Taking children on holiday abroad can be a very interesting and informative trip, obviously with the situation about taking children out during term time, you have to weigh up the pros and cons, consider the amount of fine you will get (£60 per child, per parent) against the cost of the holiday and how valuable you think the time spent with their family and experiencing a different culture first hand. Whatever you decide, here are some tips to consider when taking school age children abroad.

1. Check the school’s term dates at the very start of the school year in September, to check if there are any differences with the travel agents ‘peak’ weeks, as you may be able to pick up a cheaper deal.
2. Take time to plan the holiday, check out comparisons and look at what each has to offer, when I was looking last month I found cheap holidays with Holiday Gems, they offered flights from all major airports and to lots of different countries (with options for larger groups)
3. Don’t be too selective, if you only have a specific date that you are able to go, then try to expand the options by looking at a couple of different choices of places to go, alternatively if you only want to go to one particular place, ensure you have flexibility with dates.
4. Ensure your holiday is suitable for all members of the family, particularly if you have a vast age range to keep occupied, teenagers may be happy to laze on the beach all day, but toddlers won’t want to be in the heat for too long, likewise school age children will need activities to keep them entertained
5. Decide if you will be going on holiday as one family unit, we have nine members of our family so there is always someone to amuse the younger children or join in team activities, if you only have one or two children, would it make your (and the children’s) holiday more enjoyable if you went away with other extended family members or close friends.
6. Decide how you will travel, most families go abroad by aeroplane, but there are other options, self-drive, ferry crossing or the entire trip there by coach (we did this when I was small, it added two extra days to the holiday, but it was a great adventure) just ensure you are a good traveller and you are able to sleep on a coach!
7. Decide on your accommodation, will it make the holiday less stressful if everything is included, or will you feel too tied to specific meal times, in which case then a self catering apartment may suit your needs better.
8. Does the holiday place that you have chosen have entertainment for the children, would they enjoy a kids club or specific activities for their age groups, or are you looking for time away as a family to spend the entire holiday together.
9. Don’t forget transport from the airport to where you are staying, it may seem like a cheaper option to not include within your package deal, but are you fluent enough in the country’s language to arrange transportation, consider arriving in the middle of the night due to delays, will there be a suitable vehicle available, or will you know how to arrange one once you get there.
10. Don’t forget travel insurance, particularly in recent weeks when many flights have been cancelled and holiday makers have been stranded, I never thought we would have a problem until we were broken into on our honeymoon!

These are just some simple tips and advice for booking a holiday abroad, but above all

ENJOY YOURSELVES!

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