Family vacations don’t always feel like vacations — for parents, at least.

When the kids are frolicking in the pool or at the beach, parents are keeping a watchful eye. When parents are enjoying an elegant dinner, kids are complaining that they’d rather have pizza. And always, there comes the inevitable whine: “I’m bored!”

The solution is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort that has it all: supervised activities for kids, retreats for grown-ups, and adventures you can try together. They’re easy to budget, too. Airfare + resort costs = you’re done. Just remember that when you’re vacationing as a family, travel insurance is absolutely crucial to protect your trip investment and cover emergency medical costs if something goes wrong. OneTrip Prime, our most popular choice for vacation coverage, covers kids and 17 under for free when traveling with a parent or grandparent (not available on policies issued to Pennsylvania residents).

Tips for Planning All-Inclusive Family Vacations

• Look for a variety of family-oriented activities. Many all-inclusive resorts offer a kids’ club or babysitting, but that’s not enough. It’s a family vacation, so plan some tours or lessons to do together.
• Ditch the devices. That goes for parents, too! Require that tablets and phones stay in the suitcase, or don’t bring them at all.
• Involve your kids in vacation planning. One effective way to prevent whining is to give your kids some say in what you do, depending on their age and maturity. Let your kids research the available activities and excursions and pick one or two the whole family can try.
• Connect with the surrounding community. If you’re financially able to take your family on vacation overseas, that’s a wonderful gift — but it’s a gift that’s wasted if your children never experience the local culture. Seek out destinations that make it possible to visit nearby towns, meet the locals, and taste authentic cuisine, instead of those that discourage venturing beyond the resort walls.

Six of the Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts

The Sandos Caracol Eco Resort includes everything: food and drink, non-motorized water sports, a baby club and kids club, nightly entertainment and a water park with 29 slides. The resort is committed to sustainability and even has a small farm with rescued animals (including macaws and Mexican hairless dogs), which kids can help feed and care for. Sandos Caracol’s signature offering is the All Nature Experience, a package of six tours (one each day) that allows families to explore Riviera Maya. Activities include hiking, planting a tree, cooking ancient Mayan cuisine and biking through the jungle.

If your family enjoys the outdoors — while still appreciating some creature comforts — Rafiki Safari Lodge offers an unforgettable glamping experience. One of the best all-inclusive family resorts in Costa Rica, Rafiki occupies 843 pristine acres on the Pacific coast. Families sleep in luxury safari tents with electricity, well-appointed bathrooms and huge porches overlooking the rainforest. Tent number 10 includes a splash pool for toddler-aged travelers. Kids will enjoy the water slide and action-packed adventures: white-water rafting down the Savegre River, hiking to a nearby waterfall, horseback riding and kayaking.

Have high-energy kids? Find a resort that lets them put that energy to use! Adventure Island is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort on 13.5-acre Long Caye in Belize. A maximum of 38 guests at a time stay in the island’s 16 beach cabanas. There’s no maid service, Internet access, air conditioning or flush toilets. Families don’t mind the basic amenities, however, because they’re too busy kayaking, surfing, fishing, exploring and snorkeling the pristine reefs.

You don’t have to go overseas to find all-inclusive family resorts. Kids can live their cowgirl and cowboy dreams at the Smith Fork Ranch in Colorado. Stay in a “rustic luxury” cabin and enjoy farm-to-table cuisine and guided outdoor activities. The kids’ program (for ages 4 through 17) offers the perfect mixture of adventures: trout fishing, horseback riding, archery, hiking, scavenger hunts and crafting. Here’s something parents will love: Every evening at 6 p.m., Smith Fork Ranch invites kids to have dinner with the counselors, while adults can sip cocktails on the pavilion. 

There’s no possible way your kids will be bored at the Woodloch Resort, a classic family resort in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Woodloch offers an ever-changing array of activities: indoor and outdoor pools, bumper cars, go-karts, bumper boats, skating on synthetic ice, water skiing, games and contests, and nightly entertainment. Dining plans cover all your meals; you can also dine a la carte. On select dates, kids 6 and under are free, and kids 19 and under are half off.

Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in upstate New York has been beloved by vacationing families since 1958. This all-inclusive family resort stays active all year long with. For kids, there’s an indoor water park, an arcade, a rock-climbing wall and a Fun Barn with Nerf cannons. For adults, there are wine and cheese tastings, sessions with the in-house horticulturalist. And for everyone, there’s mountain tubing (like snow tubing without the snow), horseback riding, mini golf, live nightly shows and more.

When should you buy travel insurance? As soon as you’ve booked your family vacation! The earlier you buy, the longer your coverage window, so you know your trip is protected. Get a quote to discover affordable plans for every trip.

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