Family holidays provide an opportunity for you to bond and reconnect with each other, while experiencing something new. With the Australian and New Zealand summer holidays upon us, it’s time to start making plans for some quality time together sometime over the silly season. Here are some tips to get you started and guarantee you have the best family holiday yet!
1. Find your destination
Give yourself plenty of time to plan your holiday to avoid feeling overwhelmed by decision-making at the last minute.
Travelling with the family, your first step should be to research family-friendly holiday ideas. Make it a fun activity to get the family together to brainstorm some ideas – majority wins!
Beach and sun – think Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine Coasts
Adventure – Queensland or Queenstown are the perfect places to start
Hiking and natural wonders – Somewhere cooler in the summer months like Tasmania or the South Island of New Zealand
Foodies experience – You’ll find some of Australia’s best restaurants in and around Sydney and Melbourne
To make the decision-making easier, check out the diversity of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts accommodation options across 33 destinations in Australia and New Zealand for some inspiration.
Give yourself plenty of time to plan your holiday to avoid feeling overwhelmed by decision-making at the last minute.
Travelling with the family, your first step should be to research family-friendly holiday ideas. Make it a fun activity to get the family together to brainstorm some ideas – majority wins!
Beach and sun – think Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine Coasts
Adventure – Queensland or Queenstown are the perfect places to start
Hiking and natural wonders – Somewhere cooler in the summer months like Tasmania or the South Island of New Zealand
Foodies experience – You’ll find some of Australia’s best restaurants in and around Sydney and Melbourne
To make the decision-making easier, check out the diversity of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts accommodation options across 33 destinations in Australia and New Zealand for some inspiration.
Freycinet Experience Walk in Tasmania: Tourism Australia
2. Book ahead
Once you’ve locked in your ideal destination, now comes the easy part – looking for your ideal family-style accommodation.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offers a range of self-contained apartments to allow you to cook some meals, save money and soak up your surrounds. You can choose from studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouse suites, each of which will provide exceptional customer service and a launch pad for nearby attractions.
Get in early, especially if you’re booking during school holidays, as accommodation is selling out fast, with the demand for domestic travel continuing.
Many hotels will feature their own restaurants, however it’s also good to take a look at the nearby restaurants and cafes that cater for families, and make a booking for a couple of your favourites. The same goes with activities and nearby attractions. If you’re planning on visiting a theme park or a zoo, buy tickets online for cheaper rates. If it’s outside peak times, you may be able to grab a discount on attractions if you do your research and book in advance.
Once you’ve locked in your ideal destination, now comes the easy part – looking for your ideal family-style accommodation.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offers a range of self-contained apartments to allow you to cook some meals, save money and soak up your surrounds. You can choose from studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouse suites, each of which will provide exceptional customer service and a launch pad for nearby attractions.
Get in early, especially if you’re booking during school holidays, as accommodation is selling out fast, with the demand for domestic travel continuing.
Many hotels will feature their own restaurants, however it’s also good to take a look at the nearby restaurants and cafes that cater for families, and make a booking for a couple of your favourites. The same goes with activities and nearby attractions. If you’re planning on visiting a theme park or a zoo, buy tickets online for cheaper rates. If it’s outside peak times, you may be able to grab a discount on attractions if you do your research and book in advance.
3: Select suitable flights or driving routes
Another factor with deciding on your destination is how far you want to travel with the kids.
Do you want to pack the car up and drive along the coast or countryside at your own pace?
Or would you prefer to explore another state further away now that borders are reopening?
Timing is also important when planning your trip. If you are driving long distances, leave early in the morning to avoid traffic and experience more of each destination during the daytime. With a combination of straight roads and many winding mountain roads across Australia and New Zealand it’s also a safer option to avoid driving late at night, particularly in regional areas with little to no lighting.
If you are travelling by plane, think about how long your kids will be comfortable in the air, to maintain your sanity. Most destinations in Australia and New Zealand are between one to five hours away, so choose your destination based on the best flight times for your family.
You can also pay a little extra for easy flight times if you have the budget which will allow you to travel around any younger kids’ nap times and ensure you don’t arrive at your destination late at night.
Lastly, book your airport transfers in advance and make sure you know where the meeting point is located. Many hotels will offer free shuttle services so check in with them before you make a booking.
Another factor with deciding on your destination is how far you want to travel with the kids.
Do you want to pack the car up and drive along the coast or countryside at your own pace?
Or would you prefer to explore another state further away now that borders are reopening?
Timing is also important when planning your trip. If you are driving long distances, leave early in the morning to avoid traffic and experience more of each destination during the daytime. With a combination of straight roads and many winding mountain roads across Australia and New Zealand it’s also a safer option to avoid driving late at night, particularly in regional areas with little to no lighting.
If you are travelling by plane, think about how long your kids will be comfortable in the air, to maintain your sanity. Most destinations in Australia and New Zealand are between one to five hours away, so choose your destination based on the best flight times for your family.
You can also pay a little extra for easy flight times if you have the budget which will allow you to travel around any younger kids’ nap times and ensure you don’t arrive at your destination late at night.
Lastly, book your airport transfers in advance and make sure you know where the meeting point is located. Many hotels will offer free shuttle services so check in with them before you make a booking.
New Zealand road trip: Tourism New Zealand
4: Set yourself a budget
Now for the fun part - maybe not but it is important! Before you do any of the above-mentioned steps, it’s important to sit down and decide on a budget for your holiday.
How much will you allocate to accommodation?
How many meals will you eat in your apartment, and how many times will you take the family out?
What type of experiences will you need to pay for, and which ones are free?
Depending on how organised you are, you may want to categorise your budget and make sure you refer to it when making decisions with the family on where to stay, eat and nearby experiences.
Also remember that Wyndham Rewards members who stay for four qualified nights, will earn 7,500 bonus points—enough for a future free night at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham. This is a great added bonus for your holiday!
Now for the fun part - maybe not but it is important! Before you do any of the above-mentioned steps, it’s important to sit down and decide on a budget for your holiday.
How much will you allocate to accommodation?
How many meals will you eat in your apartment, and how many times will you take the family out?
What type of experiences will you need to pay for, and which ones are free?
Depending on how organised you are, you may want to categorise your budget and make sure you refer to it when making decisions with the family on where to stay, eat and nearby experiences.
Also remember that Wyndham Rewards members who stay for four qualified nights, will earn 7,500 bonus points—enough for a future free night at thousands of Hotels by Wyndham. This is a great added bonus for your holiday!
Eating out on the Gold Coast, Queensland: Tourism Australia
5. HAVE FUN
But of course, the most important point of all with any family holiday is to have fun! Turn off your phones, put away the devices, get amongst the great outdoors and enjoy making a lifetime of memories with the ones you love the most.
But of course, the most important point of all with any family holiday is to have fun! Turn off your phones, put away the devices, get amongst the great outdoors and enjoy making a lifetime of memories with the ones you love the most.
Endless fun at the Gold Coast theme parks: Tourism Australia
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