodate a family of four all sleeping in the same room. Most family escorted tour companies try their best to work with hotels that do offer larger rooms but often this is also based on availability.
Traveling With Others - Unless we arrange a private tour group for you, tour groups mean You will be traveling in the company of other parents, grandparents and kids. We have no way to know in advance or can we guarantee the ages of the other kids on tour with you. Family tours can create great wonderful opportunities to form lasting friendships with other kids and families. If you're not the type who normally plays well with others, this might be a problem. Again, know your travel preferences and have realistic expectations.
Travel Insurance - Vacationkids HIGHLY recommends travel insurance. At minimum, we recommend all passengers are covered for medical, trip cancellation and interruption. Depending on your family's specific needs, additional coverage like pre-existing medical or work cancellation coverage may also be necessary. You may have no intention of cancelling your family's trip of a lifetime but life can often get in the way of your trip planning so be prepared....that's why you need travel insurance for your family
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