The short answer
Decide the dates first, because school holidays set the prices and the availability. Book in order of what runs out: flights or trains, then accommodation, then the timed things like theme park tickets and popular restaurants. Plan each day around one main activity in the morning, keep afternoons free, count travel days as full days, and keep everything in one place the other adults can see.
1. Fix the dates before the destination
With school-age children, the dates choose you. Holiday weeks are when prices peak and places fill, so start from the window you can actually travel in, then look for where suits it. A place that's perfect in May can be too hot, too wet or too busy in August.
A few things worth weighing:
- Flight length against age. Under-fives cope better with four hours than eleven. A long flight is worth it for a long stay; for a week, closer usually wins.
- The time difference. Two or three hours shifts bedtimes a little; seven or eight means jet lag for the first few days, which eats into a one-week trip.
- The weather for that month, not the brochure's photo.
2. Book in the order things run out
- Getting there.
Flights and trains get more expensive as school holidays approach, and the good times go first. Book these once dates are fixed.
- Where you'll stay.
Family rooms, apartments and anything with a pool book up early for holiday weeks. An apartment with a kitchen and a second room often beats a hotel for families: separate bedtimes, breakfast in pyjamas.
- The anchor days.
Theme park tickets, popular tours, timed museum entry. Book the ones that sell out, and leave the rest.
- Car hire and transfers.
Add child seats when you book. Check the pick-up date matches your landing date.
- A few restaurant tables.
Not every night: one or two special ones, and the first evening, so you're not searching for food with tired children.
3. Pace the days for the youngest person
The single biggest difference between a family holiday and any other is pace. A day that suits the youngest traveller suits everyone else better than the reverse.
- One main thing a day, in the morning, when everyone's freshest and the queues are shortest.
- A rest after lunch: back to the room, the pool, a picnic in a park. It saves the evening.
- Travel days are full days. Don't plan anything on the day you arrive except food and an early night.
- A lazy day every three or four, with nothing booked at all.
- Let children choose something. One activity each that's theirs to pick makes the rest of the plan easier to sell.
For how to lay those days out, see how to make a travel itinerary.
4. Keep the whole plan in one place
Family holidays tend to be organised by one person and lived by four or more. The organiser holds the bookings in their inbox; everyone else asks what time the train is. The fix is to keep every booking and ticket together, in date order, somewhere the other adults can open on their own phones, including offline.
When two families or the grandparents are coming, it matters more: each household books its own flights, and nobody has the whole picture. A shared plan, where each person adds what they booked, keeps it whole. Our guide to sharing an itinerary with family compares the ways to do it.
5. The last few weeks
From a month out, it's the checklist: passports, insurance, money, phones, medicines, packing per child. The family holiday checklist lists the lot, in the order to do them.
A planning timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6–12 months | Fix the dates. Choose the destination. Book flights and accommodation for school holiday weeks. |
| 3–6 months | Check every passport. Buy travel insurance. Book theme parks, tours and anything that sells out. |
| 1–2 months | Car hire with child seats, airport parking, a few restaurant tables. Travel authorisations for everyone. |
| 2–4 weeks | Money, phones and roaming, medicines, the consent letter if needed. |
| The last week | Check in online, download every ticket, pack by person. |
Questions people ask
How far in advance should I plan a family holiday?
For school holiday weeks, six to twelve months ahead for flights and accommodation, and three to six months for theme park tickets and tours. Outside school holidays, two to four months is usually enough.
What should I book first for a family holiday?
Whatever runs out first: usually flights or trains, then accommodation, then timed tickets such as theme parks. Car hire and restaurant tables can come later.
How many activities should I plan per day with kids?
One main activity, in the morning, with a rest or free time after lunch. Count travel days as full days and leave one day in every three or four with nothing booked.
Is an apartment or a hotel better for a family holiday?
For families with young children, an apartment often works better: a kitchen for breakfast and snacks, and a separate room so adults aren't sitting in the dark at 7.30pm. Hotels win on pools, kids' clubs and not having to cook.
How do I keep a family holiday organised?
Keep every booking and ticket in one place, in date order, that the other adults can open on their own phones offline, with a shared list for the to-dos that aren't bookings.
