We used to loathe travel insurance, thinking it was spammy. We’ve since come around, realizing there are companies who do it right. We’ve also finally accepted that sh*t happens, and big plans occasionally need to change. This change is a lot easier to stomach if you don’t have to pay in full for an erased vacation.

First off, it’s important to know what is NOT legit travel insurance. Companies that offer travel “protection” are often full of it and will do everything possible to deny your claims. We’ll go so far as to say they’re scams. With that said, some companies like air and cruise lines offer travel “protection” and “coverage,” which isn’t insurance but also isn’t a scam. However, this type of coverage usually isn’t a great deal, as many of the companies offer very little reimbursement and require beyond catastrophic circumstances for you to meet their very detailed criterion.

But not to worry – there are legit travel insurance providers that cover issues like trip cancellation (one of the most common needs,) cancelled flights, lost luggage, rental car debacles, natural disasters, medical care and other circumstances that could derail your trip.

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While there are no perfect options, the providers below typically offer comprehensive coverage and reimburse claims without much hassle. But they all offer differing packages and prices, which is why we recommend getting a few quotes, and reading the super fine print VERY carefully.

Just like any form of insurance, part of you will likely feel that prepaying for “what-ifs” is a waste, yet another part will receive sweet solace knowing you won’t lose out on thousands if a hurricane decides to wipe out the island you were about to have the scuba adventure of a lifetime on.

If you’re wondering what type of trip you should and shouldn’t pony up travel insurance funds for, it completely depends on your personal comfort with risk. With that said, we rarely get insurance for smaller trips, for example a quick three-day ski vacation to Mammoth that doesn’t include airfare. But when we’re going on a two-week international surf trip that includes multiple flights, rental cars, and various accommodations, you can be sure we’re covering ourselves with insurance.

Top travel insurers:

World Nomads (typically the most affordable option)

Allianz Global Assistance

Travelex

Seven Corners

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The price you pay for a relaxing, gorgeous destination wedding (beyond the actual price) is a lot of work on the front end, beginning about a year before that special date. The good news is everything doesn’t have to be done at once, as long as you spread out the to-dos over a 12-month period. To that end, we’ve compiled a thorough destination wedding checklist to help everything go smoothly.

12 Months Before

To get you started, here’s a list of the top tasks to tackle one year prior to The Day.

Decide the Essence You Want Your Wedding to Exude

Getting clear on the vibe, theme, spirit, or whatever you want to call it, for your wedding will make all your other decisions easier because you’ll have a better sense of what you’re trying to create.

Research Venues

Now that you’ve settled on your wedding essence of choice, start researching venues that match these needs. Mark your favorites and discuss with your partner. Once you’ve narrowed it down to your top three, contact the venues and request all pertinent information, and photos from their past weddings.

Confirm the Venue

Don’t get your heart set on a venue without first confirming it’s available on the date you’ve settled on, and you lock it in. A perk of planning a year in advance is that you have more flexibility with venue availability.

Determine Your Budget

While you want to invest in your dream wedding, know that you can create that dream without striping your financial reserves – and you do this by creating a budget. Start by taking an honest look at your finances, considering any help you may be receiving from family members, settling on a realistic budget, and committing to staying below that number.

Create Your Guest List

With that nifty budget in tow you can now decide how many names can grace your guest list. One of the biggest expenses of a wedding is food and drink, so each name on that list adds up.

Prepare To Defend Your Choices

When you dive into a life event that involves the participation of more than a few people, you’re going to get more than a few opinions. Steel yourself to deflect any unsolicited opinions by having a pow-wow with your fiancé where the two of you get firm on your reasons for having a destination wedding. Remind each other that ultimately the only people who need to be satisfied with the wedding are the two of you.

Make an Inspiration Board

Because there may be some tedious moments between now and the time you finally say “I do,” it can be nice to have a visual reminder of what you’re working towards. Clip images of weddings, flowers, colors, food, rings, dresses, your wedding destination, and more that make you feel excited about planning a wedding, and glue them to a piece of poster board.

You’ve locked in your wedding venue of choice, committed to sticking to your budget (you can do it!), and hemmed and hawed over that tricky guest list until it was just right – congrats! You’ve got your momentum going and have tackled some of the biggest destination wedding question marks. It’s now time to narrow your focus a bit, and revel in tasks like finding your ideal dress.

Make Your Online Registry

While it’s tempting to register for shiny gifts you don’t really need (I’m looking at you jalapeño popper maker), it’s best to stick to items that will enhance and simplify your post-wedding life. Talk with your partner about the goods that will offer the most benefit, and together make your registry, or registries.

