1. Allow your family, especially the kids, to help plan the trip. This can be fun for the entire family to be involved in, and starts things out with a common effort toward a common goal.

2. Have both a travel itinerary and an activity itinerary. The first one, of course, tells you where your flight departs from or what roads you’ll be driving. The latter is just a simple list of activities that you and your family plan on doing after you arrive. It can help things go a little smoother at times, especially if you are able to choose from several different activities for each day.

3. Bring a snack or picnic lunch if you’re traveling on the road. All parents know that kids can get hungry fast. Bringing snacks and drinks can assure you that they won’t be hungry. It is also nice to stop off at a park or rest stop and have a picnic lunch together outside.

4. Packing your luggage the night before you leave may not sound like fun. But packing ahead of time is essential, especially with kids, and getting them involved in the packing is what can make it fun (particularly for them). Packing the night before the trip will help you to remember what you need, and making a list beforehand of items that you will need to bring also speeds the process.

5. Bring lots of activities for long road trips or flights, as these can be boring for anyone, and again, especially for the kids. Puzzles, magazines, coloring books and/or a CD or DVD player can help ease the tension of a long trip.

6. Stop along the way. Take some time out to stop along the way at some of the sites that you are sure to pass on your adventuresome road trip. Depending on where you are, and if you’re driving through new and fascinating territory, this can be very exciting for the entire family. Don’t forget to take pictures of any famous or unique landmarks or scenery, which leads to the next point.

7. Take lots of photos, period. Taking pictures on your trip will capture memories that will last a lifetime, and it’s great fun, too. Allow your entire family to be involved in the picture taking (yes, even the kids). This way they have the opportunity to capture some of the excitement on film, too. If you also bring a video camera, you can teach your children the proper way to use it and that will make them feel more involved. And don’t forget to ham it up and mug for the camera!

8. Why not take the train? If you’re traveling with children, a train might be a better choice than either a car or a plane. Everyone knows how confined an airplane can be. When it comes to kids, they like as much freedom to move as possible. A train can provide a comfortable, safe and roomy way for the whole family to travel, and it’s a rare adventure these days.

9. Research your trip and destination on the Internet. Doing some research before the trip can be a time-saver. If you have teenagers that love to be on the Internet, have them take some time to research your destination. This will give them some useful knowledge of the place, as well as make them feel like they are helping with the trip planning. It will also be fun for them to be the “expert” upon your arrival, teaching the rest of the family what they found out.

10. Booking child-friendly accommodations will allow you to use all the other ideas you’ve developed with the help of this article. If you plan to stay in a hotel at your flight destination, or one or more along the way on a road trip, find out what activities are available for your children. Check on spas and other services for yourself, too, since you will want to have fun, also.

11. Finally, if you expect the unexpected, and prepare for adversity, you will not allow unforeseen events to spoil your fun. You never know what you might be getting into when planning a vacation, as there are so many things to consider. Using these tips can help your vacation be a successful one, just as following a simple list can make a huge difference. Think of as many details as possible, from extra batteries and a first-aid kit to plastic garbage bags for dirty laundry and a couple of rolls of quarters for video game arcades.

In addition to these 11 tips, it is also recommended that a good vacation plan include a budget, preferably one that will be paid for with money that was put away just for this purpose. Saving up for the trip is also something that the whole family can get behind, and even make enjoyable. You can set up a common savings jar at home, or one for each child so they can compete with their nickels and dimes. Both kids and parents can contribute, and the smallest bit pocket change can help build a healthy vacation fund.

Although tedious at times, traveling is also very exciting and a source of great, good fun for the entire family. This is true before, during and even after the vacation. You have seen how fun it can be to plan and save for the vacation beforehand, and during the trip you can all get to know one another better while having fun with both planned and unplanned activities. And finally, after your vacation, you will bring home pictures, souvenirs, stories and some great memories to share with others.