There’s something truly magical about a family holiday. Granted, they’re seemingly never stress-free: planning, packing and picky little travellers can test your patience at times. However, the special memories you’ll create exploring faraway places with your nearest and dearest will be cherished for a lifetime.

Deciding where to go is often half the battle. Catering to different tastes and personalities makes it difficult to find somewhere with something for everyone. Or at least it would be, if the USA didn’t exist. The States have long been an aspirational holiday destination for young families, and is home to some of the world’s prime tourist attractions. In this post, I'm going to discuss three important reasons why the USA is a wonderful place to visit with young children.

An Educational Experience

Family holidays are an excellent opportunity to broaden your children’s horizons and develop their world view in these formative years. Across the USA, museums, monuments and statues tell the story of this country’s fascinating history, and a visit to these sites is sure to both inspire and educate young minds. Best of all, there are lots of exhibitions that have been designed with children in mind, so they’ll never feel like they’re in the classroom when stepping back in time.

It can be compelling for children to see the sites they’ve learned about back home up close, and you never know whether a trip could ignite a new passion or interest that they want to pursue. On top of this, America is an incredibly diverse country, making it a great place to teach little ones about the importance of respecting and celebrating different cultures and ways of life.

Family-Friendly Locations

Especially in the main tourism destinations, you’ll find that most tourist attractions, restaurants and accommodations are geared towards welcoming visitors of all ages. Having easy access to the necessary facilities makes a holiday here more convenient for parents and can mitigate lots of the stressors associated with being away from home.

Some locations that are best geared towards family travel include:

• Orlando: Dubbed the theme park capital of the world, Orlando is perfect for adventurous families. From Walt Disney World to Universal Studios, fun and thrills are top of the agenda on any holiday to this part of the world.

• California: California is teeming with special spots that are tailor-made for a family holiday – think Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. For the icing on the cake, some of America’s most breathtaking national parks can be found in the Golden State, including Joshua Tree, Redwood and Yosemite.

• Hawaii: White-sandy beaches, luscious valleys and an abundance of beautiful wildlife are just some of things that await you in Hawaii. Head on a snorkelling tour of the bay to savour the local marine life, before venturing into the jungle on a Jeep tour.

It’s a Year-Round Destination

As any parent knows, timings for family holidays are often dictated by school schedules. This restricts you to only a few options throughout the year, with most trips naturally planned for the summertime. Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons to visit America at any time of the year, meaning you can be more flexible around when you choose to visit. 

For example, if you’re dreaming of a Christmas vacation, take a festive foray to New York City, where Yuletide responsibilities are taken incredibly seriously, and bright lights illuminate the cityscape. Or, the Easter holidays are the perfect time to enjoy the most popular tourist attractions at a more relaxed pace, after the peak summer season has come and gone. There is a perfect spot for your family all 52 weeks of the year – the only difficulty is deciding where to go first.

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Top Car Hire Tips: 4 Techniques for Big Savings

One of the first things that crosses the minds of tourists planning a trip in the United Kingdom is whether car hire is something they should consider. A significant number of them dismiss this service because of its cost. However, once they learn these top car hire tips, they will surely start incorporating it into all their trips. As they will not only have a more pleasant and less tiring journey, but also save some money.

Check Multiple Locations

You should keep in mind that by simply tweaking the booking options, you are likely to end up with a better daily car hire rate. Typically, airport pick-up is costlier because travellers obtain a vehicle to explore with the moment they land at their destination, meaning there is no point in their trip to waste on looking for the best means of transport. However, the inconvenience of having to find a way to get to the city centre, the train station, or the harbour to pick up their car hire can reward them with lower hire rates.

Select Times & Dates Wisely

In the same logic as the location option, playing with the day and time of pick-up and drop-off can change the final cost of the car hire service. Most articles about top car hire tips will tell you that weekdays within business hours have the best hiring prices. Thus, if you can adjust your travel times and itinerary to this fact, you will definitely enjoy big savings on hiring. Another thing to keep in mind is to check for bank holidays in the UK or any festivals in the city of your choosing, as they might be the reason for higher-than-usual rates.

Compare Deals

Any top car hire tips article would be incomplete if it didn’t mention the need to compare available deals in the area of your interest. The easiest way to view all the options is to visit comparison sites. One such site is holidaycars.com, where you get a list of airport car hire options at the best prices. They are presented in an easy-to-compare format, with all the essential information to spot the deal that sounds best for your circumstances in no time. Thus, you save both money and time with this tool.

Inspect the Car

If you take only one tip from this article, let it be this one: you should carefully inspect the hire car, take photos and videos of any blemishes, and report them to the car hire firm. This is the only way to avoid getting charged for damages, as you can prove that you haven’t caused them.

This is a collaborative post.