Whether you need to travel for holidays to visit family or just want a getaway with the kids, there are ways to work around the school schedule for family vacations.
Look for Odd School Closings
Everyone is off during typical school holidays, which can make it more expensive to travel, harder to find a room, and more packed at popular family travel attractions.
Instead, try to examine your child's school calendar for teacher workdays that fall on a Friday or Monday. If you will travel out of town, chances are pretty good other schools don't have those days off.
Travel Shorter Distances
Get a map, find your home town and draw a circle around it of about a five-hour driving radius. You might be surprised which destinations fall inside the circle. Then, you can plan a weekend trip that is fun, going somewhere new, but that won't be too stressful for a short getaway.
You can also do some searches on direct flights to see which destinations are less than two hours flying time from your nearest airport.
That way, you can take advantage of a three day weekend by heading out predawn on the first day and coming home the afternoon of the last weekend day.
Take More Overnight Trips
The Monday through Friday school schedule can make it tough to take a real vacation. But consider some places that are just a couple hours' drive away, leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday evening.
You will probably be surprised at how refreshing it can be to even getaway just for a couple of days. If you leave early enough Saturday and travel somewhere nearby, you will get most of that full day to enjoy sightseeing and attractions.
Use Sunday to have a long, fun breakfast somewhere and take your time stopping off along the way home at any place that interests your family.
Watch Last-Minute Flight, Hotel and Package Deals
Sometimes, you can find a great deal even for holiday weekends. As the holiday approaches, scour the Web for last-minute flight, hotel and package deals. It can be fun for everyone in the family to pack their bags not really knowing where the family will travel until a few days before the trip.
Skip School for Vacation
While it isn't ideal, consider keeping your kids out of school for a vacation. Look for a destination that has many educational opportunities, and see it as an opportunity to teach and travel. You might even look for something that has some relevance to your child's current lessons.
Beforehand, discuss the trip with your child's teachers. Get all the assignments your children will miss, which will give them something to do during travel and in evenings at hotel rooms. Consider booking a hotel room with a desk to give your child a comfortable space to work on homework, or bring a lap desk.