Create Your Wedding Website

Now that you have your engagement story, wedding date, location, and registry you can create your wedding website. Sites like Joy allow you to design a one-stop-shop for your guests to get in the mood for your wedding by reading your love story, discover the specifics on all the wedding events and FAQs, and access your registries.

Because destination weddings take a lot of planning on the part of – well, everyone – make sure your website includes specifics on best ways to get to your wedding destination, travel requirements, where you’ll be blocking out rooms or houses, ground transportation info, and any other essential information.

Send Your Save the Dates

If you would like people at your wedding (totally optional!) you’ll want to let them know ASAP when and where you’ll be getting married so they can get it on their calendar. Make sure the Save the Date includes your wedding website link so they can get a full picture of what will be required of them to get to your wedding.

Select Your Wedding Party

Trust your gut as you decide who you would like standing by you as you leap out of singledom, and decide with your fiancé if it’s important for you to have an even number on their side and yours.

Schedule a Call With the Event Planner

Make a list of every question you can think of for the event planner that has likely been assigned to you by your venue, then a schedule a call with them.

Hire a Photographer and Videographer

Hopefully, your event planner gave you a stellar list of photographers and videographers, you’ve combed through their websites and found the ideal matches, and are ready to confirm.

Research Dresses

Taking into consideration your style preferences (first and foremost), wedding destination terrain and climate, and budget, begin looking into dress options.

Go to With Joy to read the full list

The post The Complete Destination Wedding Checklist appeared first on Adventure Travel Fam.

While a huge factor in when you go on a trip is when you start planning, components of travel such as weather, best time of year to engage in various activities, school schedules and more, all play in to when you depart, and how long you’ll be gone.

Because Bailey is always angling for longer vacations, and Eric is constantly bringing her back to Earth with bank statements and school schedules, following are the steps we use to diplomatically select dates and time frames for our getaways.

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Research the best time of year to visit your destination.

This one is pretty subjective, as there are multiple reasons for visiting a particular destination. For example, if you’re heading to Taos, New Mexico, you may want to go for the intense ski slopes, the mesmerizing fall colors, or enchanting walks through historic sites amid the warm summer breeze. Researching what your destination of choice offers during the various seasons will help you hone in on when you want to visit.

Decide the trip’s span.

When you’re figuring out how many days you can get away, do everything you can to give yourself at least ten. For many people, it takes a minimum of three days to settle into vacation mode, so when you’re in and out in seven, it’s easy to feel like you only got a long weekend’s worth of vacation. This longer expanse of time also gives you more freedom to craft an itinerary with ample down time and opportunities for spontaneity. With that said, we understand a shorter trip is sometimes all hectic schedules allow, and have had amazing adventures in under seven days.

You’ll also need to factor in your family’s unique preferences. For example, if you don’t have an abundance of funds for the trip, but have the desire for luxury accommodations, you may have to go with a shorter vacation. On the flip side, if you’re cool with staying in more budget digs and don’t need to eat out every day, you’re in a good place to stretch your trip by a few days, without busting that budget.

Examine family schedules.

Ready for another family meeting? Great. Gather the troops, instructing everyone to bring their schedules to the table. Together, look at school calendars, big events like weddings or graduations, or anything else that impacts when you can and cannot skip town.

Request the time off.

While money is the biggest hurdle some families face when planning an epic vacation, others have a tricky time getting enough time off to immerse themselves in a vacation that doesn’t feel like it’s over as soon as it begins. But when you give yourself ample time (ideally 12 months) to plan and prepare your employers, colleagues, employees and your child’s school, you should be able to secure a solid chunk of time off.

Travel Savings Tip: If you’re looking to save big, and are comfortable letting the kids play hooky, taking an offseason vacation can often save you hundreds of dollars.

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While a schedule free trip can be lovely for a honeymoon or solo vacation, going without an itinerary on a family vacation can be a recipe for chaos.

But not surprisingly, crafting an itinerary as a family can also be a recipe for chaos, as family members will have conflicting opinions and a handful of the suggested activities will likely cause some to step out of their comfort zone.

However, working through this discord and creating a solid itinerary you’re all in agreement on before you head off can allow you to utilize every moment of your adventure for enjoyment, expansion and connection, instead of wasting those moments on “what should we do today” discussions.

And don’t think that because you have an itinerary you won’t have time for relaxation or spontaneity – we recommend building both into the schedule.

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Having a family meeting to collect ideas for the itinerary.

Before you get together for this family meeting, have each family member make a list of the types of activities they’d be interested in trying. Parents can help little ones make this list – we’re often surprised by the activities Hudson expresses interest in.

While you’ll ideally do most activities as a family, decide if there’s wiggle room for family members to occasionally split off to engage in a mini-adventure no one else has interest in.

