School breaks can be tricky. If you have kids across different age ranges, you have to find that sweet spot when all their breaks align. Add in the complexities of competing with millions of other families for the same places and dates, and you start to wonder if a staycation is the safer bet. Worry not. With the right plan in place, you can escape the crowds and make core family memories in some of the world’s most relaxing and intriguing destinations. Here are few suggestions to do just that.
Short cruise vacation
Short Cruise Vacation
You only need to use a few days of a school break to set sail on a short cruise vacation. On 3-, 4- and 5-day itineraries, you can still explore multiple countries, feast on an array of tantalizing dishes and catch amazing Broadway-caliber shows. These cruise vacations embark from convenient ports around the country — like the New York metro area, Florida, Texas, California and Washington — so they’re a quick flight or car ride away.
Once on board, most of your family’s needs will be covered by the cruise fare. We’re talking spacious accommodations, daily entertainment and delicious meals from an array of included restaurants. Add in family-friendly activities like onboard waterparks, escape rooms, go-kart tracks, karaoke and special areas for kids and teens, and everyone in your crew will be thoroughly entertained.
If you want to go big and use the entire spring or fall break for your cruise, your options expand tenfold. Jet off to Barcelona for a weeklong cruise across the Mediterranean. Head to Alaska and get up close and personal with a few skyscraping glaciers. Or head to Ecuador for an expedition voyage to the Galápagos Islands.
All-inclusive resort
All-inclusive Resorts
We all know how wonderful a relaxing family vacation at an all-inclusive resort can be. A comfortable lounge chair on a powder-soft beach, a friendly server bringing you refreshing drinks, decadent dining whenever you wish and the kids splashing in the pool or playing air hockey in the game room. But it is the school year after all, so shouldn’t your kids be learning something too?
Thankfully, in Mexico, many all-inclusive resorts are wonderfully close to Maya ruins. In the Yucatan Peninsula alone — home to resort-blessed destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum — you’ll have hundreds to choose from, sites that were once large cities with pyramids, temples, palaces, ceremonial structures and plazas.
From Chichen Itza, a must-see ruin that’s one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, to Tulum, a major Maya city built directly on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean, these sites are not only educational, but they’re also just flippin’ cool. Your kids will be stoked to learn about the ancient sport played in massive stone courts, or about how they can clap their hands near one pyramid to create an echo that sounds like the chirp of a quetzal bird.
Active island destinations
Active Island Destinations
The Caribbean is full of island nations where your family can escape the crowds. And while they all provide idyllic beaches framed by palm trees swaying in the wind, flavor-packed local fare and sand so perfectly warmed by the sun that each barefooted step you take is one step closer to heaven itself — the best islands for families are the ones that also provide a backdrop for adventure. Like Jamaica.
Just a few hours away by plane, Jamaica offers the kind of exciting activities that, when you’re photographed enjoying them, deserve at least 50 slots on your family’s digital picture frame. Like Dunn’s River Falls near Ocho Rios, one of Jamaica’s top attractions. The falls are naturally terraced into giant steps, so adventurers of all ages can challenge themselves with a vigorous climb through cascading water. A guide will show you the best way up the 600-foot-long path, winding over boulders and through playful pools of pouring water. At the top is the prized view where you can see the entire falls flowing directly into the Caribbean Sea.
Next up on your island adventure is biking down Blue Mountain Peak, the island’s highest point at 7,402 feet. Here, you’re taken to the top of the mountain on a bus — complete with gorgeous panoramic views over miles of rolling, mountainous jungles — before you gently coast downhill through small villages and past waterfalls. Or maybe zip lining at Mystic Mountain is more your speed, safely sailing through the verdant treetops from one platform to another. Your kids are going to love it.
