Holidays should be spent surrounded by friends, family and all the people we love. The problem is, if everyone travels over the river and thru the woods to Grandmother's house, then poor grandma gets a holiday filled with lots of extra cooking, cleaning and laundry. Guests can look forward to in sleeping bags on the floor or lining up for their turn in the bathroom.

More and more families, upwards of 11% according to one recent study, are now opting for a destination holiday. Destination holidays are where the family all gathers in a resort, on a cruise or in a private villa to celebrate together. Everyone is together for the holidays, enjoying new adventures and no body gets stuck with all the work. Here are some ideas on how to plan, organize and arrange a destination holiday for your family....

PLAN AHEAD - Let's face it, the holidays come but once a year. The December holiday and Spring Break weeks are when most kids are out of school. Due to supply and demand, these are the most requested and expensive travel weeks of the year. Many hotels require a minimum 7 night stay during busy holiday travel weeks. Resort, Villa and Cruise prices are usually available 1-2 years in advance. Airlines publish their fares about 300 days in advance. By discussing and planning a destination holiday ahead of time, it allows everyone the opportunity to budget while giving you plenty of availability when it comes to choosing flights and accommodations. If you snooze, you'll loose!

MONEY TALKS - Talk frankly about money and budgets ahead of time to avoid surprises, embarrassments and future disappointments. Try to set a budget that will be affordable and comfortable for everyone. Some families choose to pay everything ala carte so that each family is responsible to pay for their immediate family members. Other families average out the total costs into a per person price so that everyone pays the same amount. There have even been families that have worked together to create creative fund raisers like a multi family garage sale in order to help finance their destination holiday.

FOLLOW THE LEADER - Elect someone in your family to be the group leader. This person is responsible for keeping the lines of communication open to everyone. This person should be well organized, punctual, professional and have the time to do what needs to be done. You know who this person is...just about every family has at least one.

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP - Many families enjoy making their own travel plans online but when it comes to dealing with groups, it's best to have your group leader utilize the services and advice of a travel agent. A good travel agent can often save money, save valuable time, prevent frustration and help check for group rates and discounts. Travel agents appreciate having one main contact person and decision-maker for the entire group. This is a far more efficient way to work. You know the old saying about too many cooks and the soup.

PLAN SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE - With so many wonderful destinations and only one week's vacation, it's really hard to decide where to go. This is by far the hardest part of planning a destination holiday. This becomes far more challenging when you're dealing with a large group of people. Everyone has their own idea of the perfect holiday. Family all inclusive resorts and cruises are often the most popular choices for destination holidays because they offer food, fun and activities geared to accommodate many different age groups. If finding the perfect holiday spot becomes an issue don't focus on a specific destination. Instead try discussing the type of trip or experiences your family would like to gain from this destination holiday. If your family loves sports and is very active, then perhaps a ski week or a yacht rental might be fun for everyone. If you have lots of active kids in tow then you want a destination that has kids clubs or activities that will keep them occupied. It may come down to flipping a coin or pulling suggestions from a hat to make the final decision that will keep everyone happy. Again a good travel agent can offer solid advice, personal experience and help you narrow all your destination holiday choices.

GET A HEAD COUNT - Accurate, basic travel information is an absolute MUST in order to get pricing, plan and make reservations. Room and cruise cabin prices are determined by whether there are 1, 2, 3 or 4 occupants. The ages of children at the time of travel can dramatically change the price of a family's vacation. In order for everyone to have a wonderful time, the needs of all travelers needs to be taken into consideration. Obviously you can't take kids to an adult only resort...If Grandpa has mobility issues then certainly he would need a smaller sized resort with an elevator in order to join in the fun. It's often good practice to get a good faith deposit from everyone planning to travel. This makes the committment real.

DELEGATE AND PLAN - Your group leader should not get stuck doing all the work while everyone else gets to have fun. Designate other family members to help with luggage, organizing activities, babysitting or what ever else needs doing. Some families crave togetherness while others want their independence. One of the biggest mistakes families make is trying to cram too much into too short a time. There needs to be a good balance of planned activities as well as plenty of down time so that the group never feels hurried or rushed. If you plan a couple days of busy activities or sight seeing, balance out the rest of the days with beach time or leisure.

SET A COUNT DOWN CALENDAR - Your group leader and travel agent will inform the group of exactly when the necessary deposits, paperwork and payments are due. It's also a good idea to factor in reminders for things like passport applications, single parent documentation, packing, airport transportation arrangements and home check lists to avoid last minute stress. If you are planning a destination holiday that includes gift giving and presents, you may also want to consider shipping gifts in advance. If not be sure to do a last minute check of airport security rules or airline luggage restrictions.

MAKE LOTS OF MEMORIES- Let's face it, this is what family and vacations are all about. Enjoy each other's company, take lots of photos and savor the time together. Chances are Destination holidays will become a new tradition with your family!