Researching relevant activities.

Once you have a general idea of what everyone would like to do, research the related activities in your vacation area. Be sure to read ample reviews (we prefer Trip Advisor for this, and also offer numerous activity guides for various destinations), and get quotes for the activities you’ll need to acquire a guide or equipment for.

Crafting a tentative schedule.

Before you book anything, create a tentative itinerary, taking into account your family’s typical sleep and eat cycles, and ensuring you’ll have plenty of down time (if that’s one of your priorities.) Keep in mind that overloading a trip with activities can sometimes lead to burnout and arguments, especially when young children or teenagers are involved.

Scheduling time for spontaneity and relaxation.

When you allow for spaciousness, and keep your eyes open for wonder and connection, serendipitous moments will wind their way into your trip. So set aside ample blocks between activities to engage in whatever you feel like.

Contacting the local tourism office.

Tourism departments are often full of insider knowledge regarding their specific destination. If there is one in the area you’ll be visiting, reach out to ensure your itinerary isn’t missing a mind-blowing location, activity or event.

Using Google Maps to polish your itinerary.

Prevent unnecessary transit time by planning your itinerary according to what sights, activities and eateries are closest to one another.

Book your activities.

To ensure tours, and other activities that require a reservation don’t fill up, it’s best to lock them in as soon as you’re sure that’s what your family wants to do. For “do we? don’t we?” activities, hold off on booking unless they have a generous cancellation policy.

Make a list of training and equipment your itinerary will require.

As some activities require specialized training (e.g., scuba diving) you’ll likely want to acquire this training and necessary certifications before you depart. Not only does this prep allow you to save time during your trip, but builds anticipation for the adventure.

In addition to training, some activities might require you bring equipment that isn’t provided by the company facilitating the activity. Reach out to these companies after booking to confirm what you’ll need to bring, and add these items to your packing list.

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Our family is addicted to lists – we’ve found that the formation of a good one frees our minds from trying to remember uninspiring, yet essential, travel to-dos so we can focus on soaking in the goodness of positive anticipation and the actual trip.

Having these lists ensures you don’t spend sleepless nights trying to figure out what essential items you’ve forgotten to pack, and helps you make sure things like work, home and pets are good to go before departure.

This list is focused on tasks that are important to look into about a month before departure. After you check off the to-dos in this one, take at look at these other lists you might find helpful…

When you’re about a month from departure, dive into the following preparatory details of your adventure.

* Click here for a printable checklist.

Book transportation

If you haven’t already, book your transport to and from the airport, or any other routes you haven’t already procured transportation services for.

Ensure your travel documents are in order

While you hopefully took care of passport and driver’s license renewals, visa or international driver’s license procurement, vaccinations and any other document-related requirements for your destination a few months ago, this is a good time to confirm all your docu-ducks are in order, and organize them in a waterproof folder. We also recommend making a photocopy of these documents.

Print maps

If you’ll be driving in a destination where you won’t have cell service, print or purchase maps of the areas you’ll be navigating. Next, store them in the above-mentioned waterproof folder.

Polish your itinerary

Review your itinerary to make sure it’s filled with activities that are still exciting and doable for your family. For support crafting the ideal itinerary for your family, click here. Then…

Ensure all your activities are booked

If some of the “maybe” activities on your itinerary have reached “we definitely want to do that” status, book your spots for the desired day and time, if a reservation is required. And to avoid future hiccups, print the confirmations for all activities.

Create a preliminary list of restaurants or markets you’ll want to try

You might have taken care of food ideas when you crafted your itinerary, but if not, research eateries or markets you’ll want to try. This forethought can seriously simplify “where do we want to eat?” conversations.

Look into childcare options, if applicable

If you’ll be on a cruise, or a ski or resort vacation, there will likely be childcare options. If this is something you’ll require, look into whether you need to reserve a spot for the littles ahead of time. For those traveling to a destination that doesn’t provide on-site childcare, find a thoroughly vetted child care provider through Care.com or AupairWorld.net (if you’ll be abroad.)

Write a packing list

The sample packing lists we offer can be used as jumping off points for this task. As you edit them, think through your itinerary and your family’s unique preferences to ensure you bring the essentials. Speaking of essentials, prevent the hassle of can-barely-close luggage by only packing items you’re almost certain will get used.

Begin gathering travel essentials

If your packing list includes specialized items (e.g., snorkeling gear, camping gear, extra camera batteries, travel-size toiletries, etc.) that won’t be used before your trip, gather them in one location to facilitate easy packing when the time comes.

