Family vacations are great. There’s nothing like watching your little ones’ eyes light up at all the new sights, sounds, and exciting activities that fill the days you spend away from home, but what if you want to spend a little time gazing into your significant other’s eyes instead?

Most of the time, a family vacation is exactly that. You can’t just call up grandma and grandpa to watch the little one when you’re hundreds of miles away, after all! However, just because you can’t fall back on your regular babysitter doesn’t mean you can’t get away for a bit.

Whether you want to take a romantic Jungle Queen Riverboat ride in Fort Lauderdale or you want to sip some wine in the mountains, these tips will help you plan a little adult time into your vacation.

Plan a Multigenerational holiday

Many people travel with their immediate families. That means mum and dad, as well as the kids. Most of the time, the kids are close in age, which means they can’t be left alone. Instead, plan a multigenerational vacation.

Invite grandma and grandad to go on vacation with you, or ask your brother or sister to tag along. Ask the entire family and you can have a true family vacation! If you do, you’ll have at least one built-in babysitter who can watch the kids while you go out on the town.

Choose your accommodation carefully

Choosing the right accommodation can make a big difference in how much adult time you get on vacation.

A few ideas include:

• Renting a hotel room with a balcony so you can get away when the kids go to bed.
• Booking multiple rooms with a door in the middle so you and your kids get more privacy.
• Renting a house with multiple rooms instead of a hotel.

Where you choose your accommodation is important too. For example, choose a room near the hotel restaurant, pack a two-way monitor and you can get away for a quick drink when the kids go to sleep.

Bring your nanny with you

Have a nanny at home? Why not bring her along with the rest of your family! It’s true that you’ll have to pay for an additional ticket, but you won’t have to feel guilty leaving the kids with her while you and your partner go out, which is something some parents struggle with when travelling with family members.

Don’t have a nanny? Or maybe your nanny can’t make it? Consider bringing along a fill-in nanny. That could be a niece or a nephew that would love to travel with your family knowing that they will be expected to watch the kids while you go out.

Hire a babysitter before you get there

What do you do if a family member can’t come along, or if you don’t have the money to pay for a nanny to come either? You can hire a babysitter at your destination.

Hiring someone brand-new can be stressful, and the last thing you want to do is stress while you’re on holiday, so find your babysitter before you leave. Use a care-based app, reach out on social media, or get in touch with student affairs at the local college to see if any students might be interested.

Test out the sitter when you get there by inviting them to go out with your family or leave the kids with them for a short period of time. If you feel confident in their abilities, you can leave the kids with them for longer periods of time.

Do something with built-in Babysitting services

Did you know you can plan a holiday that already includes built-in babysitting services? Some hotels offer babysitting services and kids clubs where you can leave your children. Some activities will even take the kids and you just pick them up later.

Cruise ships are a popular family vacation because there’s plenty for the kids to do, but also because they often include child-watching services. That way, mum and dad can get away for a while, then swing by and get the kids on the way back to the room.

Going on holiday with the family is a lot of fun, but it’s also a great way to connect with your significant other. Do both by spending time together. Then, use these tips to plan something fun for the kids while you get away for a while.

*Collaborative post