How to Plan Your Fall Family Getaway

Fall is the perfect time to plan a family getaway for the weekend. The weather is not too hot and not too cold, the scenery is spectacular and with the stress of back to school time, I think the whole family needs a time out to just relax and focus on the most important thing in the world: family.

Not all fall family getaways are created equal. There are several factors that you should consider prior to booking a quick family getaway, besides the usual price and time.

Here are some tips to help plan your next fall family getaway:

Location, location, location! You want to make sure your hotel room is in a location that is central to all activities planned for the weekend, as well as within walking distance of restaurants and coffee shops (hey moms and dads want to enjoy too with a glass of wine!). Being in the centre of the activity gives you easy access to activities as well as the ease of being able to enjoy some quiet time when the younger children become too tired to carry on.

Look for a location that provides fun, physical outdoor activities. Fall is a great time to get outdoors so take advantage of this cooler weather and look for locations that provides hiking trails, gondola rides and plenty of opportunities to just get out and explore the environment.

A location with plenty of restaurant choices. While a kitchen in the suite is an extra bonus for families for snacks and early breakfast meals, being close to a good variety of restaurants is important too. This really allows us as parents to sit back and enjoy our time with our family.

Look for amenities that your family will actually use, such as a pool or even a restaurant in the hotel. Our boys love going for an early or late night swim so this is always number one on our list.

Blue Mountain in Collingwood offers all of this and more. We stayed at the Seasons hotel and were extremely impressed with the amenities not only in the hotel itself but the surrounding area. Being in the centre of the village allowed us to move around easily around the village, visiting new shops, going on hikes and trying out new restaurants (my husband tried his first beaver tail!). We had a fabulous weekend away from home just focusing on us as a family and exploring nature. A definite win win for us as a family.

What do you look for when booking a family getaway?