Examine luggage needs

Keeping the nature of your trip in mind, check out your family’s luggage supply to ensure it will meet the needs of your trip. For example, if you’ll be moving around a lot , you’ll likely want small luggage with wheels. If you’re heading to one location for an extended stay, you may want larger bags. For backpackers (who don’t already have a massive backpack), you’ll want to head to a sporting goods store where they can help you find a backpack to suit the unique framework of your journey.

Refill all essential prescriptions

Ensure you’ll have enough medication, contact lenses, inhaler cartridges, Epi pens or whatever else it is that you need a prescription for by loading up at least a week before departure. If you’re worried you’ll run out while away, call your care provider to procure a paper prescription you can use while away, or get extras of the items you need. Ideally you’ll have enough to get you through an extra week of vacation in case something happens and you’re stuck in paradise for longer than expected.

Make necessary arrangements for pets and house care

If you have pets that need regular care, or would rather not leave your house empty while you’re away, arrange to have a friend stay over, or utilize one of the many house and pet sitter services. Click here for a complete home-prep checklist to go through before you depart.

International Travel

Here are a few extra to-dos for those traveling beyond the borders of their home country.

Learn important phrases

For those traveling to an area that utilizes a language you’re not fluent in, it can be fun and respectable to learn key phrases in that language (and write them down so you don’t forget.) For example, Where is the bathroom? Please and thank you. How do we get to…? Can I please order…? are good places to start.

If you’ll have access to cell service, download a translator app like “Speak and Translate” to help you with on-the-go translations. (Eric once had a two-hour conversation with a Spanish gentleman using this app.)

Exchange currency

If you’ll be in an area that doesn’t accept credit cards (or charges a large fee for credit card transactions) you’ll want to get your hands on the local currency. Research the exchange rate of your needed currency at your local bank, compared to the rate at the airport, and in the area you’re going. This research can help ensure you score the best rate.

Before we went to Cuba we discovered that Euros and Canadian dollars had a better exchange rate than USD, so we exchanged a few hundred dollars worth of USD for Euros at our local bank, then exchanged that for CUCs (Cuba’s currency for tourists) in Cuba.

* Click here for a printable checklist.

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As planning a family vacation elicits contrasting opinions that can trigger arguments, it’s helpful to set ground rules before your family’s travel preferences converge. After numerous travel-induced battle of the wills, we decided to create guidelines we utilize each time we plan a vacation. These guidelines helped our trip planning end in bookings and a celebratory drink, instead of passive aggressive sighs.

But because each family is different, we recommend using these guidelines as a starting off point, editing them or building upon them to create your own. As you do this, think about your family’s communication style – or the communication style you’re striving for – and the circumstances that seem to produce the most conducive environment for communication. For example, maybe your family members are at their most relaxed and cooperative on Sunday mornings.

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When you first come together, start with a…

Communication style reminder.

We like to begin family travel discussions with reminders for how to practice nonviolent communication. For us, this includes no name-calling or judgments of others’ ideas, practicing active listening, using “I” messages to communicate our feelings, then clearly asking for what we need. For example, “I’m feeling like my ideas aren’t being considered. Would you all be willing to talk about my ideas?”

Utilizing guidelines for communication may initially feel forced and unnatural, but will help to keep the conversation productive and cordial. If non-violent communication doesn’t resonate with you, select another communication structure, or make up your own.

Keep all comments kind, even if you’re disagreeing.

Being intentional about using kind language with our loved ones prevents hurt feelings and the potential dissolution of the vacation.

When you’re triggered, pause before responding.

It’s easy to get irritated when someone’s opposing your ideas. If this happens, and you feel the urge to say something unproductive, pause for at least 90 seconds before responding, as research has shown it takes 90 seconds for an emotion to move through and out the body. Initially, it can be tricky to have the willpower to count to 90 instead of unleashing our frustrations, but with practice this strategy can save you from saying something you later regret.

No idea will be dismissed without discussion.

Having a “no bad ideas” rule gives family members freedom to be creative and honest about the types of adventures they’re yearning for. Even if you know a certain idea isn’t practical, fantasizing about what it would look like to carry it out helps your family member feel heard and respected.

Everyone has an equal say, regardless of age.

When we give little ones the space to share their travel opinions, they often offer up creative and inspiring ideas. This also helps them find their voice, and the courage to use it.

Remember why you’re having this travel-talk.

Set a loving tone for your vacation discussion with a reminder that the core goal is to plan an adventure that supports your family in connecting and growing.

Final Note: When you’re in the beginning stages of planning a trip, we recommend having a family travel talk once a week until many of the big decisions have been made. This regular meeting of minds will keep your momentum going, helping to ensure the trip gets off the ground.

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