Family Vacation Ideas for Your Next Family Trip

Take a look at some of the best family vacation ideas below because a little inspiration helps when you start planning your next fun family trip. If you are wondering where to take your family on vacation this year you'll discover some original vacation ideas suggested by travelers around the world. Suggest your favorite family vacation ideas before you leave to help others in their quest for some great family fun this vacation season.

Whether you take your family on a fun and exciting Disney vacation, a Grand Canyon Tour, a Caribbean cruise to bask in the summer sun, a guided tour of Yosemite or even a simple trip to the back yard with a tent and a couple of flashlights family camping trips can be a memorable experience that you and your kids will remember forever.

I was fortunate to have a family that loved to vacation together - well at least until my brother and I hit our teen years and it wasn't "cool" to spend time with the family. But those years passed and we found out that our family wasn't so bad after all, and those great family vacations you take while growing up provide lasting memories for the rest of your life.

If you are looking for fun new family vacation ideas you've come to the right place. It is quite the grand claim to have the Best Family Vacation Ideas, so we'll just say you'll find some pretty darn good suggestions for family vacations. I'll share with you some of the family vacations I loved growing up as well as highlight some trip ideas that you may enjoy as well with your family - like those African safaris and Caribbean cruises perhaps. (I'm still hoping for one of those some day!) And don't forget you can even add your own family vacation suggestions to the lists - so come on in and plan your next family vacation!

A summer family vacation idea sure to please the outdoor adventurer

Some of the best family vacations I remember involved, a warm fire, a night full of stars, and of course S'mores! If you are looking for a cheap family vacation idea that doesn't take three months work to pay for camping is a sure fire bet. With thousands of beautiful, serene National Parks and campgrounds there is sure to be one (or most likely many) you'll quickly fall in love with.

Camping for me was one of the best family vacations, and really instilled in me a love for the outdoors, nature photography, and the sound of the wind rustling through Aspen trees. Just don't forget to leave the food in the car unless you care to meet a friendly family of bears.

We all have our own ideas of what is the best family vacation, here is your chance to vote for yours. If your favorite family vacation idea is not listed suggest a new one below!

San Francisco and Yosemite National Park Adventure

Oregon and California have some outstanding National Parks and campgrounds perfect for your next family vacation. Whether you enjoy beautiful Japanese Gardens, the most splendiferous waterfalls, or the spectacular Redwood forest the Oregon and California coast is one of my all time favorite travel destinations.

One of the best family vacations I have recently taken involved flying to San Francisco and driving up the California and Oregon coast. Take a look at this 3-Day Yosemite Camping Adventure from San Francisco. If you are new to camping this is a perfect way to get started as all camping gear is provided for you and the trip is fully guided. If you love pristine lakes, hiking through giant redwood forests and a relaxing swim right off your campsite this camping adventure is right up your alley - I just wish I could go with you - don't worry I'll sleep in my own tent.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most scenic destinations for family travel and there is nothing like seeing it from a helicopter! If you take the family to the Grand Canyon this summer and have the chance to get away just the two of you this Grand Canyon All American Helicopter Tour is a must do. Heck you can take the whole family as these luxury helicopters hold up to six passengers. Although you might just want a romantic getaway from the kids to enjoy the included 30 minute champagne picnic all to yourselves.

On your way to the Grand Canyon you will pass over Lake Las Vegas, Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam on the way to your champagne picnic at the Grand Canyon. On landing, your limousine is waiting to whisk you back to your hotel in style. A fun mini adventure on your family trip to the Grand Canyon. Click For details and to take advantage of the nearly 20% discount tickets. This Grand Canyon helicopter tour maintains a 5 star rating with nearly 2,500 positive reviews!

or Universal Orlando Tickets, can they make it any more confusing?

When I was a kid we went on a few family vacations to Disney both in California and in Florida and it was nice and simple - you went to Disney or Universal Studios. Now though, as we are planning a trip to Orlando and I look for the best price for Disney tickets I find things have changed a bit since then. Now there are a billion and one new theme parks so buying tickets has become pretty confusing.

This time around we may not do the traditional Disney vacation but my sister is super excited to check out the new Harry Potter World (her friend went recently and said it was amazing!) So I've been looking into tickets to Harry Potter World and discovered that Universal studios has taken the term Super Size ME and run with it. If you haven't heard of Universal's Islands of Adventure theme parks check it out - I could build a whole page dedicated just to that it is so cool and huge!

Anyway Harry Potter World (officially called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter) is part of Universal's Islands of Adventure and I searched through several sites to find the best deal on tickets and came up with bestoforlando.com as, well, the best of Orlando. So if you are looking for Islands of Adventure Tickets try them and see if they still have the best price. (the site also has great deals on shows, attractions, hotels and more)

I stumbled across this money saving guide to Disney World vacations, (most likely Disneyland as well - one would imagine) written by Beth Haworth. Beth is a former Disney World cast member who is now a well traveled travel writer, and mother of three (I suppose if you weren't well traveled you wouldn't be a good travel writer - that's beside the point).

Beth's Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is packed full of money saving tips and strategies for you to get the most vacation for the least amount of money. Which is what we all really want if we have the whole fam looking to have a memorable Disney vacation.

If you are thinking about taking the family on a Disney vacation any time soon you may want to check out her book. She updates it every year with new tips and information. (I just haven't updated the book photo in awhile)

She has an exclusive ticket discount code for big savings on online ticket purchases in the book - Shhhh, don't tell anyone...

A family vacation idea for the treasure hunters in all of us

If you aren't keen on the idea of meeting a family of bears then perhaps a Caribbean cruise is just right for you. With all the major cruise lines clamoring for your business there are many low priced all inclusive family vacation cruise packages for less than you think.

Caribbean cruises have something to offer for the whole family both on shore and off, that is why it ranks right up there as one of my best family vacation ideas. (Although I must say that I missed out on my family cruise vacation - they all went when I was off to college - I won't let them forget that one!)

Here are some of the fun times to look forward to on your next Caribbean cruise, and reasons why it makes my top list for best family vacation ideas. There are too many activities to list in one place but here are a few to "wet" your appetite. And if you are looking for some alone time to enjoy those romantic sunsets, most cruise lines offer babysitting!

• Beach and Boat Parties
• Ice Cream Parties
• Pools and Pool Parties
• Arts and Craft Classes
• Dancing Lessens
• Teen and Youth Centers
• Basketball, volleyball, ping pong, mini golf, and climbing walls
• Surfing on a wave simulator, and even ice skating if you can believe that!
• Escorted Shore Tours (Explore ancient ruins!), Snorkeling in crystal blue waters.
• Whale/Sea Life Watching and Maybe a Pirate or Two
• Video Games, Movies and Cartoons just in case your kids (or you) miss "civilized" life