When it comes to planning a family vacation, there’s a lot that you have to think about, but if you can answer five basic questions before embarking on your trip, then you can definitely determine a lot about what you will get from the trip. The truth is, no matter how much money you spend on a family vacation, if you don’t plan things out well, you could end up spending a lot of money to have a lousy time. If you want to ensure that your trip is well worth the money, you have to know how to prepare.

The following five family vacation tips are comprised of your answers to the following five questions.

Is it safe and fun for children?

If you are planning on traveling anywhere with your kids, the number one thing you want to ask yourself is whether or not it is a safe place to take your kids. There are many places to travel in the world, and many cities have neighborhoods that are perfectly safe, but they also have neighborhoods that are very dangerous. When you decide to reserve a hotel room, be sure you know what neighborhood you’re staying in before you start running your credit card.

Do you know how to get there and plan lodging at the best possible price?

If you don’t know the cheapest and most comfortable way to travel to your intended destination, or how to get the best price for lodging, then you definitely need to do your homework. You can use online sites to find the best prices on flights and hotels in several cities worldwide.

Will your kids like the food?

When you’re trying to have a fun vacation, one of the last things you want to hear from your kids is that they don’t like the food. If all they do is complain the entire time about how foreign and different the food is, you’re not going to be able to really connect as a family during meal times. Of course, you do want to help them to broaden their horizons, but it’s always a good idea to take them to a restaurant that serves that particular type of food in your hometown before you take them to a place where it’s their only option.

What will you teach your kids about culture?

In addition to broadening your children’s culinary horizons, you want to be able to open their eyes to the differences between their own culture and that of the place they are visiting. Whether it is a different country or a different state, there are plenty of variations in culture to note. If your child is having a lot of trouble understanding those differences, you want to be prepared to discuss those differences in a way that is enlightening for your children.

What will you pack?

Last but not least, you need to make sure that everyone has all the appropriate clothes, devices, and personal items from home. Whether you need to pack medications, teddy bears, or blankies, you want to make sure that everyone has all the necessities that will keep them comforted while staying in a foreign location. Of course, you don’t want to pack too much, but you want to spend a considerable amount of time creating a list of necessities to pack before you get going.