How to Plan a Last Minute Summer Vacation

If you find yourself with some unexpected free time during the summer months, you may feel the need to book a last minute summer vacation. Time and cost will be the two biggest factors to consider, but with the right planning and coordination, it's easy to plan a relaxing summer vacation on short notice.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Budget
• Snacks
• Coupons
• Passports and identification cards

1. Create a budget for your last minute summer vacation. Include separate categories for each of the different expenses you'll have to meet. Estimate the amount of money you'll spend on travel, hotels, meals and tourist activities.

2. Call a family meeting to get some feedback on the various summer vacations you're considering. While parents have final say, it's a good idea to get a sense of the kinds of activities your children would enjoy.

3. Pick a summer vacation destination that's nearby. While you might want to travel to Europe or Australia, it might not be feasible to book such an extravagant trip at the last minute. Instead, look for destinations to which you might be able to drive.

4. Consider the differing interests of your individual family members. While some people might be fans of popular tourist attractions, others might enjoy museums and cultural centers. Try to find a summer vacation destination that offers a range of different activities.

5. Search for as many money-saving coupons as possible. When planning a last minute summer vacation, it's important to trim expenses whenever possible. Visit the websites for different tourist attractions or stop by a local visitors' center to see if you can locate some discount coupons.

6. Scrape together all your passports and government identification cards. In your hurry to plan a last minute summer vacation, you can't afford to forget to bring your ID. Think of how disappointed your family would be if your summer vacation came to a crashing halt at the airport check-in desk.

7. Pack plenty of snacks and refreshments for your last minute vacation. Eliminate the need to visit rest stops and convenience stores on a road trip. These costs can mount quickly and waste money that would be better spent at a tourist attraction.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan your air travel for days that are unpopular with other travelers. Most tourists travel between Thursday and Monday. By booking your travel for the middle of the week, you'll be more likely to find tickets at a discounted price.
• You may have to pay a premium price to book a last minute summer vacation. Summer months are among the busiest at popular tourist destinations. At such times, it's likely that most of the plane seats and hotel rooms have already been reserved.