Did you know that about 67% of Americans took a vacation this summer? 31% of those travelers spent more than $1,000 per person, indicating that people are becoming more interested in traveling in a leisurely way, rather than keeping to a strict expenditure budget. Of course, you do not need to spend a lot in order to have fun. Here are our three tips for having the best family trip ever.

1. Research Beforehand

One of the most disappointing things that can happen on a vacation is that everyone gets excited to go to a particular museum or event… only to realize that it is closed on the day you wanted to go, and that was the last chance you had. Planning ahead for vacation eliminates stress during the trip and also widens your options. You will often discover awesome, out of the way adventures by looking through lists and accounts of what other people have done, rather than relying on a big sign on the side of the road to point it out for you.

2. Pick Out a Great Place to Stay

We do not think you need a super fancy hotel room to have fun on vacation. On the other hand, who wants to spend their free time feeling super cramped? One option for an affordable midpoint between the two is timeshare resales. You can either buy or rent a timeshare for less than you would normally spend via timeshare resales. This will often allow you to stay in either a roomy apartment or a small home for not much more than what a hotel would cost. Look for a place with a kitchenette. Traveling with kids often means hungry mouths and this way you can save money by cooking one or more meals a day. Be careful of what you sign, as there are several scams that occur often within the timeshare resales industry.

3. Best Travel Prices

Did you know that over a billion people worldwide crossed international borders for the purpose of traveling this past year? If you are planning to fly to your location, you might be interested in knowing several tips to getting the lowest flight cost possible. The best days to travel, on average, are Wednesday and Sunday, with Friday and Saturday ranking as the most expensive. The cheapest time of day for flights is early in the morning. The best time to buy tickets is Tuesday at 3pm, and CheapAir says that you should aim to buy a ticket seven weeks ahead of time, as this is when the fare average is lowest. Whether you are looking for rental cars, planes or tour prices, always compare across multiple search sites so that you can find the optimum price combo.

Have any tips to share on having the best tour and travel experiences? Let us know in the comments!